White Ferns v Bangladesh highlights. Video / Sky Sports
The White Ferns have overcome two foes to clinch their first victory at the Cricket World Cup.
A nine-wicket win over Bangladesh was completed with their opposition posing little threat, but New Zealand's bigger challenge was the Dunedin weather, with rain delaying the 11am start, lingering into the afternoon and threatening to wash out the match.
By 3pm, it had cleared enough for a 27-over clash, and despite clouds lingering and drizzle looking as if it may interfere in the White Ferns' runchase, the rain stayed away for long enough for an eventual romp to victory.
It was a huge relief for the hosts, as a washout would have been a brutal blow to their World Cup hopes.
Rain delayed play in Dunedin until 3pm. Photo / Photosport
Bangladesh were such big underdogs for this clash that the White Ferns never strayed from $1.01 in the betting odds, even when Bangladesh started strongly, and failing to notch two points against the minnows would have left an uphill battle in their quest to qualify for the semifinals.
That will still be a difficult challenge after their opening defeat to the West Indies, and the Ferns will need to win at least two, if not three, of their upcoming four matches against their likely semifinal rivals - India, Australia, South Africa and England.
Their performances at the Cup thus far won't be too concerning for that quartet, but despite a slow start, the Ferns did enough to ensure neither Bangladesh nor the weather would deny them two points.
Improvements will be required come Thursday against India, particularly from their bowlers, as the Ferns seamers were poor early. Lea Tahuhu bowled just two overs and leaked 19 runs, while Jess Kerr and Hayley Jensen were also guilty of bowling too short to start the innings, allowing the Bangladeshi openers to swat them where they pleased.
An unbeaten 50 partnership came up in just seven overs, but realising her early mistake, New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine then turned to her spinners, who tied down Bangladesh and pegged back their fast start.
After five boundaries in the first six overs, all bowled by seamers, there was just one in the next 14 overs as Amelia Kerr (0-28 off six) put the brakes on, while Frankie Mackay broke the 59-run opening stand, having Shamima Sultana caught in the deep for 33 off 36 balls.
Mackay also saw the demise of the other opener, Fargana Hoque, who crafted an enterprising 52 off 63 but made the mistake of underestimating the savvy spinner, pushing the ball back to the bowler and lingering outside of her crease.
As she did twice in the series against India, Mackay rifled the ball back at the stumps, Fargana couldn't get her bat down in time, and Bangladesh's best hope had been run out.
That concluded a slump that had been started by Amy Satterthwaite, who was brought on late in the 15th over but ended up with 3-25 in five overs, removing a large chunk of the Bangladeshi middle order.
Amy Satterthwaite took three wickets for the White Ferns. Photo / Photosport
With Mackay finishing with 1-24 from six and Jess Kerr (0-24 off five) adjusting to conditions and finishing stronger than she started, Bangladesh limped to 140-8 from their 27 overs, a total never likely to be enough against New Zealand's powerful top order.
After 263 international matches, Suzie Bates finally got to play in Dunedin for the first time, and marked that milestone in front of friends and family with an excellent 79 not out off just 68 balls.
She lost opening partner Devine for 14, but the Ferns had already added 36 runs in 6.4 overs, and the required run rate only decreased as Amelia Kerr (47 not out off 37) joined Bates.
Bangladesh tried seven bowlers to break their unbeaten 108-run partnership, which came off only 81 balls, but none were as threatening as the weather, as light rain started to fall as Bates brought up her 50, with the Ferns still five overs away from reaching the 20 overs required for a rain-affected result to stand.
Had the rain increased, the White Ferns would have been left desperately short of victory, but it just stayed at bay, and Bates and Kerr saw the hosts home with seven overs to spare to ensure they got the two points they deserved.
