New Zealand captain Sophie Devine breathed a sigh of relief after the White Ferns registered their first win in the ongoing Women's World Cup 2025 on Friday, October 10, at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. Devine and Co. defeated Bangladesh by 100 runs to end a two-match losing streak in the eight-team tournament.
Devine mentioned that South Africa beating co-hosts India on Thursday showed that anything can happen in the tournament. The 36-year-old is hopeful about her team being able to turn
things around after starting their campaign with defeats to Australia and South Africa.
“Really pleasing for the side to open our account after a couple of frustrating games. We were good against Australia in certain phases but lost our way against South Africa,” Devine told the broadcaster.
She added that Thursday night’s dramatic victory by South Africa over India was a reminder that “anything can happen in this tournament.”
Devine has been in sensational form, registering scores of 63, 85, and 112 in the World Cup so far. The Wellington-born mentioned how difficult it is for her as a diabetic to deal with the humid conditions in the subcontinent.
“I was running a bit low on sugar, as a diabetic you have to deal with that. It’s part and parcel of playing at this level,” she said.
The skipper also welcomed the return of pace spearhead Lea Tahuhu, who had a brilliant outing in her 100th ODI appearance.
“We spoke about attacking the stumps and she did that brilliantly. She must have lost around six kilos with the sweat, but it was a really good performance,” Devine added.
We practised the sweep shot a lot during our camp in Chennai: Brooke Halliday
Meanwhile, Brook Halliday, who top-scored for New Zealand against Bangladesh with a 104-ball 69, said that the team had prepared well at the nets by facing bowlers similar to Bangladesh's attack.
“The bowlers we trained against in the nets were similar to Bangladesh’s attack. We practiced the sweep shot a lot during our camp in Chennai, trying to expand our game,” she said.
The Hamilton-born also appreciated Devine’s calm presence at the crease after putting on a crucial 112-run stand with the veteran off 165 balls.
“It was easy to bat with Sophie. She kept it clear and simple, which helped on a tough day," the 29-year-old mentioned.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh skipper Nigar Sultana admitted that her side lacked consistency. They were dismissed for 127, chasing a 228-run target against a strong New Zealand bowling attack.
“Whatever we have done in the last games, we wanted to do the same positive things here, but we were not consistent,” Sultana said.
