It was a dream debut for White Fern Jessica Watkin, who smashed 77 not out in the Twenty20 win over Ireland in Dublin yesterday.
It was a dream debut for White Fern Jessica Watkin, who smashed 77 not out in the Twenty20 win over Ireland in Dublin yesterday.
Whanganui's Jessica Watkin has hit the ground running in her White Ferns debut as she and captain Suzie Bates led the team to a commanding 10 wicket win over Ireland in the Twenty20 opening game of their United Kingdom tour overnight yesterday.
Watkin and Bates shared in an unbeaten 142-runopening partnership off just 68 balls at the YMCA Cricket Club in Dublin – an all-wicket record for the White Ferns in T20 and the fifth highest in all women's T20 internationals.
Watkin finished with 77 not out off 38 balls, striking 11 boundaries and three sixers, with Bates likewise unbeaten with 63 not out from 29 balls.
"It went pretty well, bit of a batter's dream out there, really," Watkin said as she and fellow debutant Bernadine Bezuidenhout took turns interviewing each other in a video posted to the White Ferns Facebook page.
"It was pretty cool to bat with Suzie, that's always been something that I've looked forward too.
"It kinda snuck up on me pretty quick, so I didn't really know, and then Suzie gave me a handshake and I was like, 'oh, I better raise my bat now then'."
Wicketkeeper Bezuidenhout had a fine debut herself, getting five dismissals with the gloves – three catches and two stumpings – after Ireland won the toss and put themselves into bat.
The success will greatly improve Watkin's chances of establishing herself in the regular White Ferns playing XI as the tour moves onto three 50-over internationals with Ireland, followed by the T20 tri-series with South Africa and England, then three ODIs with England, the world champions of the format.
