Agencies/Dhaka
New Zealand captain Suzie Bates cautioned against complacency after her team’s 42-run win over first-timers Ireland in a Group A fixture of the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 at the Sylhet Divisional Stadium on Tuesday (March 26).
The result – its second win in as many matches – didn’t come as a surprise, but Bates admitted Ireland’s admirable fight back caught her team off guard.
“Two in two yes, but our bowling has to be tight especially given the outfield is so fast,” she reflected.
“We expect more from ourselves, we have to be careful. We didn’t really have a lot of footage of them and were surprised at the way they came out aggressively right at the start.
“We obviously heard a lot about the Joyce sisters and how talented they are. The way they batted was promising and I’m sure Ireland will knock on the doors of the top four teams in a few years to come.”
That New Zealand posted a total of substance was thanks to some belligerent batting by Bates; her 116-run opening stand with Frances Mackay set the foundation. But it was Sara McGlashan’s 13-ball 34 that provided the final flourish.
“I thought we were a bit slow in-between, but it was just awesome to see Sara McGlashan come out and get us past 150. That helped us get across the line,” she said. “After the first six overs, we thought of 160, so to get 171 was a bonus. There are areas where we could have played better, but happy on the whole to get a good score and defend it.”
New Zealand is sitting on top of the points table in its group with two games left. While that means it is potentially just another win away from the semifinal, Bates admitted the victory against Australia cleared a lingering worry from within.
“The first game was massive for us, I think we’re in a good position now because of that,” she said. “We have Pakistan and South Africa up next and we can’t really afford to take the foot off the pedal. Perhaps we were a bit complacent today in the second innings, we shouldn’t let that happen.”
“The good thing about this group is whenever we have given someone an opportunity, they have performed,” she said.
(www.icc-cricket.com)
