New Zealand opened its account in the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 with a facile 100-run win against Bangladesh on Friday at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati.

Sophie Devine and Brooke Halliday added 112 key runs for the fourth wicket before pacers Lea Tahuhu and Jess Kerr picked three wickets apiece to dismantle the opponent’s chase.

Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana Joty didn’t mind losing the toss as Rabeya Khan (3/30) starred with the ball and removed Georgia Plimmer, Amelia Kerr and Maddy Green. While the spinner constricted the run flow, pace sensation Marufa Akter (1/58 in seven overs) had a forgettable evening.

Suzie Bates, who scored her first runs in the tournament tonight, deposited Marufa’s wider deliveries around the field as the bowler couldn’t manufacture the prodigious swing she usually gets. But Bates’ vigil was cut short at 29 after ball-watching got her run out in the PowerPlay.

After the early stumble, it was the marathon 112-run stand between Halliday (69) and Devine (63) which rescued New Zealand’s batting essay, before the former was sent back by Fahima Khatun.

Skipper Devine, who notched up her third consecutive 50-plus score this tournament, looked beaten in the death overs. A Type 1 diabetic, the 36-year-old ate what looked like gummy bears to revive glucose levels. Fuelled up, she smacked consecutive sixes in the 44th over off Nishita Akter Nishi before the spinner castled her.

AS IT HAPPENED: New Zealand vs Bangladesh

Tahuhu and Eden Carson mustered up 16 runs in the last over to take their side to a competitive total of 227.

If Bangladesh was to pull off its second-highest chase in the format, it would have needed a decent start. But the Tigresses’ outing never really began. They were 22 for three at the end of the PowerPlay, with Jess and Rosemary Mair striking with their swing and denying boundaries.

In the next five overs, Bangladesh lost three more wickets for just 16 runs. Fahima and Rabeya’s 44-run partnership for the eighth wicket hoped to take the chase deep but the side was bundled out in 39.5 overs to suffer consecutive losses.

Published on Oct 10, 2025