Hamilton, March 12 (UNI) Brilliant centuries from Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur powered India to 317/8 against West Indies in the ICC Women’ Cricket World Cup match at the Seddon Park here on Saturday.
An unchanged India got off to a flying start after electing to bat in their third fixture of the tournament. While Mandhana was much more cautious, Yastika Bhatia (31) fired six boundaries before departing off Shakera Selman. West Indies’ fielding was superb but in patches, with Hayley Matthews pulling off a one hander at slip to remove Deepti Sharma for 15.
Deandra Dottin once again demonstrated her brilliant athleticism, saving a host of runs. India skipper Mithali Raj (5), who walked out at no.3, holed out to mid-wicket off Matthews. Mandhana and Kaur got into rebuilding, with their quick strike rotation and frequent boundaries. The duo stitched a solid 184-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
Both Mandhana and Kaur brought up their fifth and fourth ODI centuries respectively, as India inched closer to the 300-run mark. Shamilia Connell finally got rid of Mandhana (123 off 119 balls) as the left-hander smacked one straight to deep mid-wicket. Kaur (109 off 107 balls) also returned to dug out but not before taking India past the 300-run mark.
On an Aaliyah Alleyne delivery, Kaur was caught behind while attempting to paddle sweep. Both Mandhana and Kaur were welcomed by their teammates with a standing ovation.