Devine takes pride in New Zealand’s resilience as they snap their streak
Media release
Unwanted streaks are being snapped across the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 with New Zealand the latest to do it.
The White Ferns put India to the sword in a 58-run win in Dubai to kick off their campaign in fine style.
Sophie Devine top-scored with 57 not out before taking three catches to be emblematic of how New Zealand delivered with bat, ball and in the field.
In doing so, they put an end to a 11-game losing streak, following Bangladesh who won their first World Cup match for 10 years in the opening game of the tournament.
“I’m just incredibly proud of this group,” Devine said. “Everyone has been speaking about our recent results so to come out here today against a world-class side in India and put together such a comprehensive performance is something I am so proud of.
“I am so proud of the resilience, we have learnt and we have grown over the last six months and I am overwhelmingly proud of this group.
“We have been targeting this game from a long time now. We take inspiration from the Blackcaps and their success at World Cups too so for us to come out here and lay a marker.
“We’ll certainly enjoy this result but we know there is a lot to come in this tournament.”
The small task of facing the defending champions and their old enemy Australia comes next, with the 2023 winners kicking off their defence against Sri Lanka on Saturday.
New Zealand will be able to sit back and see if Australia do anything differently from when they met in a series in September, which the hosts won 3-0.
The White Ferns looked like a different side in the UAE, one brimming with confidence as Suzie Bates and Georgia Plimmer put on 67 for the opening wicket.
The resilience was there to see as India got a hold of the game in the middle section of New Zealand’s innings before Devine unleashed her power-hitting for her 21st T20I half-century.
She ended on 57 from 36 balls as New Zealand posted 160, before Devine expertly rotated her bowlers for maximum effect.
Rosemary Mair took four for 19, claiming the wicket of Harmanpreet Kaur before mopping up the table while the veteran Lea Tahuhu bagged three wickets as seam shone over spin.
India were all out for 102 and now face a tantalising clash against their big rivals Pakistan on Sunday.
Kaur said: “We didn’t play our best cricket today but going forward, we have to think about the areas where we can improve as a team.
“Every game is important for us and we have to go and play our best cricket.
“We created chances, but unfortunately we were not able to avail those chances, they played better cricket than us, no doubt about that.
“I think still our bowlers did well, in our fielding we made some mistakes, and this is the highest stage where you can’t make those kinds of mistakes but going forward these are the mistakes we will learn from.
“This wasn’t the start that we were expecting but from now we have to think as a batting group or a bowling group where we go from this.”
ENDS