India’s Smriti Mandhana (R) celebrates after scoring a century against New Zealand off the bowling of Jess Kerr.
Photo: AFP
The outgunned White Ferns have suffered a 53-runs loss to India to end their title hopes at what has been a disappointing Cricket World Cup campaign.
New Zealand were outplayed by the host nation in Mumbai, leaving them with only one win from six matches heading into what is now a meaningless final pool game against England on Sunday.
The White Ferns can only finish fifth at best, 12 months on from their triumph at the T20 World Cup.
Their cause hasn’t been helped by the fickle sub-continent weather, with the abondonment of earlier matches against lower-ranked opponents Sri Lanka and Pakistan counting against them.
The weather also wasn’t on their side against the Indians, who posted 340-3 off 49 overs, with their innings curtailed late by wet weather.
Rain pushed out the innings break and a Duckworth-Lewis adjustment left the White Ferns with a challenging assignment to score 325 off 44 overs – which would have surpassed their highest-ever run chase.
They were on the back foot from the start when veterans Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine departed for single-figure scores and the side ultimately posted 271-8.
India progress to the semi-finals alongside Australia, England and South Africa.
Playing in front of loud, supportive crowd, India’s openers Pratika Rawal (122) and Smriti Mandhana (109) both posted centuries in a 212-run opening stand in less than 34 overs.
New Zealand’s attack was helpless to halt the progress of the pair, with all seven bowlers used proving expensive. Only Rosemary Mair, Amelia Kerr and Bates finished with a wicket each.
New Zealand’s Brooke Halliday hits out against India at the Cricket World Cup.
Photo: AFP
Brooke Halliday posted 81 off 84 balls in the New Zealand middle order, putting on 72 with the explosive Isabella Gaze (65 not out off 51) for the sixth wicket in the only notable partnership of the chase.
Earlier, Kerr scored 45 and Georgia Plimmer 30 to recover from the earlier depatures of opener Bates and captain Devine.
The required run rate had grown beyond the White Ferns’ reach by that stage, with the innings going through the motions over the closing stages.