South Africa crush Pakistan by 150 runs; India, NZ to fight for one slot
Colombo (PTI): South Africa steamrolled Pakistan by 150 runs in a rain-affected round-robin league match to leapfrog to the top of the points table in the Women's World Cup here on Tuesday.
South Africa now have 10 points from six games and at least for a day, they would be above Australia and England -- both on nine points and pitted against each other on Wednesday at Indore.
After an initial delay, the match was curtailed to 40-over-per side with South Africa scoring 312 for 9 riding on Laura Wolvaardt's 90 and half-centuries from Sune Luus (61) and Marizanne Kapp (68).
However, multiple rain interruptions forced a further revision, and Pakistan were set a DLS target of 234 in 20 overs. They could manage only 83 for seven in reply.
Pakistan were never in contention to chase down the target and by the end of the 10th over, they had been reduced to 35 for 4 when heavens opened up.
Having already played her hand with a useful 68 while batting, Marizanne Kapp ran through Pakistan's top-order, taking three out of the four wickets to completely crush any hopes of a miraculous chase.
Once rains stopped, South Africa managed to get two points that they fully deserved.
Earlier Laura Wolvaardt provided an attacking start, Kapp lent solidity in the middle order, and Nadine de Klerk produced her customary late flourish as South Africa posted an imposing target.
Wolvaardt struck 90 off 82 balls with 10 fours and two sixes, adding 118 runs in just over 15 overs for the second wicket with Sune Luus (61 off 59 balls), who also hit eight fours and two sixes.
Once Luus was gone, it was seasoned Kapp, who contributed 68 and also added 60 for the fourth wicket with Wolvaardt, who played strokes all-around the park.
The normally steady skipper Fatima Sana was taken for 69 runs in eight overs with as many as eight fours and three sixes hit off her bowling. Spinner Sadia Iqbal was smashed for four sixes and seven fours, while veteran Diana Baig gave away 49 in her five overs. It was de Klerk, who has been a revelation as a finisher in the tournament, whose 16-ball-41 provided the final impetus to the team score.
De Kerk hit three fours and as many as four maximums -- three of which were special shots. One of left-arm spinner Iqbal was hit over long-off, while Fatima was punished down the ground and then also hoicked over mid-wicket.
Kapp, on her part, had smashed a half-tracker from Sadia Iqbal over midwicket fence and also hit Fatima over square leg as it became literal run-feast for the Proteas women towards the end of the innings.
Pacer Kapp said she was a bit disappointed as her team couldn't play all 50 overs on a beautiful batting surface.
"It was a beautiful wicket to bat on. A bit annoyed we didn't get to bat the full 50 overs. We had a lot of fun out there. Wolvaardt and Sune set a beautiful platform for us and made our jobs easier to come in and play our natural games. Just gave myself some time to get in and it was fun out there.
"I feel I bat better at No. 5. I like batting with the lower order."
On her bowling, she said: "I didn't bowl too well. Wasn't happy with my bowling. Felt I bowled better in the last few games but lucky to get three wickets. I think everyone's been bowling pretty well and I hope it comes together nicely and we bowl better with every game".
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LoP Ashoka targets CM govt over corruption, says being 'shameless' in public life not forgivable
Bengaluru (PTI): Targeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Congress government in Karnataka on corruption, BJP leader R Ashoka on Friday said, being foolish was forgivable, but being "shameless" in public life was not.
The Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly claimed that in just 30 months of its tenure, the Congress administration has broken every previous record on corruption-related controversies.
He was responding to Siddaramaiah's post on 'X' on Thursday hitting back at the BJP, stating that Upa Lokayukta Justice Veerappa's claims of "63 per cent corruption" were based on his report in November 2019, when BJP's B S Yediyurappa was the CM.
"But Ashoka, without understanding the Upa Lokayukta's statement properly, has ended up tying the BJP's own bells of sins onto our heads and has effectively shot himself in the foot," the CM had said, as he accused Ashoka of foolishness for trying to twist Veerappa's statement to target the current government.
Responding, Ashoka said, "it is one thing to be called foolish in politics, that can be forgiven."
"But in public life, especially in the Chief Minister's chair, one must never become shameless," Ashoka posted on 'X' on Friday addressing Siddaramaiah.
Noting that the CM himself had admitted on the floor of the Assembly that a Rs 87 crore scam took place in the Valmiki Development Corporation, he said that when a CM acknowledges such a massive irregularity inside the floor of the House, the natural expectation is immediate action and accountability.
"But instead of taking responsibility, you continue in office as if nothing has happened. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," he asked.
Pointing out that the CM's Economic Advisor and senior Congress MLA Basavaraja Rayareddy had publicly stated that under Congress rule, Karnataka has become No.1 in corruption, Ashoka said, "Yet, you still cling to the Chief Minister's chair without a moment of introspection. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness."
Senior Congress MLA C R Patil had exposed the "money for House" racket in the Housing Department and even warned that the government would collapse if the details he has were made public, Ashoka said.
"Despite such serious allegations from within your own party (Congress), you neither initiated an inquiry nor acted against the concerned minister. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," Ashoka asked the CM.
Highlighting the "40 percent commission" allegation Congress made against the previous BJP government, the opposition leader said, the commission that the Siddaramaiah government appointed concluded that the accusation was baseless.
"After your own panel demolished your own claim, what moral right do you have to continue repeating that allegation. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," he asked.
For the last two and a half years, Karnataka has been 'drowning' in corruption, scandals, irregularities and allegations across departments. Ashoka said, "If I begin listing every case that emerged under your government, even 24 hours would not be enough."
"And the most tragic aspect of your administration is this: the unbearable pressure, corruption demands and administrative harassment under your government pushed several officers and contractors into extreme distress - including the suicide of Chandrasekharan which exposed the Valmiki Development Corporation scam - a sign of how deeply broken the system has become under your watch," he said.
Instead of fixing this hopeless environment, the government has tried to bury every complaint and silence every voice, he charged.
"Being foolish is forgivable, but being shameless in public life is definitely not."
"When your own ministers admit scams, when your own advisors certify Karnataka as No.1 in corruption, and when your own MLAs expose rackets inside your departments - clinging to power without accountability is not leadership. It is shamelessness in its purest form." PTI KSU
Earlier on Thursday Ashoka had demanded that the corruption case and allegations in the state against the Congress government be handed over to a CBI investigation, citing a reported statement by Upalokaykta Justice Veerappa alleging "63 per cent corruption", following which Siddaramaiah hit back at the BJP leader.
