The New Zealand women's cricket team registered a world record score of 491 against Ireland, which was 10 days earlier than the England record of 481 against Australia in Trent Bridge.
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When one asks a trivia question, what is the highest score in ODIs? Many people will reply 481/6 by England in the ODI against Australia in Trent Bridge. They are technically not wrong. But, as always, the men’s game gets solid precedence over the women’s team. When one looks at women’s cricket, they have created records before the men. The women’s World Cup was held in 1973, two years before the men in 1975. The first double century in ODIs was by Belinda Clarke in 1997, 13 years before Sachin Tendulkar’s 200 against South Africa.
This record also falls in that category. England achieved the world record score of 481 on June 18. 10 days before, the New Zealand women’s cricket team achieved history when they managed to score 491 against Ireland. It was a record which pushed the barriers of impossible.
In the first of the three-match ODI series between New Zealand and Ireland, it was the White Ferns who chose to bat at the YMCA Cricket Club in Dublin. The signs were not good for Ireland right from the beginning. Suzie Bates and Jess Watkin shared a 172-run stand for the opening wicket.
Both players rotated the strike regularly and hit boundaries at will. It was Bates who notched up her fifty off just 40 balls. In the first over bowled by Cara Murray, she conceded 15. Watkin also reached her fifty off 51 balls with a couple of fours off Gaby Watkin. Ireland had some luck when Gaby Lewis got the wicket of Watkin for 62.
Bates got to her 100 off just 72 balls and the carnage was only beginning for Ireland. New Zealand had a great platform by which they could score a big total.
Having reached her 100, Bates smashed four boundaries in two overs as New Zealand reached 225/1 in 25 overs. Her partner Maddy Green hit boundaries at will as New Zealand scored at close to runs per over. Bates hit the first six of the game off Murray. In the 30th over of the innings, Green hit a six to reach a fifty off 31 balls. Bates reached her 150 with a four and six. After reaching the milestone, Bates fell for 151.
Murray continued to leak runs, with Amy Satterthwaite smashing two fours and a six. However, it was the bowler who had the final say as Satterthwaite fell for 21. Amelia Kerr got going with a six off Murray and when Green hit two boundaries, Murray ended with figures of 2/119 in 10 overs. This was the most expensive spell in the history of international ODIs, beating the previous mark of 0/113 by Mick Lewis against South Africa in Johannesburg 2006.
Green notched up her maiden fifty and Ireland did themselves no favours by dropping her immediately.
Green and Kerr smashed fours consistently but Ireland looked to peg New Zealand back by dismissing Green for 122. But, Green and Bernadine Bezuidenhout continued the carnage. Kerr notched up her fifty with two sixes off Amy Kenealy. The innings ended with Kerr smashing three consecutive boundaries in the final over as she ended on 81 off 45 balls.
Chasing 492 was never going to be easy for Ireland. Leigh Kasperek took 4/17 and Hannah Rowe took 2/23 as Ireland were bowled out for 144. In retrospect, they lost by just seven runs to Bates’ individual knock. The 347-run loss was the highest in the history of women’s cricket. Once again, women’s cricket had set a record much before the men. 10 days later, England would smash 481/6 against Australia.
Bates made her international debut in 2006 against India, and has been smashing records ever since. She scored her first ODI century at the age of just 19 and was an instrumental part of New Zealand Women’s 2009 World Cup campaign, where they made the final Bates took 4/7 with her medium pace in the group match against South Africa. However, her 168 off 105 against Pakistan included six sixes and it was the joint fourth-highest score ever in women’s ODIs.
Bates initially juggled two sports. She represented New Zealand in basketball at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. However, she was offered captaincy of the White Ferns in July 2011.
Bates is the first women from New Zealand as a full-time cricketer, having been awarded one of the inaugural female contracts by New Zealand Cricket in April 2013.
