Women's World Cup: As pace bowlers, we probably took that a little bit personally, says Lea Tahuhu

Guwahati, Oct 11

In a tournament dominated by spin and sluggish pitches, Tahuhu and fellow quicks Jess Kerr (3/21 off eight overs) and Rosemary Mair (2/20 off six) produced a searing display to dismantle Bangladesh’s chase of 228, skittling them for 127 in 39.5 overs. Tahuhu herself finished with 3/22 off six, earning plaudits for her incisive new-ball spell and control under dew.

“As pace bowlers, we probably took that a little bit personally,” Tahuhu told reporters after the match. “Obviously we had a look at that as well and saw that spin was really dominant (in Guwahati). But I think it was just about keeping really tight lines out there, letting the wicket do the work.

“I think it actually just skidded on quite nicely, especially bowling second. We knew that we might get a little bit skiddier, a little bit of dew there. If you put the ball on the stumps, it gave some opportunities there.”

The experienced seamer was quick to highlight the impact of her pace partners, praising Mair’s return from injury and Kerr’s discipline. “Having Rosemary Mair come back in, I think she was amazing in that power play and sort of set the tone. And I think Jess Kerr really hit her lines and lengths today as well,” she said. “We’ve always been more known for our pace bowling and you take pride in being able to adapt to different conditions, different countries. You’ve got to be able to bowl everywhere.”

Despite having Bangladesh six down early, Tahuhu said the White Ferns had to stay patient as the lower order fought back. “We had them six down early, but I think the way we've seen this entire tournament go, there's been a few batting collapses, but it's been hard to get those last three or four wickets,” she explained. “It proved no different there today. Their No.7 and No.8 played a really good role for them and we just had to stay patient. I think if you go searching for wickets in these conditions, you get into a little bit of trouble.”

The win, New Zealand’s first of the campaign after two opening defeats, was a crucial boost to their confidence and net run rate as they chase a semi-final spot. “I think it gives us an opportunity to sort of kick start our tournament,” Tahuhu said. “We couldn't afford to be 0-3 at the start of a World Cup. You have to put a couple of losses early behind you knowing that you've got games coming thick and fast.

“So, we've had some really good discussions. We've had some really good trainings over the last couple of days and it was nice to go out there and put a bit of a performance together. I think in four days’ time we're at it again. So, we'll take a lot of learnings from this game. Really positive obviously getting that win. There are certainly areas that we'll still be looking at, that we'll be debriefing and trying to get better going into the next couple of games over in Sri Lanka.”

The White Ferns will now travel to Colombo for their next phase of matches — against Sri Lanka on Tuesday and Pakistan on Saturday.

— IANS