WI beat England by 6 wickets, enter women's T20 WC semifinals
Dubai, Oct 15: Captain Hayley Matthews and her opening partner Qiana Joseph struck fine half centuries as the West Indies registered a thumping six-wicket win over England to qualify for the semifinals of the Women's T20 World Cup here on Tuesday.
England were knocked out of the showpiece following the defeat.
Matthews (50 off 38 balls) and Joseph (52 off 38 balls) shared 102 runs for the opening wicket in 12.2 overs to take the game away from England as West Indies chased down the target of 142 with 12 balls to spare.
Both got out in quick succession but Deandra Dottin's 27 off 19 balls ensured that West Indies reached 142 for 4 in 18 overs.
South Africa will face Group A winners and defending champions Australia in the first semifinals on Thursday while West Indies take on Group A runners-up New Zealand in the second semifinals on Friday.
West Indies finished their league engagements with six points from four matches, the same as South Africa and England. But the Caribbeans have the highest Net Run Rate of + 1.504, followed by South Africa (+1.382). England, who ended with NRR of + 1.117, finished third in Group B and were eliminated.
India have already been eliminated from the semifinal race after finishing third in Group A.
Put in to bat, England slumped to 34 for 3 just after power play but recovered to post 141 for 7 with Nat Sciver-Brunt top-scoring with 57 not out off 50 balls while captain Heather Knight retired hurt on 21 off 13 balls.
For West Indies, leg-spinner Afy Fletcher took three wickets for 21 runs from her four overs while Hayley Matthews got two scalps.
Brief Scores:
England: 141 for 7 in 20 overs (Nat Sciver-Brunt 57 not out; Afy Fletcher 3/21).
West Indies: 142 for 4 in 18 overs (Hayley Matthews 50, Qiana Joseph 52; Sarah Glenn 1/20).
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Israel launches first airstrike on Lebanon since ceasefire, accusing Hezbollah of breaching truce
Beirut, Nov 28: The Israeli military on Thursday said its warplanes fired on southern Lebanon after detecting Hezbollah activity at a rocket storage facility, the first Israeli airstrike a day after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took hold.
There was no immediate word on casualties from Israel's aerial attack, which came hours after the Israeli military said it fired on people trying to return to certain areas in southern Lebanon. Israel said they were violating the ceasefire agreement, without providing details. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said two people were wounded.
The back-to-back incidents stirred unease about the agreement, brokered by the United States and France, which includes an initial two-month ceasefire in which Hezbollah members are to withdraw north of the Litani River and Israeli forces are to return to their side of the border. The buffer zone would be patrolled by Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers.
On Thursday, the second day of a ceasefire after more than a year of bloody conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanon's state news agency reported that Israeli fire targeted civilians in Markaba, close to the border, without providing further details. Israel said it fired artillery in three other locations near the border. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
An Associated Press reporter in northern Israel near the border heard Israeli drones buzzing overhead and the sound of artillery strikes from the Lebanese side.
The Israeli military said in a statement that “several suspects were identified arriving with vehicles to a number of areas in southern Lebanon, breaching the conditions of the ceasefire.” It said troops “opened fire toward them” and would “actively enforce violations of the ceasefire agreement.”
Israeli officials have said forces will be withdrawn gradually as it ensures that the agreement is being enforced. Israel has warned people not to return to areas where troops are deployed, and says it reserves the right to strike Hezbollah if it violates the terms of the truce.
A Lebanese military official said Lebanese troops would gradually deploy in the south as Israeli troops withdraw. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media.
The ceasefire agreement announced late Tuesday ended 14 months of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah that began a day after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack out of Gaza, when the Lebanese Hezbollah group began firing rockets, drones and missiles in solidarity.
Israel retaliated with airstrikes, and the conflict steadily intensified for nearly a year before boiling over into all-out war in mid-September. The war in Gaza is still raging with no end in sight.
More than 3,760 people were killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon during the conflict, many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The fighting killed more than 70 people in Israel — over half of them civilians — as well as dozens of Israeli soldiers fighting in southern Lebanon.
Some 1.2 million people were displaced in Lebanon, and thousands began streaming back to their homes on Wednesday despite warnings from the Lebanese military and the Israeli army to stay out of certain areas. Some 50,000 people were displaced on the Israeli side, but few have returned and the communities near the northern border are still largely deserted.
In Menara, an Israeli community on the border with views into Lebanon, around three quarters of homes are damaged, some with collapsed roofs and burnt-out interiors. A few residents could be seen gathering their belongings on Thursday before leaving again.
