Amy Satterthwaite scores 75 and Amelia Kerr 50 as New Zealand post 260-9 batting first; India, in reply, are bowled out for 198 in the 47th over, despite a fine, unbeaten 71 from 63 balls by Harmanpreet Kaur
Thursday 10 March 2022 10:26, UK
New Zealand produced a performance to catch the attention of its main rivals at the Women's World Cup as they beat India by 62 runs in their third group game in Hamilton on Thursday.
New Zealand lost their opening match of the tournament against the West Indies, then beat Pakistan, but the emphatic nature with which they dispatched India has the hosts seemingly back on track for a semi-final berth.
Amy Satterthwaite scored 75 and Amelia Kerr added 50 as New Zealand made 260-9, having been made to bat first. India, in reply, were bowled out for 198 in the 47th over, despite a fine, unbeaten 71 from 63 balls by Harmanpreet Kaur.
Kerr's fifty, her sixth in one-day internationals, came from 63 deliveries though she fell next ball lbw to Rajeshwari Gayakwad (2-46). Satterthwaite, meanwhile, brought up her fifty from 60 balls and was the mainstay of multiple major partnerships - adding 67 for the third wicket with Kerr, 54 for the fourth with Maddy Green (27) and 49 for the fifth with Katey Martin (41).
"There were certainly patches when I really struggled but I tried to build an innings with whoever I was batting with and take it as deep as we could," said Satterthwaite, who was eventually dismissed in the 43rd over, one of four victims to Pooja Vastrakar (4-34).
Vastraka and Gayakwad combined to slow New Zealand's scoring between the 40th and 47th overs, with the tournament hosts adding just 30 runs for the loss of four wickets - Vastrakar taking 3-19 in her second, six-over spell - and 49 runs total in the final 10 overs.
Still, it left India requiring a record Women's World Cup run chase in order to win and New Zealand's bowlers immediately put the squeeze on at the start of their innings, with Smriti Mandhana (6) and Deepti Sharma (5) both departing early.
Captain Mithali Raj (31) tried her best to rebuild, first with Yastika Bhatia (28) and then Harmanpreet, but as she and Richa Ghosh fell to consecutive deliveries from Kerr (3-56) in the 30th over, India's hopes had all but faded.
Harmanpreet hit six boundaries and two sixes and continued her outstanding individual innings until the 44th over when she also came unstuck against Kerr.
Watch every game of the Women's Cricket World Cup live on Sky Sports Cricket, with India next in action against the West Indies from 1am on Saturday, while New Zealand's crunch clash against Australia is at 10pm on Saturday.
England, following two defeats to open the tournament, face South Africa in a must-win matchup on Monday from 1am.
