A week of firsts
Try some of these facts on for size from the first seven days.
Breaking new ground
The Sydney Showground Stadium became an international cricket venue for the first time when it hosted Australia v India in the opening match of the tournament. An incredible crowd of 13,432 packed the venue last Friday night, welcoming in the World Cup with an opening celebration and a match full of thrills and spills that ended with an Indian victory.
Meanwhile, Perth’s famous WACA Ground hosted its first women’s T20 international when the West Indies beat Thailand by seven wickets on 22 February.
Two days later, Australia played its first women’s T20 international at the ground, overcoming a slow start with the bat to finish winners against Sri Lanka. This match was the first of a double header that featured India and Bangladesh, and the crowd of 5,280 was the highest ever for a women’s cricket match in Western Australia.
The breaking of records hasn’t stop there, either, with Australia’s big win over Bangladesh at Manuka Oval on Thursday night secured in front of 5,614, a record crowd for a women’s cricket match in Canberra.
It all augurs well for huge turnouts at the semi-finals, to be held as a double header at the Sydney Cricket Ground, and the final, where history further history could be made at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Melbourne is getting closer to filling the MCG in just nine days’ time, for what will be an historic sporting occasion.
To be a part of the final, which will feature a performance from global pop superstar Katy Perry, click here to secure your tickets now.
A nation makes its debut
Thailand has certainly left its mark on cricket fans around the world during its inaugural ICC World Cup tournament.
“We are in Australia to compete, not just to make up numbers. Regardless of the results, expect to see an exciting and uniquely Thai brand of cricket that has thus far served us well,” said Head Coach Harshal J Pathak on the eve of the tournament.
He certainly wasn’t wrong. While Thailand hasn’t been able to break through for a win, their performances in each of their first two games have been full of spark and verve. What’s more, the joy and excitement with which they’ve played and celebrated their successes have won the acclamation of all, and helps provide a wonderful foundation on which they can build their cricketing future.
World beaters
South Africa chose a great time to knock off world No. 2 England for the first time at an ICC event.
A six-wicket win was full of talking points, particularly the decision of England’s Katherine Brunt to forgo a chance to perform a Mankad to dismiss non-striker Sune Luus during the final over with the game in the balance.
Brunt’s decision allowed Luus to survive, before her South African teammate Mignon du Preez smashed a six and a four in consecutive deliveries to secure victory later in the over.
Consistency personified
Sophie Devine became the first batter ever (male or female) to log six T20I scores of 50 or more in succession, when she made an unbeaten 75 in New Zealand’s opening match v Sri Lanka.
She made it in style, too, hammering her 75 from just 55 delivers, with six fours and two sixes thrown in for good measure.
The New Zealand captain looms as one of the key playmakers for the rest of the tournament.
History in the making
Mignon du Preez became the first man or woman to make 100 T20I appearances for South Africa.
Debuting as an 18-year-old in 2007, du Preez has clocked up the ton across 15 years of cricket. With 100 matches, she is 11 clear of the next best placed South African Shabnim Ismail, who has played 89. The most capped men’s player is JP Duminy, who played 81 T20Is between 2007 and 2019.
A rescue to remember
Rachael Haynes became the first Australian player to score a half-century batting at No.5 in the order of an ICC Women's T20 World Cup innings.
She couldn’t have picked a better time to record it, either, coming to the crease at 3-10 in pursuit of 123. When she was stumped for 60, her side was only a few runs short of victory. Job done.
The first ton of the tournament
Heather Knight’s 108 not out against Thailand at Manuka Oval on Wednesday was not just the first century of the tournament, but it was also her first century in her 72-game T20I career. Knight began way back in 2010 and has since posted three 50s, but none bigger than her unbeaten ton in Canberra.
