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England, Denmark win in Women's World Cup

The Sixth Hero Honda Women's World Cup continues to be under the mercy of weather gods, as the group A league match between thrice champions Australia and Ireland was called off without a ball being bowled due to soft pitch conditions and soggy outfield in Madras.

Both teams were awarded three points apiece.

While Australia flies to Bangalore for their next league tie against South Africa, The Irish irish team would stay back in Madras for their match against Denmark to be played on December 12.

Both the opening day's matches, at New Delhi and Agra, were called off on December 9 because of rains.

Umpires T R Kasiappan and S V Ramani ruled out any possibility of play after four inspections, the last of them at 1330 hrs.

Meanwhile in Mysore, Denmark started their campaign in style crushing debutants Pakistan by eight wickets in a Group A league match.

Denmark, who won the toss, put Pakistan into bat on the newly laid turf wicketand bundled them for just 65 runs in 30.4 overs.

Despite struggling against the Pakistani leg spinners, the Danes romped home making the required 66 runs for the loss of two wickets in 29.3 overs.

Pakistan started on a sedate note and added 31 runs for the opening wicket when Shameen Khan was run out with Jette Philipsen effecting the first of the three run outs. They raised the 50 of the innings in 18.3 overs after losing just two wickets, raising hopes of making a decent total. At this stage, Denmark had conceeded 25 wides.

Subsequently, Pakistan lost wickets in quick succession with medium pacer Susanne Nelson, coming on as first change in place of Heidi Kjaer Jensen, bowling a mangnificient line to run through the Pak middle order, claiming four wickets for just nine runs.

Danish skipper Janni Jonssson took the other three wickets for 22 runs. Pakistan lost seven wickets for just seven runs in 25 deliveries.

As many as seven Pakistani batswomen failed to score. Skipper Shiza Khan remained not out on nine.

The Danish opening bowlers, evidently short of match practice, bowled all over the place to concede 27 wides out of a total of 65. Trine Christinesen, who shared the attack with Hedie Jensen, gave away eleven wides in the five overs she bowled.

Replying to the low Pakistani total, Denmark openers Melene Iversen (21) and Jette Philipsen, who made 16, started on a rousing note facing Pakistani medium pacers Sharmeen Khan and Maliha Hussain with ease. They scored 23 runs in the first 10 overs, with Melene being severe on Shameem scoring two well executed boundaries in the bowler's fifth over.

When Pakistani skipper and leg spinner Shaiza Khan came on to bowl in the eleventh over, while leggie Kiran Baluch came on from the other, the complexion of the game changed and the Denmark openers were all at sea. Kiran was impressive and deservingly claimed both the wickets that fell in the Denmark innings.

Kiran time and again beat the bat of the Danish openers and made the first breakthrough for Pakistan when she lured Jette out for 'keeper Asma Farzan to make a smart stumping.

Melene, who had difficulty in negotiating Kiran also left when she was clean bowled by a beauty which straightened after pitching.

Dorte Christiansen, who came at the fall of Jette and skipper Janni (7) ensured that their team reached the target without further hiccups.

Kiran ended with fine bowling figures of 7-3-13-2. However, Susanne Nelson, Denmark's wrecker in chief with four wickets, was declared player of the match. She collected a purse of Rs 25,000, and a trophy.

Denmark play against Ireland in their next match at Madras.

Meanwhile in Hyderabad, holders England defeated debutants South AFrica by seven runs in the Group A by seven runs in a rain-curtailed Group A match at the Lal Bahadur Stadium.

The game was restricted to 22 overs due to rain.

England, playing their first outing to defend their title, batting first, were 94 for seven in the allotted overs. However, they managed to bowl out the South Africans for 87 runs.