Another heartbreaking last-over loss means the White Ferns must win their next two matches to reach the semifinals of their home World Cup. But captain Sophie Devine is staying calm under pressure, Merryn Anderson discovers.
No more losses.
That's what it will take for the White Ferns to stay in this World Cup they've waited five years for. And they know it only too well, after falling frustratingly short again in this campaign, this time against South Africa - going down to the wire to lose in the final over last night.
“It’s pretty simple for us. We win the rest of our games,” a candid White Ferns captain Sophie Devine said straight after their two-wicket loss to the still unbeaten Proteas.
“Nothing is different for us. There may be a bit more outside noise, more pressure externally. But we certainly know what’s on the line, and we don’t need any help reminding us about that.”
Before the first ball was bowled in their fifth match of this tournament, with two victories to their name, Devine had insisted this game against South Africa wasn’t a must-win. But a victory at Hamilton’s Seddon Park would have made their journey to the semifinals so much easier.
The Ferns now face two must-win games - the first against defending champions England on Sunday, but with the game under real threat of being cut short or called off with rain predicted to cover Auckland’s Eden Park.
If it’s a wash-out, and both teams share a point apiece, that will really hamper New Zealand’s chances of making the top four cut-off - even if their last round robin game is against the winless Pakistan side the following Saturday.
Beating South Africa would have given the Ferns some breathing space over their closest rivals - India and West Indies - but instead, turns the England game into a knockout. The loser is essentially out of the tournament.
England started their World Cup campaign with three losses, but the bruised and battered side are rebuilding after a commanding win over India, hungry to defend their world title.
So with just two wins from five, how will the White Ferns defeat England on Sunday?
“Score one more run than them,” Devine said with a grin.
“We’ve played good cricket for 70 to 80 percent of the time, it’s just that final 20 percent. It’s World Cup, the pressure’s on. We know that with every ball, something’s on the line. We were really close again tonight. Ten more runs, we’d have won that game.
“Now we’ve got to focus on the positives. If we dwell too long on the negatives and what we could have done differently, it’s going to be a pretty miserable dressing room.”
The White Ferns' downfall to South Africa was ultimately not putting enough runs on the board after they won the toss and chose to bat.
Although Devine put on another powerful batting display - scoring 93 runs and posting decent partnerships with Amelia Kerr and Maddy Green - her dismissal triggered a collapse of the rest of New Zealand's batting order. The last six batters added only 30 runs, and were all out in the 48th over.
Just when the South Africans looked to be on a comfortable trajectory towards the 229 runs needed for victory, Melie Kerr made the breakthrough for New Zealand. Striking with her leg-spin, she took two vital wickets, breaking an 88-run partnership and spurring a major White Ferns revival.
Suzie Bates had another forgettable day out in the middle, bowled for four, so fellow opener Devine and Melie Kerr then played it safe, happy to stick to singles and defending shots early in the New Zealand innings.
“Their seam attack is one of the best in the world,” Devine said of South Africa. “Our approach at the start of the innings was to really soak up that pressure and I thought we did it brilliantly.”
When Devine looked ready to get her innings going, it was an uncharacteristically slow start from Kerr, ICC’s player of the month for February, who sat on three runs from 24 balls.
In a tournament where semifinal spots could yet be determined by net run rate, the Ferns seemed content with a slow and cautious start, Devine hitting the first boundary in the eighth over.
She and Kerr brought up their 50-run partnership in the 15th over with a four from Kerr and the boundaries started coming quicker; they shared 11 in their time at the crease together.
Their 81-run partnership ended with Kerr dismissed LBW from captain Sune Luus, walking off with 42 from 58. It was the start of a poor period from the Ferns, losing two wickets in four balls, with Amy Satterthwaite gone for one.
Devine brought up her 14th ODI 50 with a four in the 25th over, receiving a generous cheer and whistles from the limited Hamilton crowd.
As the clouds rolled in, Devine and Green, playing her 50th ODI, kept the score ticking along with singles, bringing up a 50-run partnership, albeit slowly.
Green was dropped on 24 by Marizanne Kapp in what should have been an easy catch in the 33rd over, and she faced eight more balls before being run out for 30, after building an 80-run partnership.
Devine’s fifth batting partner, Brooke Halliday returned to the Ferns’ playing XI after scoring just three runs against the West Indies, came out with something to prove, scoring nine from her first six balls.
As the afternoon ticked on, Seddon Park filled up, and the crowd loved the first six of the day - signalling Devine's 93rd run off 100 deliveries. The crowd were on their feet after the next ball she faced, but not for the reason Devine wanted.
A full delivery from Ayabonga Khaka bowled her, the frustration and disappointment clear on her face as she walked off after 156 minutes on the field.
“It was certainly heading into party time for me – I do all that hard work to cash in towards the back end of the innings,” she said. "We speak at length in this group about someone in the top five batting through to the 50th over. Tonight that was probably me, I should have put my hand up."
Her wicket began a collapse in the rest of the New Zealand batting order.
Katey Martin was dismissed by Shabnim Ismail after hitting a four, the passion clear as Ismail screamed in victory while staring Martin in the face, a celebration not appreciated by the New Zealand wicketkeeper. Halliday went for a well-fought 24 in the 46th over, while Hannah Rowe was caught behind next ball, leaving Lea Tahuhu to face the hat-trick ball from Kapp.
She survived Kapp’s attack, but was gone the next over, Ismail bagging her third wicket, leaving Frankie Mackay and Jess Kerr to bat the final four overs. Kerr had no fear, starting her innings with a four, showing intent to lift the White Ferns score, and not just to bat through until the end.
The crowd muted when Kerr found Kapp in the field - New Zealand all out for 228 with 13 balls unused. This would turn out to be the difference for the Ferns.
Devine agreed: “I thought we were, if we’re honest, 30 or 40 runs short there with the bat.”
A relaxed White Ferns team came out after the innings break, and if was a team effort behind their first wicket; Devine and Bates chasing the ball from opener Laura Wolvaardt, who searched for three. Her batting partner, Lizelle Lee, never looked like running the third, and the dangerous batter was well short as Martin whipped off the bails, run out for 17.
The South Africans built two quality partnerships, Wolvaardt and incoming batter, Tazmin Brits, combining for 48, before Melie Kerr claimed her first wicket.
The new pairing of Luus and Wolvaardt were comfortable with singles, keeping in line with the White Ferns, relying on lasting the full 50 overs to reach their target.
Wolvaardt continued her fine form in this World Cup, reaching her third consecutive 50 in the 28th over, pushing South Africa to 123-2.
Where New Zealand had slowed at the halfway mark, South Africa accelerated, the boundaries coming more frequently.
Melie Kerr taking the important wicket of Wolvaardt, LBW, in the 36th over halted their progress, then Mignon du Preez’s 150th ODI was one to forget, departing for just one run, giving the White Ferns and their fans hope.
Taking over the captaincy from Dane van Niekerk, ruled out of the World Cup with an ankle injury, Luus reached a half century, but couldn’t push much further - Hannah Rowe and Martin combining to dismiss the captain for 51.
Devine looked relaxed going into the final overs, even after a Mackay over went for nine runs, and the crowd cheered every dot ball and boundary saved. “The crowd was fantastic; they found their voice towards the back half of the innings, and it was certainly felt out in the middle,” Devine said.
It wasn’t clear who'd win until the final over, three late wickets from the White Ferns keeping them in the game as South Africa required a consistent one run per ball.
Two fours from Kapp sealed the deal for South Africa, needing two runs from the final five balls.
The White Ferns were stunned, frozen on the field after Khaka and Kapp risked a single and brought South Africa home in the final over with three balls to spare.
After producing the best bowling figures of the tournament so far, 5-45 in their win over England, Marizanne Kapp was a game-changer again, taking two wickets and finishing unbeaten on 34 with the bat, off 35 balls.
Kapp said despite not losing a game so far, the Proteas still had things to work on. "I believe the perfect game is just around the corner,” she said.
Devine wasn't downcast or dejected after another close loss. Instead, she recited some wise words Mackay shared with the White Ferns during the second drinks break, pointing out how lucky they were to be involved in tight games like this.
“She's dead right,” agreed Devine. “ It’s such a privilege to be able to be playing in this tournament, a World Cup at home, and to be in those pressure situations.
“That’s why we do all those horrific trainings in the middle of winter, slamming the pavement. It’s for those moments we’re out there.”
