Ferns face true test as Aussies await at Basin
It’s always a special occasion when New Zealand and Australia meet at a World Cup. And even more special when that match-up occurs on New Zealand soil.
The last time it happened in women’s cricket was 22 years ago – the final of the 2000 World Cup at Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln, which the White Ferns won by four runs.
The stakes won’t be as high today when they meet at the Basin Reserve in Wellington in the round-robin stage of this year’s event.
But a White Ferns win would be up there with their most memorable, given the quality of their opposition.
Australia have been one of the most dominant teams in the history of world sport since the last World Cup, in England in 2017, where they were eliminated in the semifinals.
After beginning this tournament with wins over defending champions England and Pakistan, they have 33 to their name in that time, and just a pair of losses – a 94 per cent winning record.
To give you a sense of just how dominant they have been, you can compare them to the All Blacks after the 2011 Rugby World Cup, who set out to be the most dominant team in the history of the world, and had 49 wins, two draws, and three losses on their way to defending their title in 2015 – a 91 per cent winning record.
Australia have never gone two Women’s Cricket World Cups without a win and for all their talk of the tournament being a clean slate, they will be desperate to cap this cycle with a seventh title.
Nine of their wins since 2017 have come against the White Ferns – six over there in early 2019 and late 2020, three over here at the end of last summer.
There were another three before that, making for a 12-match losing streak as far as New Zealand is concerned – their worst in the history of the rivalry, which began at Hesketh Park in Dartford in England, during the inaugural World Cup in 1973.
You have to go back five years
to find the White Ferns’ last ODI win over Australia, which took what was at the time the secondhighest run chase in history, powered by Amy Satterthwaite’s fifth century in as many innings.
Since then, the closest they’ve come was in Perth in February 2019, when they needed 44 off 53 balls with six wickets in hand, but wound up losing by five runs.
Two weeks ago, the two teams met in a warm-up match in Lincoln, where they were able to use their entire squads, and did. Sophie Devine scored 166 off 119 balls as the White Ferns chased down 322 to win while losing only a single wicket.
The scorecard still looks mind-boggling, a fortnight on. Don’t expect a repeat today. But don’t think Australia are invincible, either. Just very, very formidable.
The White Ferns have bounced back well after narrowly losing to the West Indies on the opening night of the World Cup. Their win over India on Thursday was the product of their most complete performance this year, and they arrived in Wellington on Friday full of confidence, yet well aware they’ll have it tougher today.
Two more wins will likely be the minimum required for them to make the semifinals on home soil, but it could still come down to net run rate after that.
Three wins from their four remaining matches would get them there comfortably.
South Africa, England and Pakistan are their opponents to come after Australia, and all look easier to beat right now.
A loss today won’t end their tournament, but a win could dramatically alter the landscape.