Deandra Dottin runs out Fran Jonas to win the World Cup opener. Photo / Getty
Deandra Dottin runs out Fran Jonas to win the World Cup opener. Photo / Getty
This was meant to be a celebration.
Instead, the White Ferns delivered a catastrophe.
After 1685 days, the women's ODI Cricket World Cup was back, New Zealand were the proud hosts and, after a slew of impressive build-up results, looked set to open the tournament in style.
The West Indies had other ideas.
Hayley Matthews produced the best performance of her career on the biggest stage, blasting 119, before the White Ferns melted down in the final over as the West Indies took an incredible upset victory, by three runs on the penultimate ball.
White Ferns skipper Sophie Devine had seemingly done enough to spare the hosts' blushes, with her 108 being followed by a 40-run stand between Katey Martin and Jess Kerr to leave the White Ferns needing six runs off six balls, with three wickets in hand.
Sophie Devine hit an excellent century. Photo / Photosport
A single from Kerr – denied a boundary by a stunning save from Chinelle Henry at mid-off - put the experienced Martin on strike, but she was trapped lbw by Deandra Dottin.
That brought No 10 Hannah Rowe to the crease, and she took a single to let Kerr face the music, but Kerr miscued a swipe to mid-off, leaving Rowe and 17-year-old Fran Jonas needing four runs off two balls.
Under the Mount Maunganui night sky and Bay Oval lights, Rowe took a big swing and missed, and Jonas streaked down the wicket, attempting to run a bye.
It was the right call, as it would have left the White Ferns needing to run just two to tie, but Rowe was watching the ball, not Jonas, and the horrible mix-up saw the ball flung to Dottin – remarkably bowling her first over – and she took off the bails at the non-strikers end to secure a stunning victory.
The White Ferns had lost three wickets in four balls, and the match.
This wasn't supposed to happen. Playing at home and heavy favourites against the world No 7, hopes were high internally and externally that the White Ferns would kick-start the tournament with a bang; a tournament that organisers hope will capture a nation.
That's not going to happen if the White Ferns play as they did tonight, with a poor bowling and fielding display seeing the West Indies rack up 259-9, and setting the White Ferns a World Cup-record chase for victory which they fell just short of.
Matthews, who also picked up two wickets with savvy off-spin, was the chief architect of their demise, with the opener smacking 119 off 128 balls, helping the West Indies come blazing out of the gates.
Hayley Matthews dominated the White Ferns bowlers. Photo / Photosport
They also lost two early wickets, but smartly rebuilt as the White Ferns rotated through their bowlers, having called upon six options by the 18th over.
Of those six, only the Kerr sisters performed up to their usual standards, with Amelia taking 1-31 off 10 overs, and Jess 2-43 from her full complement. Lea Tahuhu lost her lines and lengths early and went in excess of six an over, while Jonas couldn't trouble the batters and leaked 39 runs off her six overs.
Some of that could be excused given the form Matthews was in, swiping 16 fours and a six, feasting on anything short or wide and finding an ally in captain Stafanie Taylor (30 off 47) to steady proceedings.
When Taylor went, the White Ferns had an opening, with the West Indian middle and tail order all holding poor averages and strike rates, but they battled well in supporting roles. Shemaine Campbelle's 20 off 38 and Chedean Nation's 36 off 46 protected the long tail, but more importantly stuck around with Matthews, with partnerships of 60 and 55 setting an excellent platform.
By then, Matthews was hobbling, having strained a hamstring during the innings, but she still galloped through for two to bring up a fabulous century, before continuing her assault with three further quick boundaries.
She finally holed out to the cover boundary with five and half overs to spare, and the West Indies scrambled to 259-9 – setting the Ferns their record chase for victory.
Chinelle Henry took a brilliant caught and bowled to remove Sophie Devine. Photo / Getty
It was a chase that started poorly. Suzie Bates, wandering out of her crease at the non-strikers end, watched as Devine smashed a drive back down the ground, onto the outstretched fingertip of bowler Henry, and onto the stumps, with Bates stranded and having to walk back to the pavilion for three.
Matthews then proved to be just as troubling with the ball as the bat; the spinner finding plenty of turn and trapping Amelia Kerr lbw to reduce the Ferns to 47-2.
Devine found an ally in Amy Satterthwaite, and the pair added 76 for the third wicket to stabilise the chase, but Satterthwaite's dismissal started a collapse, with Tahuhu, Maddy Green and Brooke Halliday all falling cheaply and the White Ferns tumbling from 123-2 to 162-6.
When Martin got to the wicket, the Ferns needed 98 off 92 balls, but Devine was still there, largely thanks to a poor West Indian fielding effort, with several catch chances going to ground as the skipper brought up her sixth ODI century off 117 balls.
However, one of the fielders who shelled Devine soon made amends with her dismissal, with Henry taking a stunning caught and bowled to leave Martin and Kerr at the crease, needing 45 off 35 balls.
Martin too had been the recipient of an extra life when Dottin put her down at point, and when she then smacked two fours to end the 49th over and leave the Ferns needing six from six, it looked like Dottin would be the villain.
But, handed the ball with the game on the line, she left Bay Oval a hero.
