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Win reflects badly on White Ferns

Captain Sophie Devine says she and the top order must ‘‘look in the mirror’’ and demand more from themselves after a batting collapse cost the White Ferns.

Set just 116 to win, New Zealand crumbled in their run chase, finishing 114-9, handing the West Indies a one run victory in the opening T20 in Antigua yesterday.

It was a sorry batting effort from the White Ferns’ top order, who were guilty of throwing their wickets away.

New Zealand needed 29 off the last three overs and 20 off the final over. Hannah Rowe did her best to lead the White Ferns to a win, blasting 27 not out from 21 balls, including a six off the last ball, but had too much work to do.

‘‘We’ve got to have some honest looks in the mirror for ourselves. We’ve got to have more value on our wickets. We can’t allow ourselves to get out cheaply like that, especially when it’s such a low target,’’ Devine said. ‘‘We’re going to have to . . . look in the mirror around how we’re going to play our T20 cricket.’’

New Zealand undid their excellent work with the ball where spinners Fran Jonas and Melie Kerr were terrific, combining for five wickets.

After winning the ODI series 2-1, the White Ferns would have been bitterly disappointed by their batting performance. Their leading batters – Devine (23), Suzie Bates (five), and Kerr (three) – combined for only 31 runs.

Devine was out meekly, skying one as she tried to clear the field, when she had got to 23 and needed to bat through. Her dismissal saw the White Ferns slump to 32-3 in the fifth over, which became 61-6 by the midway stage of the innings.

‘‘I have to look at myself as well. I can’t ask the same from my team-mates if I’m not doing it myself and, look, I was disappointed.

‘‘I felt good out there and I don’t regret the shot selection, it was just the execution of it. With the field that was set, I’d back myself to clear that nine times out of 10.’’

Young left-arm spinner Jonas was a rare shining light in the loss, continuing her encouraging bowling performances from the ODIS. The 18-year-old took a stunning one-handed catch at midwicket with her non-dominant right hand and took 2-13 with the ball from four overs.

New Zealand were largely clinical with the ball and in the field, dismissing the West Indies for only 115 after winning the toss.

Jonas’ outstanding grab to dismiss Rashada Williams was the exclamation point of the innings and left the West Indies in trouble at 103-6. After being 67-1 in the 10th over, the West Indies collapsed to 115 all out, losing their last wicket off the final ball of the innings.

Their total of 115 didn’t look enough, but the hosts delivered with the ball, helped by some soft dismissals from the White Ferns.

The second of the five T20 matches is on Sunday (3am NZT).

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2022-09-30T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-09-30T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://fairfaxmedia.pressreader.com/article/281758453167714

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