Cricket: White Ferns cruise to big win over Bangladesh in first ODI

Suzie Bates led the way with the bat for the White Ferns. Photo / photosport.nz

An unbeaten 93 from Suzie Bates, career-best figures for Jess Kerr and a fine fielding performance lifted the White Ferns to another big win over Bangladesh today.

Bates hit her 30th ODI half-century to help New Zealand reach their target of 181 with 19 overs to spare, completing an eight-wicket victory set up by Kerr’s four-wicket haul and three run outs.

After the White Ferns earned a comprehensive 3-0 sweep in the T20 series, the first of three ODIs followed a similar trend at the Basin Reserve.

Bangladesh continued their approach of occupying the crease, having been stung by being skittled for 32 in the opening T20. Unlike in the second and third matches, however, when the tourists made no concerted effort to chase a target, today Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat before immediately struggling to deal with Kerr’s swing.

The 23-year-old began with three consecutive maidens, taking a wicket in the second and third, and eventually finished with 4-23 from 10 overs on her home ground.

“I always love playing at the Basin,” Kerr told Spark Sport after being named player of the match. “It’s home to me, and to have some family on the bank is really special. I’m just happy to help the team get the win.

“With 50-over cricket, it’s just doing the simple things for longer. For me, it’s utilising my swing early and trying to move around the crease a little bit, but also having my change of pace as well. I was just trying to keep the ball swinging as much as possible.”

That swing and an lbw from young spinner Fran Jonas saw Bangladesh crawl to 74-3 at the halfway mark, with only Nigar Sultana Joty offering resistance.

The skipper and Lata Mondal slowly accumulated runs during the middle stages to position their side on 121-3 with 10 overs to bat, but any planned acceleration was then negated by the New Zealand fielders.

First, ODI debutant Jess McFadyen completed a stumping to remove Mondal, then Lauren Down recorded two direct hits in consecutive overs, the second dismissing Joty for 73 from 133 balls.

Sophie Devine repeated the trick the next over before Bangladesh finished on 180-8, with four other bowlers wicketless but forming an effective attack.

“It’s really vital that we’ve got Hayley Jensen and Sophie who can swing the ball the other way,” Kerr said. “Having that up top, then Molly Penfold with her pace and Fran Jonas with her left-arm [spin] and Melie [Kerr] being able to spin it both ways too. So I think we’re doing really well with our bowling attack at the moment.”

In reply, Bates and Devine raced to 50-0 in the ninth over before the skipper fell, with Amelia Kerr following the next ball after being bowled by a brilliant yorker from Jahanara Alam.

But that double-strike were the only stumbles as Bates and Maddy Green (59no off 70) carried the White Ferns home with an unbeaten 131-run stand, seizing a 1-0 lead ahead of the second match in Napier on Wednesday.

“Our batting innings was awesome,” Kerr said. “The way Suzie Bates and Maddy Green batted after two quick wickets was really important. I should have Suzie Bates standing by my receiving this because it was a match-winning knock, too.”