WI Women vs NZ Women, 1st Match at Mount Maunganui, Women's World Cup, Mar 04 2022 - Match Result

9.55pm A proud Courtney Walsh is walking around in the dressing room. What a spectacle to start the World Cup, what a match to set things up for the other games, and what a start for West Indies, who have never won the World Cup. New Zealand were on top often, especially until Devine was batting, and Martin and Jess Kerr kept hitting boundaries too, but both fell victim to Dottin, the player who stole the show in the last over. It's time for me to say goodbye to you all and slap myself back to reality after this thriller. Thanks to everyone for turning in. We have a double-header tomorrow, with Bangladesh vs South Africa, a day game in Dunedin, followed by a cracking England vs Australia day-nighter in Hamilton. Do tune in again, we'll bring you all the action live, as usual, well before first ball. Ciao ciao!

Bimal: "If WI can improve their fielding, they can definitely reach semis. "

Bala: "This WC has begun with a twist with WI getting the better of the more fancied NZ. Watch out and expect more to come as me progress in this WC."

Zeesun islam: "Seems like I have seen the final !! Excellent game of cricket"

Azweer: "Whatta thriller to start with...!!!"

KJ: "Oh dear. That has to go down as a choke I am afraid. Amazing game but panic stations in the last over gas given the game away. Phew. If this is the standard can't wait..."

Time for the presentation...

Stafanie Taylor: The way we played today, set the game up for us. We needed to get over 200, we had a meeting and thought we had to get over 200 to be competitive. That's for the coaches who decides now (who opens once Rashada Williams is fit), it was quite hard for her to come to the top but we told her she was the best option to open and she agreed. New Zealand is a good chasing team, but we can't focus too much on them, we need to focus on ourselves. We knew we could put up a fight, and it was kind of tricky in terms of who to bowl for the last over, and Deandra said she wanted the last over and she did it. Selman was supposed to bowl the last, and Deandra said "give me the ball". I said, "you and the coach can discuss later what happens, I'll give you the ball". The bowlers were doing really well, they were brilliant. Expectations from them) We like to fly under the radar, one step at a time.

Devine: Full credit to West Indies, how they played, especially Matthews. She set the game up and we were in it right till the last over. We'll take positives out of it and move on quickly. We have to embrace the pressure, being the host nation. We play our best cricket when we have a smile on our face. I wanted to play till the end, we were trying to keep the run rate down a bit, but it was fantastic fielding (her dismissal), now we have to dust ourselves off. It's a quick turnaround and that's the best thing for us. We started slowly with the ball, conceded around 40-50 runs in the field, and that's disappointing, we can't afford to do it in World Cups contests. Save some runs and gain some runs. The energy (Bangladesh) they bring is quite contagious, we know what a dangerous side they are.

9.40pm What a match to start the tournament - twin hundreds from two big-ticket players, one of them was injured and carried the innings, and the other led the chase almost until the end. Both teams suffered a lot because of dropped chances, which probably took the game to such a close finish. Twists and turns, boundaries and wickets, and when six are needed off the last over, Deandra Dottin comes in to bowl who hadn't even bowled in the last six ODIs she played. And what does she do? Bowls five balls, concedes just two and takes two wickets.

Hayley Matthews is the Player of the Match: It's New Zealand playing at home, to come out here against the crowd and do it was unbelievable. [We won with my injured hamstring so] a couple of girls are saying I should get injured more often. Really really important knock for me and we had to put in a goof performance, it means a lot to me. Hope we can carry this momentum for the rest of the tournament.

9.31pm What more do you want from this World Cup? The West Indies players are running wild, they are all crowding around Deandra Dottin, she's done it on the big stage again. Just five to defend off the last over, and she's done it. New Zealand players bury their heads in their hands, and they can't believe it. Playing at home, in red-hot form, and they are stunned at home in the opening game of the World Cup.

Four off two, one wicket left, 17-year-old Fran Jonas comes out, not on strike here

Dottin runs in but withdraws, has to run in again

How many more twists and turns are there going to be? I need a glass of water. Five off four needed. Hannah Rowe out there now

Martin on strike

Discussions for the West Indies players. They're under pressure now . Kerr is on strike, on 24 off 19, having already hit three fours. Deandra Dottin will bowl the last over. Third man and mid-off in the circle, fine leg, square leg and long-on are deep

Nitin: "is there super over?" Yes!

Mid-off in the circle, mid-on is deep. She runs in but doesn't bowl it, Martin was looking to scoop it away. Fine leg is in the circle. Some more field changes

Nathan: "If NZ manage to get over the line, WI will only have the dropped catches to blame. How many is that now!?" Six, if I'm not wrong

Can Kerr get them another boundary?

20 off 12. New Zealand will want boundaries again because there are plenty of dot balls in between. Henry for her last

Matthews finishes off with 2 for 41 from her 10

Mid-off goes back now

Matthews' last over

"somewhere NZ needs 1 big over... lets hope its not the last" Why not the last, Glen?

Six from that over