White Ferns flourish before bug hits

The New Zealand women’s cricket team’s domination of the West Indies continued in Invercargill on Saturday, before turning a little sour for the White Ferns yesterday.

The White Ferns produced stunning performances in the limited overs series against the West Indies, winning all three one-day internationals in Christchurch before winning the first of three Twenty20 internationals in Invercargill on Saturday.

However, yesterday a stomach bug and the Invercargill rain soured proceedings for the second Twenty20 game.

A number of the White Ferns were struck down with a bug overnight on Saturday.

It forced three changes from the side that won the opening Twenty20 for yesterday’s game.

Holly Huddleston, Felicity Leydon-Davis and Samantha Curtis came in for Sara McGlashan, Frances Mackay and Maddy Green.

Star player Suzie Bates was another hit by the bug but recovered in time to play yesterday, although she gave the captain’s armband to Sophie Devine for the match.

After a delayed start while the ground was prepared, play finally got under way yesterday afternoon with the West Indies batting first.

However, just two overs were bowled be- fore rain again began to fall.

With the West Indies 7-1 after two overs the game was eventually abandoned because of the weather.

In Saturday’s opening game at Queens Park the White Ferns won with relative ease.

Batting first, the White Ferns got off to a strong start but lost momentum late in the innings and finished at 120-7. However, the West Indies response was crippled by the loss of regular wickets, with a combined effort in the field from the White Ferns seeing them dismissed for 88 after 18.1 overs.

The two teams will go head-to-head again in Invercargill on Wednesday in a Twenty20 fixture which starts at 4pm.

It will give the White Ferns side time to recover from the effects of the stomach bug and the forecast is for better weather.