Guwahati, India — New Zealand’s World Cup campaign roared back to life in emphatic fashion as the White Ferns dismantled Bangladesh by 100 runs in Guwahati, with their pace bowlers silencing critics who doubted seam’s effectiveness on subcontinental pitches.
Pace Bowlers with a Point to Prove
For weeks, talk around the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 has centered on the dominance of spin and the slow, dry wickets that reward patience over pace. But New Zealand’s seam brigade took that chatter personally.
Veteran quick Lea Tahuhu admitted after the match that the fast bowlers were determined to prove seam bowling could still thrive in conditions often seen as a spinner’s paradise.
“As pace bowlers, we probably took that a little bit personally,” Tahuhu said. “Spin has been dominant here, but we just focused on hitting tight lines and letting the wicket do the work. It actually skidded on nicely, especially under the lights with a bit of dew.”
The results spoke for themselves. Jess Kerr (3/21) and Tahuhu (3/22) shared six wickets between them, while Rosemary Mair (2/20) set the tone in the powerplay on her return from injury. Their collective effort crushed Bangladesh’s top order and ensured New Zealand’s first win of the tournament after two early losses.
Resilience in Tough Conditions
Even as Bangladesh’s lower order showed fight, the White Ferns’ attack maintained composure — something that has eluded many teams in the tournament so far.
“We had them six down early, but getting the last few wickets has been tough for everyone in this World Cup,” Tahuhu reflected. “Their lower order played well, and we just had to stay patient. If you start chasing wickets in these conditions, you can get into trouble.”
That discipline paid off, with New Zealand closing out the match to secure not only crucial points but also a much-needed net run rate boost — potentially vital in the semi-final race.
Momentum for Colombo and Beyond
After a shaky start to the tournament, this performance could be the turning point the White Ferns needed. The victory breathes new life into their campaign ahead of two pivotal fixtures in Colombo — against Sri Lanka on Tuesday and Pakistan on Saturday.
“We couldn’t afford to be 0-3,” Tahuhu said. “We’ve had good discussions and training sessions lately, and it was nice to finally put together a strong team performance. We’ll take the learnings from this and build on them heading into the next games.” With their pace battery firing again and confidence restored, New Zealand suddenly look like a side ready to challenge for a semi-final spot — proving that seam, when executed with precision, still has a place on the subcontinent stage.