Bates sparks cricketers to vital win

There were a few furrowed brows along the way, but in the end the New Zealand women’s cricket team made just the start they wanted to their Commonwealth Games adventure.

Led from the front by Sophie Devine, the New Zealanders put up an imposing T20 total of 167-2 and then took South African wickets regularly. Eventually South Africa were restricted to 154-7 in their 20 overs, but there were moments when the result was in the balance.

The New Zealand innings was built around opener Suzie Bates’ unbeaten 91 off just 64 balls. Bates hit three 6s and eight 4s and got more daring and aggressive the longer she was at the crease. She hit two 6s and a 4 off the last over to severely dent South African morale.

She and Devine put on 99 for the first wicket, and Devine smashed 48 off 40 balls, including two 6s and four 4s. It was Devine who made the early running, grabbing the momentum for her team. Amelia Kerr made a good 20 before sacrificing her wicket to a run out off the final delivery of the innings.

The South Africans could never quite build a big enough partnership when they batted, but the talented Chloe Tryon threatened to steal the match when she pummelled 39 off just 17 deliveries before being run out by Hayley Jensen, who picked up a return hit, turned and threw down the stumps before Jensen could make her ground. That proved to be the decisive moment of the match.

Devine picked up three wickets, but Kerr, 1-24 off four overs and Jensen, 1-22 off four, were the bowlers who applied intolerable pressure. In the end New Zealand won by 13 runs.

Bates said later she felt it was important that she and Devine, the two senior players, got their team off to a good start and set the tone. “Sophie was hitting them all over the park at the start and that gave me time to settle.”

She said the lesson the team had taken from the recent World Cup in New Zealand was that it was important to begin the tournament well. “It was a huge game for us. It means we don’t spend the tournament playing catch-up.”