Fitzpatrick takes 100th wicket as Australia win by 59 runs

Australia claimed a 59-run win over India as fast bowler Cathryn Fitzpatrick became the first player in women's One-Day Internationals to claim 100 wickets in the match at Lincoln No 3 today.

Fitzpatrick achieved the feat in her 64th match and ended the day with two wickets for 27 runs from her nine overs. She didn't realise she had reached the mark until team-mates ran out with drinks while waiting for the new batsmen.

"I didn't know at all, my grandfather knows those sort of things but not me," she said.

"I knew it was close but I wasn't worried about it. It won't last long until someone else picks it up. But I suppose someone had to be first."

She said it had been hard work, especially in more recent times but she had great support staff with the side and while she has a dodgy back the team physiotherapist had been helping.

Fitzpatrick has no idea how much longer her career may go but she insisted there were older players around, including English veteran Clare Taylor.

She said the man who now coaches England, John Harmer had been influential in helping her change the action she had in her youth to give her longevity in her career and she was always looking for improvements in that.

"Consistency is what makes a good bowler," she said.

While there was no wicket that stood out among the hundred, she did say that taking a five wicket bag at Lord's that allowed a 5-0 series win had been memorable while she rated former New Zealand women's batsman Debbie Hockley as the hardest player to dismiss. England's Charlotte Edwards was another who was always a challenge.

India will reflect on missing a golden opportunity to inflict what would have been only the second loss Australia had experienced at Indian hands.

India bowled very well to keep Australia to 216 for nine wickets and started out boldly in their pursuit of the victory target.

Captain Anjum Chopra and vice-captain Mithali Raj batted with great confidence against the experienced Australian attack several times hitting strong shots down the wicket. However, their loss was Australia's gain as the innings folded quickly after their dismissals.

Chopra shared in stands of 31 with Jaya Sharma for the first wicket and an entertaining 47-run stand with Raj for the second wicket before she became the first victim of Julie Hayes.

Sunetra Paranjpe was bowled by Hayes for two and then the key wicket of Raj, for 36 off 51 balls was claimed when Raj hit the ball to mid-wicket when Lisa Sthalekar held the catch. Hayes finished with three for 28 from 10 overs.

Australia's innings was different to what normally might have been expected of a match with India.

There were the usual solid efforts by Belinda Clark and Karen Rolton while Alex Blackwell completed a nervous maiden international innings, taking 25 balls to get off the mark but who went on to score 27 off 59 balls.

Clark looked to be just getting into her stride when she became the first victim of Neetu David, the left-arm slow spinner whose first spell of seven overs produced two wickets for 14 runs and really put the pressure on the Australian batsmen.

Clark scored 35 off 71 balls. She shared a 59-run stand for the second wicket with Melanie Jones and then as Rolton found batting partners disappearing she had to change her usual approach to be more of an anchor, especially in a stand of 74 for the the fifth wicket with Blackwell.

They had to struggle through the spin attack and went long periods without boundaries. But they worked their way through it well and were starting to pick the scoring up when Blackwell was run out for 27 when attempting a nearly impossible single in which Reema Malhotra had time to make a clean pick up at mid-off and run to the bowler's end to break the wickets.

Rolton started to open out in an innings more in keeping with her traditional approach and brought up her half century off 65 balls and went on to score 68 off 82 balls before she was bowled by Jhulan Goswami when the score was 197.

That set in train a minor Australian collapse as four wickets fell for 13 runs, with two run outs compounding the situation.

David took two for 32 in her 10 overs. Bindeshwari Goyal worked well in tandem with David and had one for 28 from her 10 overs.