Pulford bowls New Zealand to victory

New Zealand got its campaign to the ICC Women’s World Cup off to a brilliant start with a fantastic 13-run (D/L method) win over Australia.

Player-of-the-Match Kate Pulford inspired the victory with a brilliant spell of bowling, taking 3-32, including the prized wickets of Shelley Nitschke, Karen Rolton and Lisa Sthalekar, with an accurate and aggressive spell.

But Australia will feel disappointed that rain denied it the opportunity to chase its target, after a 32-run partnership between Jodie Fields (26 not out) and Ellyse Perry (17 not out) brought it back into the game, although 74 runs off 17 overs was still needed for victory when heavy rain fell and ended the match.

After being put into bat by the home team, New Zealand lost an early wicket when Kate Pulford was brilliantly run out by a direct hit from Lisa Sthalekar, before Suzie Bates showed some excellent form with a quick-fire 29 off 24 balls, including six boundaries.

But Bates was then dismissed by a brilliant in swinging delivery from Rene Farrell, before Haidee Tiffen and Amy Satterthwaite led a good recovery with a 67-run third wicket stand.

Satterthwaite then fell to the bowling of Lisa Sthalekar, before Sara McGlashan and Tiffen again added another excellent stand of 62.

Tiffen’s disciplined innings, 57 off 113 balls, was finally ended by Erin Osborne which sparked a dramatic collapse, including the loss of highly rated Aimee Mason second ball.



From 171-3 the White Ferns were suddenly 187-9 with the wickets shared around the Australian attack.

Ellyse Perry, who had to spend some time off the field due to a finger injury sustained when she dropped a catch from a powerfully struck shot by Satterthwaite, returned to the field to end the White Ferns innings, for 205 all out, with 18-year-old Perry taking 3-40.

New Zealand knew that it needed early wickets if it was to get back into the match having fallen at least 30-40 runs short of its intended target.

And it couldn’t have wished for a better start when Sophie Devine dismissed Alex Blackwell for 4 to reduce Australia to 13-1.

Karen Rolton and Shelley Nitschke then displayed some good shots all around the wicket, with Rolton hitting a huge six over long-on. But the Australian captain was soon to fall, the first of three wickets in a brilliant Kate Pulford spell, as she mistimed a hook shot.

Things could have got worse when Lisa Sthalekar edged her second ball to slip, but she was dropped, although she was to fall off Pulford’s next over when keeper Rachel Priest took a brilliant diving catch.

Priest then went from hero to villain when she dropped a simple catch off Jodie Fields, but New Zealand didn’t have to wait long to take another wicket when Shelley Nitschke was trapped lbw by Pulford, the ball after she had hit a pull shot for six over fine leg, to reduce the Southern Stars to 68-4.

Although Fields and Perry restored some hope to Australia, after a fall of further wickets, rain ended any chance of victory.

ICC Women's World Cup 2009 - News  Sunday, March 08, 2009 1:51:58 AM