Centuries from both White Ferns Captain and opener Suzie Bates and Maddy Green helped New Zealand Women’s amass the highest One Day International total ever. Fellow opener debutant Jess Watkin and all rounder Amelia Kerr notched up half centuries in the record total. Leigh Kasperek starred with the ball as New Zealand got the three-match series underway with a huge win.
Things didn’t start well for Ireland after New Zealand Women’s Captain Suzie Bates won the toss and chose to bat first. She along with fellow opener Jess Watkin who was on One Day Debut after making her T20 debut earlier in the week against Ireland. The pair put on 172 for the first wicket. Until Ireland finally got a breakthrough with the Wicket of Watkin when she was caught by sub fielder Rachel Delaney off the bowling of Ireland Women spinner Gaby Lewis for 62 off 59 balls.
The punishment didn’t stop there as Bates, and Maddy Green added further 116 run for the second wicket which included Bates notching up her 10th century for the White Ferns, only Australian captain Meg Lanning has more centuries with 11. Even went on to bring up 150 before being stumped by Wicket Keeper Mary Waldron off the bowling of debutant 17-year-old spinner Cara Murray for 151 off 94 balls.
Amy Satterthwaite missed out with the bat only managing 21. Nevermind though as Green and all rounder Amelia Kerr put on 97 for the 93 for the fourth wicket. With Green eclipsing here previous highest score of 48 by notching up for maiden one day century with 121 off 77 balls.
Kerr and Wicket Keeper Bernadine Bezuidenhout ended the innings with a flourish putting on an unbeaten 76 for the fifth wicket. Kerr ended not out on 81 off 45 and Bezuidenhout on 23 off 15 not out. As the White Ferns batted out their 50 overs to post the highest One Day total ever of 490-4, Murray finished the best of the Ireland Women bowlers taking 2-119 off ten overs.
White Ferns seamer Hannah Rowe removed both Ireland openers early on. First removing Una Raymond-Hoey bowled for 4. Then Waldron caught by Kerr at second slip with the score at 17-2 after 5.4 overs.
Scores into the thirties from Ireland Women Captain Laura Delaney (37) and Jennifer Gray (35) helped reduce the deficit. However, after Rowe did a job on the top order, Otago spinner Leigh Kasperek tore apart the middle and lower order finishing the best of the New Zealand bowlers with figures of 4-17 off 2.3 overs.
Which bowled Ireland out for 144 in 35.3 overs, giving New Zealand a massive win by 346 runs. The perfect confidence booster before the start of a tri-nation Series against England and South Africa.
Ireland will need to be far better even to have a show of contesting tonight. What do you think can Ireland cause a massive upset and possibly win a game. Or will the White Ferns have to turn up to win 3-0
