Harmanpreet, Harleen power India to 4-wicket win over New Zealand in Women's World Cup warm-up game
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Bengaluru (PTI): Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur’s 69 underlined a comprehensive effort from India in their four-wicket victory via the DLS method over New Zealand in the second and final warm-up match, ahead of the women's ODI World Cup, here on Saturday.
India will take on the tournament co-hosts Sri Lanka in their first match on September 30.
In a 42-overs per-side contest which was marred by rains followed by delay due to wet outfield, India outplayed the Kiwis in all departments to bounce back from their heavy loss to England in the first warm-up match for the tournament.
Chasing a revised target of 237 after the Kiwis posted 232/8, India showed no qualms in getting over the line with 10 deliveries and four wickets to spare.
Harmanpreet was fluent in her knock, striking eight fours to make 69 off 86 balls. She put on 132 runs for the third wicket with Harleen Deol, who once again played a vital knock in the middle order scoring 74 off 79 balls with 10 fours before retiring out.
India openers Pratika Rawal (15) and Uma Chetry (38) provided the platform with a 54-run stand.
Earlier in the rain-truncated contest, New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine struck a run-a-ball 54 with nine fours and Maddy Green made a quick unbeaten 49 to push the Kiwis to 232 for eight.
Pacer Kranti Goud left New Zealand in a spot of bother at 38 for two in the eighth over but a 91-run partnership between Amelia Kerr (40) and Devine helped steady the ship.
Both Kerr and Devine fell in quick succession but New Zealand found strong contributors in Green, who struck four fours and a six, and Isabella Gaze, who made 21 not out with three fours.
For India, Shree Charani was the pick among the bowlers with 3/49 while Goud and Arundhati Reddy taking two wickets apiece.
Brief scores: New Zealand Women 232/8 in 42 overs (Amelia Kerr 40, Sophie Devine 54, Maddy Green 49 not out; Shree Charani 3/53)
India Women 237/6 in 40.2 overs (Uma Chetry 38, Harleen Deol 74 retired out, Harmanpreet Kaur 69; Bree Illing 2/34)
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Two girls injured in separate wolf attacks in UP's Bahraich
Bahraich (UP) (PTI): Two minor girls were injured in separate incidents of wolf attacks in the Bahraich district, forest department officials said on Saturday.
In the first incident on Friday, Anushka Nishad (5), daughter of Baliram from Mallahanpurwa village, was sleeping alone inside her house when a wolf entered and tried to carry her away, they said.
Hearing her screams, family members and villagers rushed to the spot. The wolf left the child, hearing the commotion, and ran towards the fields. The girl sustained minor injuries from the animal's teeth, the officials said.
Divisional Forest Officer Ram Singh Yadav described the attack as deliberate and cleverly planned, as it occurred precisely when Anushka's mother went out for a few moments.
On the same day, Nancy (4), daughter of Kamlesh Yadav, was playing outside her house in Baburi Tola village when a wolf suddenly attacked and dragged her away.
Villagers raised an alarm, and the wolf released the child and ran towards the sugarcane fields. The injured child was sent to the Kaiserganj Community Health Centre for treatment.
Divisional Forest Officer Ram Singh Yadav told reporters that both attacks involved wolves, adding that the entire area is plagued by the animal's activity.
Since September 9, such attacks in the Bahraich district have claimed 10 lives, including eight children and an elderly couple, and injured dozens of people, the officials said.
District Magistrate Akshay Tripathi met the families of the victims on Friday and consoled them.
