CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand- WINDIES Women suffered a massive 205-runs defeat to New Zealand White Ferns at Hagley Park and go 3-0 down in the ICC Women’s Championship ODI series.
Stafanie Taylor won the toss for the WINDIES Women and elected to bowl first. Playing with two changes, with Anisa Mohammed and Akira Peters playing for the first time in this series, WINDIES Women were hoping to put the home team on the backfoot early.
Lauren Down was promoted up the order to open with her Captain Suzie Bates but did not last long. With 16 runs on the board, Down was run-out from a throw-in by KyshonnaKnight and Shamilia Connell completing the dismissal.
Then came the partnership that gave New Zealand their winning total. Bates was partnered with Amy Satterthwaite and the pair posted 151 runs with Bates being the aggressor.
The pair rotated the strike frequently and smashed away the bad deliveries. Both batters reached their half centuries before Satterthwaite was the first to go for 69. Run-out by a direct hit from Akira Peters in deep.
Bates fell 7 runs late when Shamilia Connell bowled the perfect line and length delivery to light up her bails.
Katey Martin was joined by Sophie Devine and the pair further added to the runs-tally. This partnership was worth 58 before Martin was bowled by Deandra Dottin.
Maddy Green was the next wicket to fall, also bowled by Dottin. Devine kept her composure and soldiered on, together with Anna Peterson, they took the White Ferns to 310/5 in 50 overs.
Sophie Devine not out on 73 and Peterson on 27 not out.
Deandra Dottin had the best bowling figures of 2/58, while Shamilia Connell had 1/62.
The WINDIES Women reply got off to the worst start, with Kycia Knight run-out for 0 with the score on 8. Hayley Matthews once again didn’t perform with the bat as she made 11, caught from a soft delivery from Holly Huddleston.
Once again Captain Stafanie Taylor was the one to take charge of the innings. She smashed 3 fours off Hannah Rowe on her way to a run-a-ball 26 before being caught in the deep off Huddlston once again.
Deandra Dottin came to the crease and for moment what looked like a take-charge innings, once again failed to materialize as she fell to Leigh Kasperek for 15.
Kyshonna Knight and Britney Cooper were the only other players to reach double figures as wickets tumbled more than runs being scored. The pair tried to keep pace with the climbing run-rate, but fell for 12 and 17 respectively.
WINDIES Women were bowled out for 105 in 34.5 overs, losing by 205 runs. New Zealand White Ferns completing a 3-0 series sweep, taking all 6 ICC Women’s Championship points available.
Speaking after the match, WINDIES Women Captain StafanieTaylor, who was the best batter during the series with scores of 90, 86 and 26 said “It’s a tough loss… I didn’t think we batted, bowled or fielded as we would have wanted but it’s a learning experience.’’
The tour now switches to T20 Internationals. Both teams play the first match at the Bay Oval, Mt. Maunganui in Tauranga on Wednesday March 14.
Sophie Devine was Player of the Match and Player of the Series