New Zealand Women smash world record ODI total

New Zealand Women 490/4 (Bates 151, Green 121, Kerr 81, Watkin 62; Murray 2/119) beat Ireland Women 144 (Delany 37, Gray 35; Kasperek 4/17, Rowe 2/35) by 346 runs.

A record-breaking performance from New Zealand Women saw them break the world record for the highest ODI score – men’s or women’s – and complete a mammoth 346-run victory over Ireland in the first of two ODIS in Dublin.

White Ferns captain Suzie Bates won the toss and chose to bat first, and immediately proved the wisdom of her own decision as she cruised to 151 off 94 balls, a double-century hers for the taking until she was stumped, having come down the track and missed the ball. The innings was her 10th ODI century, putting her clear in second place behind only Australia’s Meg Lanning, who has 11, and Bates became New Zealand’s record ODI run-scorer in the process, passing Debbie Hockley’s mark of 4,064 runs.

For the first 172 of New Zealand’s runs, Bates was accompanied by debutant Jess Watkin, who carried her form from the Kiwis’ T20I thrashing of Ireland, when she struck 77 off just 45 balls, into the 50-over format. She made 62 from 59 balls, but though Ireland would have been glad to see the back of her after she fell to a splendid one-handed boundary catch from Rachel Delaney, the worst was yet to come as Maddy Green and Bates added a blistering 116 runs in 11 overs.

Green went on to make her first ODI century – indeed, her first 50-plus score – finishing with 121 from just 77 deliveries, while 17-year-old Amelia Kerr proved she’s more than just a leg-spinner with a brutal 45-ball 81. For much of the New Zealand innings, the question was one of how high they could go, and whether they could become the first team to breach 500 in a top-level 50-over fixture.

They fell just short largely thanks Lara Maritz’s efforts in the penultimate over, conceding just four runs, and Ireland deserved credit for the way they stick at their task in the face of a blistering display and an injury to veteran opening bowler Imogen Joyce, who sustained a concussion early in the piece and was restricted to just the one over, as well as being unable to bat.

Despite their toil, Ireland were run ragged, the drops by the end too numerous to count. Cara Murray in particular had a debut to forget. Though she claimed two wickets – and Suzie Bates as a maiden wicket is about as good as they come – she finished having conceded 119 runs, a record for any bowler in an ODI.

Facing a hopeless task, Ireland at least avoided the ignominy of the largest losing margin in ODIs, which looked in danger when they slipped to 38/3 and 66/4. Jennifer Gray and captain Laura Delany added 73 to raise Ireland hopes of batting 50 overs before Leigh Kasperek struck twice in two balls to set in motion a collapse of 5/13, which confirmed the result.

The two sides will face off again at the same venue on Sunday 10 June.