Clinical performance from Anuradha Doddaballapur and Christina Gough helped Germany beat France in the first two T20Is of the five-match series on Thursday (July 8). While hosts won by nine wickets in the first match, France lost the second by eight wickets.
In the series opener, Doddaballapur won the toss and opted to bowl. France openers Tara Britton and Alix Cecilia Brodin got them off to a decent start before the latter got out to Gough. Britton fell shortly after, and that wicket opened up a couple of run-outs, with France slumping to 54 for four.
Some tight bowling from Doddaballapur meant that France scrapped their way to 65 for six after 20 overs. Sharanya Sadarangani was the pick of the bowlers with two for ten in her three overs.
Chasing less than four runs per over, Anna Healey and Gough put up a solid opening partnership adding 53 runs together. Healey got out to Cindy Breteche after smashing 29 from 27 balls. Gough scored an unbeaten 19 and took Germany across the line in 11.2 overs.
In the second game of the day, France were put in to bat again by Doddaballapur. Though Healey provided early breakthroughs, dismissing both Britton and Cecilia Brodin, it was the skipper Doddaballapur who stole the show. The allrounder got the crucial wickets of Jennifer King, captain Emmanuelle Brelivet, and Maelle Cargouet, giving away just four runs in her four overs.
Thea Graham was the top-scorer with 11 runs from 23 balls as France were all out for 55 in 19.2 overs. Bianca Loch, Stephanie Frohnmayer, Anne Bierwisch and Gough picked put a wicket each.
This time, however, Cindy Breteche dismissed Healey early on, breaking the opening partnership. Joined by her skipper, Gough tried to build a partnership. They added 32 runs for the second wicket before Doddaballapur got out for ten runs from 15 balls.
Gough remained not out till the end, scoring 24 runs from 35 balls and helped Germany chase down the target in 11 overs. With this eight-wicket win, Germany went 2-nil up in the five-match series.
Brief Scores:
1st T20I: France - 65/6 in 20 overs (Jennifer King 13, Sharanya Sadarangani 2/10) lost to Germany - 66/1 in 11.2 overs (Anna Healey 29, Cindy Breteche 1/16) by nine wickets.
2nd T20I: France - 55/10 in 19.2 overs (Thea Graham 11, Anuradha Doddaballapur 3/4) lost to Germany - 56/2 in 11 overs (Christina Gough 24, Alix Cecilia Brodin 1/7) by eight wickets.
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