New Zealand were in a spot of bother at 38/3 as the spinners of Bangladesh kept a stranglehold on New Zealand batters. It was important someone from the middle order step up and that turned out to be Brooke Halliday. Batting at Number 5 and the only left-hander in the playing XI, Brooke Halliday played her part by getting herself in and then accelerating when it mattered the most. She had the ever consistent Sophie Devine her captain for company but she was the aggressor of the two.
New Zealand started solidly at the top before losing two wickets in an over inside the first powerplay which also included Suzie Bates who made an enterprising 29 before she was unfortunately run out. Amelia Kerr fell cheaply for 1 and left New Zealand in a spot of bother before Halliday combined with Devine to rescue New Zealand and put them in a good position. The late flourish allowed them get to 220+ but would not have been possible without Halliday’s innings.
Brooke Halliday’s 69 rescues New Zealand from a tricky position.Â
New Zealand were in real trouble at 38/3 with Bates and Kerr both back in the hut and only Devine at the crease at that stage. New Zealand needed someone from the middle order to stand up and be counted and Brooke Halliday was the woman who stepped up to the plate. The only left-hander in the playing XI, it was essential for Halliday to step up and counter the Bangladeshi spinners. She did that with flying colours and played the bowling to the merit.
She played herself in and rotated strike with Devine as runs came slowly for New Zealand. But when it mattered to shift gears it was Halliday who switched gears and was the aggressor of the two batters. She played and nailed the slog sweep to perfection against the spinners and punished Bangladesh’s lone pacer Marufa Akter. She played out Bangladesh’s best bowler on the day Rabeya Khan very carefully. But she mixed caution with aggression really well as Devine played the proper anchor role innings.
Halliday shared a 112-run stand with Devine to rescued New Zealand from a big hole before she fell for 69 off 104 balls at the score of 150 in 38.3 overs. It laid the platform for the other batters down the order to finish with a flourish and New Zealand got to 227/9 in the end which proved to be too much for Bangladesh batters in the end. Without Halliday’s contribution, New Zealand would have struggled to get to 200 and a target below 200 would have been a gettable chase for Bangladesh. She deservingly got the Player of the Match Award.
Brooke Halliday: The Middle Order Solidity New Zealand needs.Â
When the New Zealand squad was announced at the start of the World Cup, there was a general feeling that with bat in hand, it was top heavy. The likes of Suzie Bates, Amelia Kerr and captain Sophie Devine occupy three of the top four spots. These three are backbone of the side and it was expected that these three will fire in unison. But in reality, so far only Sophie Devine has fired in all the three matches. Amelia Kerr and Suzie Bates are yet to get going in the series.
It meant that against Bangladesh, New Zealand needed someone from the middle order to step up and show solidity out there. Two of the three batters had gotten out while Devine was battling out there in the middle. Devine needed support and Halliday stepped up for her side when it mattered and rescued New Zealand from troubled waters and put the pressure back on Bangladesh. Her innings was classy and apt for the situation and New Zealand greatly benefitted from Halliday’s performance.
What New Zealand will want now is consistency from Halliday as if she can get it going it takes the load out of Devine and others at the top of the order. New Zealand lacked a middle order solidity and all hopes will be on Halliday to provide stability and solidity batting at 5.
Batting at 5 is always a challenge but is important in these sub-continental conditions. She played spin really win. Looking ahead to stiffer challenges, New Zealand will hope Halliday continues to perform for them and makes them a more potent batting side. With Bates and Kerr going under the radar, Halliday’s runs will be important going forward.
What Lies Ahead
The bandwagon moves from Guwahati to Colombo at the R. Premadasa Stadium as 4-time winners England square off against the hosts Sri Lanka in a crucial clash. The pitch will be spinning and Sri Lanka will fancy their chances at home. But England with an all-round team will start the clash as favourites. We shall see how the game goes later on in the afternoon.
We shall wait and see how things unfold and whether Sri Lanka can upstage England to blow the tournament wide open.
Also Read:  ICC Women’s ODI WC 2025: Brooke Halliday, Sophie Devine Star As New Zealand Get To 227/9