New Zealand eves pip India

Chennai, Feb 25 (UNI) Indian women tasted their first defeat when they went down to New Zealand by three wickets in the first round last league match of the ICC Quandrangular Cricket Tournament here today.

Batting first, the home team suffered a top order collapse, and then recovered through the fifth wicket pair before losing ground to be bowled out for a paltry 201 in 49.2 overs.

The Kiwi women, too started badly, before woman-of-the-match M H Fahey's pugnacious half century carried the team through, with 2.5 over to spare. New Zealand finished at 202 for nine in 47.1 overs.

After two days rest, the second set of league matches would commence from February 28.

Batting first, India got off to a disastrous start losing K V Jain (zero), Jaya Sharma (24, 40 balls 5x4), skipper Mithali Raj (21, 46 balls, 3x4) and A Chopra (zero) to be reduced to 52 for four in 16.4 overs.

Kamini (37, 65 balls, 6x4) and H Kala (65, 96 balls, 5x4, 1x6) revived the innings with a 86 run stand for the fifth wicket in 22.3 overs before the rest of the innings fell apart.

The Kiwis survived early hiccups and were 30 for three at one stage in nine overs, before Fahey (59, 96 balls, 6x4) and S J Mcglashan (55, 78 balls, 6x4, 1x6) added 104 for the fourth wicket in 24.3 overs.

Tsukigawa (14) and Mason (10) fell cheaply, but Fahey held the innings together and helped Kiwis to narrow the target. Her dimissal in the 44th over, hardly altered the outcome as H M Watson struck four boundaries to overhaul the Indian score.

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