On this day in 2018: New Zealand Women smash highest-ever ODI total
If destruction and massacre should be aptly described in the field of sport, then one has to only go and browse through the scorecard of the match between the New Zealand Women and the Ireland Women that took place on 8th June 2018 in Dublin. New Zealand Women posted the highest ever total in the history of ODI cricket and thrashed their opposition by a whopping margin of 347 runs.
New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat first. The openers gave a ravishing start to them. Skipper Suzie Bates and Jess Watkin were involved in a 172-run partnership for the opening wicket, and the Ireland bowlers literally had no clue how to bowl to these two willow wielders.
And, the problems for the Irish side were compounded further when Maddy Green walked out at No.3. Green scored a blistering 77-ball 122 and put on a partnership of 116 runs with Bates for the second wicket. Bates on her part scored a scintillating 151 off just 94 deliveries.
Amelia Kerr then applied the finishing touches and scored a belligerent 81* at a strike rate of 180.00, as New Zealand posted a record-shattering total of 491/4 on the board. None of the Irish bowlers gave away runs at an economy rate of fewer than 9 runs per over.
Ireland produced an extremely disappointing batting performance in reply. In fact, only 4 of their willow wielders scored in double digits. And, the Ireland Women were bowled out for a paltry total of 144 in just 35.3 overs, as New Zealand pummeled them by 347 runs. Leigh Kasperek was the star performer with the ball for the Black Caps.
In the 2.3 overs that she bowled, Kasperek gave away 17 runs and picked up 4 wickets. Hannah Rove also produced a good performance, scalping a couple of wickets in her 7 overs, and gave away 23 runs. This match will forever be remembered for the savagery that the New Zealand willow wielders displayed with the bat in hand.
