At the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on Friday, October 4, during the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, New Zealand captain Sophie Devine led from the front and masterminded a decisive 58-run victory against India.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, Devine produced a thrilling innings of 57 not out off 36 balls that included seven boundaries as New Zealand reached 160/4 in their first innings. India was bowled out for 102 with an over remaining in the second innings by New Zealand seamers Rosemary Mair and Lea Tahuhu, who finished with figures of 4/19 and 3/15, respectively.
Following the incredible victory, Devine praised her team for a well-rounded effort. According to her, the original goal was to reach 150 runs, but they actually scored 10 more. The 35-year-old disclosed that the men’s cricket squad serves as an inspiration for her team.
“I just have so much pride in this bunch. I am proud that I was able to put together a performance this complete. This is the game that we have been aiming for quite some time. We also draw influence from the Black Caps. Our powerplay shows that we’ve been off to some fantastic starts. Our goal for the day was to exert pressure on the bowlers. We discussed 150 as being equal. Happy to score ten runs more than that, Devine stated at the press conference following the game.
Having played them recently, you probably know them too well: Sophie Devine
With their convincing win, New Zealand’s net run-rate (NRR) increased to an extremely respectable +2.900. The high-stakes matchup between them and Australia, their trans-Tasman foes, is scheduled for Tuesday, October 8, at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah.
Last month, the White Ferns played three Twenty20 Internationals against Australia in Australia, and they lost all three. Devine and company, nevertheless, will want to defeat the reigning champions and move one step closer to semi-final qualification after snapping a 10-match losing streak. According to Devine, her team has a good understanding of the Australians because they recently played a T20I series against Alyssa Healy’s squad.
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“Having played them recently, you probably know them too well. However, playing Australia is always a huge task,” the Wellington native said.
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