Matthews hits maiden WC century; Dottin picks up two wickets – and plays her part in a run-out – in manic final over to seal the game
Annesha Ghosh04-Mar-20221:12
Sophie Devine: To take the game till last over, shows grit of the team
The 2022 Women’s ODI World Cup started with a big upset result on the opening night as Hayley Matthews’ 118 trumped Sophie Devine’s 108, and Deandra Dottin stole the show when she picked up two wickets and played her part in a run-out in a manic last over to consign hosts New Zealand to a shock three-run defeat.The clincher, though, might have been Chinelle Henry’s return catch on her second attempt to dismiss Devine, with New Zealand needing 45 off 29. That helped her make amends – tellingly, as it turned out – for dropping Devine earlier in the night; West Indies’ fielding swung between excellent and poor. The count for shelled chances, five until that point, ended on six.At one point, New Zealand needed just 24 off 17 with Jess Kerr and the experienced Katey Martin on course to avert an upset. The two picked 14 off the penultimate over to bring it down to a-run-a-ball in the final over. Enter Dottin. The result: 1W1WW. Game: West Indies.With that over, her only one in the game, Dottin somewhat stole Player of the Match Matthews’ thunder, but Matthews played a huge role with bat – she became the third West Indies woman to score an ODI World Cup century – and then ball, when she returned 2 for 41. Matthews was promoted to open in the absence of Rashada Williams, who is recovering from a concussion.After Devine opted to bowl, three fours from Dottin in the opening over set West Indies’ campaign rolling. Their first four scoring shots were all boundaries, with Matthews driving a full-toss past cover for her first runs.Deandra Dottin bowled the final over against New Zealand and produced a sequence of 1 W 1 W W to seal the game•Getty Images
Lea Tahuhu, the pick of the New Zealand bowlers with 3 for 57, struck back with Dottin’s wicket first ball of her second over, which, however, cost 13, with Matthews stroking three fours. She displayed her range with the first of many cuts, pulls, and back-foot punches that adorned her century, the first by a West Indies woman in an ODI in New Zealand.Along the way, she strung fifty-plus stands with Stafanie Taylor, Shemaine Campbelle and Chedean Nation.Apart from the Kerrs – Amelia and Jess – and Hannah Rowe, all the other New Zealand bowlers came in for punishment from Matthews. She was particularly aggressive against 17-year-old Fran Jonas, New Zealand’s second-youngest ODI World Cup debutant, and reached her ODI fifty off just 55 balls, soon after which West Indies lost Taylor for 30.Campbelle joined Matthews in the middle for the rebuild as she transferred her reliance from boundaries to strike rotation. In the 29th over, she upped the offensive again, clubbing Jonas for two fours in the first two balls of the 11-run over. In all, she struck 16 fours, and a six off Devine. Her century would come off a scamper for two.After Matthews fell, Anisa Mohammed’s six-ball 11 in the end lifted West Indies to their third-highest ODI World Cup total.New Zealand had never successfully chased more than 208 in an ODI World Cup, and their chase began on a wobbly note.A deflection by bowler Henry off a Devine straight drive ended Suzie Bates’ six-ball innings in the fourth over. West Indies then frustrated Devine and Amelia Kerr with an off-side-heavy field and backed it up with a persistent outside-the-off-stump line and terrific discipline on the outfield. The home side managed only 41 for 1, as opposed to West Indies’ 54 for 2, in the first powerplay.Sophie Devine struggled at times, but stayed the course to get to her sixth ODI century•Getty Images
Matthews followed up her success with the bat with a key strike off just her second delivery – bowling with a tweaked left hamstring and Kinesio taped-up right arm, she trapped the in-form Amelia lbw in the 12th over for what was the batter’s first score below 30 in six ODIs.New Zealand reached 114 for 2 at the halfway mark and needed 146 off her final 25 overs, and a slew of let-offs helped them at that stage. First, a run-parched Devine powered Aaliyah Alleyne to Shamilia Connell at mid-on only to be dropped, when on 36. She then gritted out a tough phase with a 76 stand with Amy Satterthwaite and reached her fifty in 70 balls, her first in ODIs since October 2020.In the 24th over, three balls after coming in as the injured Connell’s substitute, Cherry-Ann Fraser handed Satterthwaite a lifeline when on 22 off Mohammed. The veteran offspinner, however, eventually trapped Satterthwaite lbw, becoming the first spinner to pick 300 wickets in international cricket. She took out Tahuhu next ball but was unable to bag a hat-trick.On 66, Devine received a second reprieve when Taylor, stationed at midwicket, couldn’t hit the stumps at the non-striker’s end. On 74, it was Henry’s turn to shell another chance off Devine, who reached her 3000th ODI run when she moved to 82.New Zealand needed 66 off the last ten overs. Nine of those Devine scored. Her hundred, second in ODI World Cups and sixth in the format, was all determination and patience, but it wasn’t enough on the night.
