It is a D-day for the Indonesian women cricketers. The team has qualified for the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held next year in South Africa. An exciting win over Papua New Guinea paved the path to the biggest tournament and this is the first time they have achieved the spot at any level.
It was a thrilling last over when PNG needed two runs to win. Ayu Kumiartini (18) pocketed two wickets in the first two balls of the over and completely changed the momentum of her team. It was a historic turning point. Indonesia has not booked, until now, a spot in the ICC World Cup. It is the moment to rejoice for the fans. Captain Wesikaratna Dewi seems now fixing her sights on the future.
Devi said it is unbelievable that they have reached this point and she is proud of the team. She believes the people of Indonesia would be proud of their success.
Both the teams played brilliantly. It was an event to choose best-of-three. Dika Lohia of PNG won the titles of Player of the Tournament and the Best Bowler. She grabbed five wickets in eight overs in the previous game and simultaneously remained unbeaten in a run chase scoring 25.
Cricket teams in Indonesia are operated by the Persatuan Cricket Indonesia (PCI), which was established in 2000 and soon became an affiliate member of the East Asia Pacific region for the International Cricket Council (ICC). It has tried spreading the existence of cricket in every region of the country over the years. Twenty province committees are currently being controlled by it.
Cricket is growing at a fast pace in the country with various programs of PCI like conducting seminars for coaches, giving training to young talents and providing short courses. Both the men’s national team and women’s national team are taking part in world-recognized tournaments. The men’s team is ranked 80th in the world while the women’s version is ranked 22.
PCI acting chairperson Abhiram Singh Yadav said they have worked hard to achieve such a milestone and Indonesian culture and style would be showcased in the 2013 Women’s T20 World Cup next year in South Africa.
Rob Gomm, ICC Tournament Director, said Indonesian women players are showcasing their best cricketing in the East Asia Pacific region. He is confident PNG would taste growth from the match experience.
Match 1 Summary Score
Indonesia emerged as the winner by 37 runs. It defeated the opponent by 68 all out in 17.3 balls. It pocketed 105 runs by losing 9 wickets and batted the entire 20 overs.
Match 2 Summary Score
PNG won the match by four wickets. It scored 71 runs in 18.5 overs by losing 6 wickets. Indonesia batted first and could make just 69 runs in 20 overs by losing 9 wickets.
Match 3 Summary Score
Indonesia won by 2 runs. It was a thrilling match and PNG needed just 2 runs in one over to win. The two wickets in the first two balls of the over wrapped the match and booked a spot in the world cup.
2023 ICC Women’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup
The 2023 ICC Women’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup is the first edition of the tournament organized by ICC. The matches will be played in the T20 format and South Africa will be hosting it. The tournament was initially scheduled for January 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the organizer to push it back to December 2021 dates.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) meanwhile confirmed to host the world cup in December 2021. The tournament suffered the second change in dates. ICC CEO Geoff Allardice confirmed in January 2022 that the tournament is on the card.
Women’s cricket was first reported in July 1745 in The Reading Mercury. The match was played between the villages of Hambledon and Bramley in Surrey’s Guildford. The first women’s cricket was White Heather Club and was established in 1887 in Yorkshire. The Women’s Cricket Association was established in 1926.
