Indore, Oct 25 (IANS) Australia leg-spinner Alana King was delighted to extract some spin from the pitch after delivering a sensational spell of 7 for 18 to dismantle South Africa for 97 all out in the Women’s World Cup clash at Holkar Cricket Stadium here on Saturday. She became the first woman cricketer to claim a seven-wicket haul in the 50-over quadrennial tournament.

Reflecting on her performance and the conditions that allowed her to thrive, Alana said, “It’s a good feeling (to take 7 wickets), no doubt. But I love trying to put Australia into a good position, and to bowl a quality side like South Africa out under 100 is something we’re pretty comfortable with. We’ve played here a few games now. I did extract a bit of spin in the first game, and then even against England a couple of days ago. So we knew there was going to be a little bit of spin – it could hold a little, but when you play on a new pitch, you’ve got to assess conditions as soon as you can. I thought with the little bit of drizzle it might have slid on, but I still managed to extract some spin, so I’m pretty pleased with that.”

Of her seven wickets, four were clean bowled – a testament to the precision and quality of her bowling as Australia head into the knockout stages.

The leg-spinner credited her consistent approach and the support system around her for helping her stay focused and continue improving. “To be honest, I haven’t changed too much. I’ve got some great coaches, mentors, and teammates around me who help me keep getting better and evolving my game. I just want to keep doing my role for Australia. I love playing for this team, I love taking wickets for this team, and I just hope to keep putting us in good positions.”

Alana, who has been one of Australia’s most dependable spin options over the past year, said her success has stemmed from trusting her strengths and improving her consistency. “I wouldn’t say a whole lot has changed in twelve months – if anything, I’ve just tried to become a lot more consistent with my stock ball and trust that. It’s been my go-to ball, and it’s given me the rewards,” she said.

When asked what might come next, she responded with gratitude. “I don’t know – maybe move up the batting order, we’ll see! I’m very happy to be a bowler in this team and put my feet up while the batters go to work. It’s a great team to be part of, we’ve got an amazing culture, a lot of self-belief within ourselves and in each other. It’s a pretty good change room to be part of.”

–IANS

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