India star Jemimah Rodrigues labeled a run-out decision against her team as 'harsh' as the Asian giants suffered a surprising defeat to New Zealand in the Women's T20 World Cup in Dubai. The Black Ferns triumphed by 58 runs after scoring 160-4, subsequently bowling out India for 102, ending a 10-match losing streak. Controversy arose in the 14th over of the New Zealand innings when India captain Harmanpreet Kaur ran out Amelia Kerr with a throw from the deep to the wicketkeeper, who promptly removed the bails. However, the umpire called the batter back, stating the ball was 'dead' when the end of the over was announced. Kaur was dissatisfied and engaged in a lengthy discussion with the umpires before reluctantly returning to the game. Kerr was subsequently caught for 13 in the next over.
'New Zealand were confident it was a double run, and Amelia Kerr went out, indicating the over was not yet called, and we all thought that, 'okay, we got that run out',' Rodrigues explained. 'Ultimately, we respect the umpire's decision and accepted it. But it felt a bit harsh when Amelia Kerr herself walked out, as she knew she was out.' New Zealand captain Sophie Devine, who was at the other end during the seven-minute delay, went on to score an undefeated 57. 'I never heard the umpire call over, but that's the umpire's discretion regarding when they consider the ball dead,' Devine said. 'It was an intriguing situation, possibly breaking some momentum and stalling them a bit, but that's cricket, isn't it? People's interpretations will always vary slightly.' She added, 'The cricket gods were on our side today, and sometimes that's all it takes, isn't it?' India's next match is against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday at the same venue. New Zealand will face Australia in Sharjah on Tuesday.
Earlier on Friday, skipper Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits led South Africa to a crushing 10-wicket victory over the West Indies in their opening match. Left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba's bowling figures of 4-29 restricted the 2016 champions to 118-6 in Dubai. Wolvaardt, who scored 59, and Brits, who made 57, then steered last year's finalists to 119-0 in 17.5 overs. Wolvaardt found her rhythm after a challenging start and reached her 50 in 45 balls. 'Not easy,' Wolvaardt said of her performance in Dubai's extreme heat. 'One of the tougher knocks I've had physically, especially after fielding first.' Brits also reached her half-century in 45 balls, concluding her innings with six boundaries. Wolvaardt survived two dropped catches on five and 33, with West Indies' Zaida James suffering a swollen jaw after being hit by a ricochet. James, a left-arm spinner, left the field after just one ball of her first over and did not return. The West Indies struggled with regular wicket-falls and failed to post a competitive total despite an unbeaten 44 from number-three batter Stafanie Taylor. Marizanne Kapp, a medium-fast bowler, took the wicket of skipper Hayley Matthews for 10, and Mlaba soon dismissed Qiana Joseph for four. Mlaba, named player of the match, kept the batters guessing with her varied pace and angle, taking two wickets in two overs to weaken the West Indian batting. Kapp returned figures of 2-14, including the wicket of Deandra Dottin, who reversed her retirement decision for this tournament. 'It was a very disappointing game and not how we wanted to start,' said Matthews. 'We have a game in two days and need to recover quickly.' The West Indies face Scotland on Sunday at the same venue, known as the ring of fire due to the floodlights surrounding the ground. South Africa's next match is against England in Sharjah on Monday.
