SA women need four balls to beat Bermuda

The Bermudan women's cricket team made a calamitous start to the World Cup qualifying competition today when hosts South Africa took only four balls to pass their score of 13 all out.

Bermuda spent 18 overs crawling to their total in the opening match of the tournament being staged here, near Cape Town, with extras accounting for 10 of their runs.

Their captain Linda Mienzer, one of only three players to get off the mark, needed 48 deliveries for her single run.

Bermudan bowler Terry Paynter then delivered a nightmare opening spell featuring nine wides and one no ball. A boundary by South Africa's Olivia Anderson ensured the match did not even require a change of ends.

South Africa, Bermuda, Pakistan, Ireland, Scotland, Zimbabwe, Papua New Guinea and the Netherlands are competing for two places at the first ever Women's World Cup which is being staged in Australia next year.