Cricket: Ferns fall to Windies

Suzie Bates. Photo / Getty Images

The New Zealand women's cricket side can still make the final of the women's World Cup but that task is infinitely more difficult after a 48-run defeat to the West Indies last night (Mon NZT).

Australia have already secured place in the final, leaving the West Indies, England and New Zealand battling for the other spot.

The White Ferns need to beat England, the defending world champions, in their final Super Six match on Wednesday night (NZT) and hope Australia beat the Windies. It will then come down to run rate with the Windies (+1.136) holding a slight edge over England (+1.079) and New Zealand (+0.952).

The White Ferns could have gone a long way to securing a final spot if they had beaten the West Indies but were undone by some poor batting and even worse umpiring. Four bad decisions went against them when chasing 208 for victory and, after being reduced to 83 for six, were finally out for 159 in the 45th over.

Sophie Devine (9) received arguably the worst of them when she was given out lbw even though she got a thick inside edge on the ball and Frances Mackay (4), Nicola Browne (9) and Kate Broadmore (8) were all given out lbw with the ball missing the stumps or pitching outside the line. There is no DRS review system in place for the women's World Cup.

New Zealand might feel aggrieved about those decisions but they also contributed to their own downfall when both Katie Perkins (11) and Rachel Priest (36) were run out attempting suicidal quick singles.

The White Ferns have relied heavily on captain Suzie Bates, the leading run-scorer at the tournament, and Devine. No one else has gone beyond 50 at the tournament and with both gone they didn't look capable of threatening the West Indies' total. Bates was sixth out for 30 with the score 83.

"It was almost a semifinal for us," Bates said. "Now we have really opened this Super Six stage up, which has given England another sniff and West Indies are now in the hunt. It is going to come down to the last game. I guess that is what World Cups are about and, unfortunately, today's loss has put us on the back foot."

Earlier, Stefanie Taylor made 49 off 53 balls to give the West Indies a solid start with the bat. At 75-2, they looked to be heading towards a big score but lost quick wickets to slump to 159-8. New Zealand couldn't close out the innings and Shanel Daley (37) and Anisa Mohammed (31 not out) struck a damaging 45-run partnership for the ninth wicket.

Morna Nielsen collected career-best figures of 3-27 and Sian Ruck and Bates picked up two wickets apiece but it wasn't enough to stop the West Indies securing their first ever win over New Zealand.