New Zealand captain Sophie Devine admitted that her team was 40-50 runs short of the par score against England but at the same time she is proud they were able to take the game deep in the 19th match of the ICC Women World Cup 2022 at the Eden Park, Auckland on Sunday after they lost by one wicket.
New Zealand was bundled for 203 runs after Heather Knight won the toss and elected to bowl first. Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine, Amy Satterthwaite, and Suzie Bates all got off to starts but none of them could convert them. Maddy Green scored an unbeaten knock of 52 runs but the lower-middle order failed to end the innings on a high.
On the other hand, England was cruising to the total as they were 187-5 but New Zealand bowlers were able to get their team back in the contest. The Kiwis were able to pick four wickets for only nine runs and they were able to create panic in the opposition’s camp. However, Anya Shrubsole kept her calm to score seven vital runs and take her team to their second win of the ODI showpiece.
Frances Mackay was the pick of the New Zealand bowlers as she returned with impressive figures of 4-34 in her nine overs but her efforts went in vain.
Sophie Devine said in the post-match presentation, “I am so proud of the girls for what they did. We knew we were 40-50 runs short on that wicket, but to take it this deep was incredible. The crowd was amazing too. The girls are gutted but it is cricket. We lost three games by 2-3 wickets or a few runs. If we had won those we may not even be thinking about those things. The hard thing is we could have done a lot of things differently. But there are a lot of positives to take.”
She added, “This group we have got here is a high level of care. We genuinely like each other and it’s like a family. We might not be together after this tournament. So we spoke about enjoying every moment. The highs and lows are going to come. It’s not cricket, it’s life. We want to make sure we got out with a bang. Lea’s hamstring played out again, she has been managing it for the last couple of weeks. My back let me down today, hopefully, it will be fine tomorrow. Probably a hint that I am getting old and maybe move on (smiles). Injuries happen. Fingers crossed!”
New Zealand has managed only two wins in their six matches and they will next face Pakistan Women at Hagley Oval, Christchurch on Saturday.
