Novice spinner sets up six wicket win for India

A record-breaking performance by Indian off-spin bowler Nooshin Al Khadeer propelled her side to a comfortable six-wicket victory over England at Bert Sutcliffe Oval today.

Al Khadeer, 21, ran through England's middle and lower-order to take five wickets for 14 runs, her last four wickets coming off 17 balls without conceding a run.

England were all out for 86, their third lowest score against India.

What made Al Khadeer's performance all the more creditable was the fact it was only her sixth One-Day International and she had taken only four wickets in her five previous matches.

Her effort surpassed the five for 21 by Purnima Chowdhury against the West Indies at Faridabad in 1997/98.

Al Khadeer said she came into the tournament with a five-wicket bag as her goal.

"I just bowled wicket to wicket and did what my captain wanted," she said.

While she has had limited experience on the international scene she has been getting coaching advice from her personal coach at home, Irfan Seth and the Indian team coach Tarak Sinha.

India captain Anjum Chopra said she was very happy with the win and with the way Al Khadeer responded to the situation today.

"She was a little here and there in her first over but then she settled onto a line and length which was very good against the tail-enders. She bowled with beautiful drift which was the perfect delivery in the situation," she said.

India went into the match looking to restrict England to a total as low as possible. The side had worked very hard on its fielding since the last tour to England and with several young players coming into the side that had increased the pep in the field.

"We were really high after we got a couple of early wickets," she said.

England had been scoring reasonably freely at the top of the order but lacked the ability of one of its players to throw down an anchor.

Charlotte Edwards scored 23 but was well caught in the gully by debutant Rumeli Dhar and once she was gone the English resistance evaporated.

India's fielding was especially effective. Cover fieldsman Amita Sharma ran out Kathryn Leng in the third over of the game with a direct hit while mid-wicket fielder Jaya Sharma also ran out Clare Connor with another direct hit. Some good catches complemented the fine bowling efforts.

The combined spin of left-armer Neetu David, who took one for eight from seven overs, and Al Khadeer saw the score slump from 73 for four wickets, to all out for 86, in the space of 11 overs.

India started their innings with deadly intent, even if the scoring rate through the first 10 overs was barely a run an over. But it had the effect of seeing off the dangerous England bowlers Lucy Pearson and Clare Taylor.

Once that happened the way was clear for Jaya Sharma and Mithali Raj to pick up the scoring rate and ensure that India were also able to claim a bonus point that allowed them to share the top of the table with Australia after the completion of the first round of games.

Sharma batted nicely for India and it was unfortunate that she was bowled for 33 off 64 balls by Pearson off the first ball of her second spell. Once Raj had been dismissed for 12 when the score was 60, Hemlata Kala carried on and was 16 not out at the end.

The pick of the England bowlers was the experienced Taylor who picked up two wickets for 15 runs from her nine overs.

But it was India's day and they showed that with their developing players they are well on the way to moulding a successful side before the next World Cup in South Africa in 2005.