WELLINGTON: Suzie Bates made 126 and became only the third woman to surpass 5,000 runs in One-Day Internationals (ODIs) as New Zealand beat Pakistan by 71 runs Saturday in its last match at the Women’s Cricket World Cup.
Bates’ 12th ODI century and her fourth across four World Cups allowed New Zealand to make 265-8 as it batted first after losing the toss at Hagley Oval at Christchurch, New Zealand.
Hannah Rowe then took 5-55, her first five-wicket bag, as New Zealand held Pakistan to 194-9 in reply.
New Zealand came into the match with the faint hope that a convincing win over Pakistan and extraordinary results in the final matches of the group stage on Sunday between England and Bangladesh and South Africa and India might see it just qualify for the semifinals of its home tournament.
Though it improved its net run-rate, that no longer seems possible. Bangladesh would have to beat England and India would have to beat South Africa by enormous margins for New Zealand to retain any chance of qualifying.
New Zealand instead had to face not only the end of the tournament but the end of an extremely successful era. Several of its most senior players are expected to retire when the tournament ends.
Bates said the past week in Christchurch, which was likely the team’s last together in its current form, had been emotional.
“Knowing we’d lost that close match to England (last weekend) it was going to be tough to make the semis,” Bates said. “We probably got rid of our emotions in the first couple of days and realized as a team we had a job to do.”
Bates has not had the best of tournaments with only one half-century — an unbeaten 79 against Bangladesh. But she was in outstanding form on Saturday, dominating the Pakistan bowlers.
When she reached 81 she passed her 5,000 runs in ODIs and she went on to a century from 110 balls.
“I think I’m determined every game I play to score runs and it hasn’t gone my way this tournament but every time you get a chance to bat you want to make sure you get runs,” Bates said.
Bates had sporadic support from Amelia Kerr who made 24 and wicketkeeper Maddy Green who made 23 in what is likely to be her last ODI.
Brooke Halliday hit 29 from 38 balls late in the innings to boost New Zealand’s total.
Rowe conceded 27 runs from her first three overs during the power play but returned to take five wickets for 28 runs in an exceptional second spell. Her victims included Nida Dar, who was Pakistan’s leading scorer with 50 from 53 balls.
“It’s a strange sport, cricket, going from the power play to ending up with five wickets,” Rowe said. “I was glad to do a job for the team.”
