India were crowned as the first-ever champions of the inaugural ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa after beating England by 7 wickets in the final held in Potchefstroom on Sunday. Throughout the tournament, the 16 participating teams have provided incredible performances, led by brilliant individual displays. From exceptional fielding efforts to unique celebrations, the tournament produced some unforgettable moments on the field. Rwanda’s valiance Rwanda is a fairly new entrant to the game, and is still learning the ropes on the international stage. The African nation’s senior side is placed at 27 in ICC Women's T20I Rankings, and with little top-level experience behind them, expectations were low for the U19s. Rwanda, however, went on to prove themselves time and again during the tournament. Their fielding was on the mark, and the bowling was steady and accurate. They held their own against Pakistan, pushed New Zealand, and picked up famous wins against Zimbabwe and West Indies. The side lit up the tournament with their fight, and made a strong statement on behalf of the associate game. Thanks to the team’s impressive showing in South Africa, Rwanda finished eighth out of the 16 countries that participated in the just-concluded showpiece. They could be rewarded with an automatic qualification to the next edition of the U19 Women’s T20 World Cup. Indonesia’s spirit They might not have tasted too much success on the field, but Indonesia delighted one and all with their contribution to the tournament Whether it was their on-field dance-and-hop celebrations for a wicket or the team celebrations for a boundary, the Southeast Asian nation personified the spirit of cricket itself with their presence on the field. Their win against Zimbabwe was the icing on the cake and allowed the enthusiastic bunch to head out on a high. Syeda’s catch The Pakistan skipper pulled off a catch for the ages during her side’s encounter against England. After Liberty Heap heaved a ball over mid-off to secure a boundary, Syeda Aroob Shah kept her eyes on the ball and ran backward before executing a split-second jump to take a breathtaking stunner. The leg-spinning all-rounder had a decent World Cup with the bat and bowled economically. The player has already made her debut with the Pakistan senior side, and her presence should help raise the fielding standards. Hat-trick heroines Whether it be Chaminda Vaas’s decimation of Bangladesh's top order in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2003 or Lasith Malinga’s four-in-four against South Africa in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2007, World Cup hat-tricks have a special place in the cricket legend. The first edition of the Women’s U19 T20 World Cup saw history being created twice. Against Scotland in a Group D clash, Madison Landsman of South Africa became the first-ever player to take a hat-trick in the event. The very next day, Rwanda’s Henriette Ishimwe went one better with a double hat-trick against Zimbabwe.
