Clinical performance by New Zealand helps them clinch solitary T20I

The White Ferns have registered a thumping 18-run win against the Women in Blue to clinch the one-off T20 International at the John Davies Oval in Queenstown and start the six-match white-ball series in an emphatic fashion. 

After being asked to bat first by Harmanpreet Kaur, the home team got off to a strong start courtesy of the opening combination involving two of the most experienced batters in the side, Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates. The duo stitched a partnership of 60 runs for the first wicket to lay a solid foundation for the team in the first innings. 

While the skipper was the aggressor of the two and scored 31 off 23 deliveries, Bates held one end up and accumulated the ones and the twos to keep the scoreboard ticking in the middle overs. 

However, the right-handed batter was dismissed by a beauty from Rajeshwari Gayakwad to dent New Zealand's charge in the middle overs. The left-arm spinner bowled a touch slower and allowed the ball to spin, rattling the stumps of Bates, giving India their second wicket of the innings. 

Despite losing their openers and Amelia Kerr in the middle overs courtesy of some fine bowling from the Indian spinners, Lea Tahuhu and Maddy Green powered the team over the 150-run mark. 

Coming in at number five, Tahuhu was used as the pinch-hitter for the White Ferns after her exploits in the Super Smash and scored a quickfire 24 off 14 deliveries studded with four boundaries and one massive six to give the team much-needed impetus in the back end of the innings. 

Despite a valiant bowling spell of four overs for 16 runs, including two crucial wickets by Pooja Vatsrakar, the White Ferns were propelled with valuable contributions from their batting unit to amass 155 runs for 5. 

In reply, the Women in Blue got off to a steady start, with Yastika Bhatia and Shafali Verma forging a 41-run stand for the first wicket. With Smriti Mandhana missing the game due to reasons unknown, the onus of the side relied heavily on Shafali to make optimum use of the powerplay. 

However, the Indian side endured an interesting powerplay in pursuit of 156 runs. While Yastika has scored 25 off 24 deliveries, her opening partner has faced only 12 out of the 36 deliveries. 

While the team laid a solid foundation at the top, the openers were dismissed in quick succession by Amelia Kerr in the seventh over to dent India's progress. 

With lack of experience in the middle-order, it was down on the shoulders of Harmanpreet Kaur to help the visitors inch closer to the target. However, inswinging delivery from Jess Kerr rattled the stumps of the skipper to give New Zealand a firm grip of the game. 

Despite S Meghana's flurry of boundaries in the middle and her valuable 30-ball 37 after making a comeback in the side after a gap of five years, the Women in Blue crumbled under pressure to go down by 18 runs in this solitary T20I game. 

While the Kerr sisters shared four wickets among themselves and conceded 45 runs in their eight overs, Tahuhu was adjudged the player of the match for her all-around contribution of 27 runs and the prized scalp of S Meghana.  

With the T20I done and dusted, the two sides will lock horns in the five-match ODI series at the same venue starting on Saturday, February 12th.