Mason constructs New Zealand win

New Zealand 118 for 3 (Rolls 45) beat India 117 for 8 (Mason 4-23) by seven wickets in a rain-reduced match
Scorecard

The last time these two sides met, India booted out New Zealand of the World Cup at the semi-final stage. That was ten months ago.

It was also the last time New Zealand played a one-dayer. But you wouldn't have known that they'd had such a gap in international cricket given the ease with which they rolled over India in the first of the five-match one-day series at Lincoln.

Their new captain Haidee Tiffen did everything right: winning the toss, inserting the visitors and helping with a run-out as India limped to 117 for 8 from their 34 overs after rain reduced the match. Then she added an unbeaten 31 to sit alongside Rebecca Rolls' top-score of 45 to lead her side to victory inside 23 overs.

But it was pretty much game over for India before they had got going. Their batsmen failed to put any partnership of note together, and they had to look to their No 9 Amita Sharma to help them into three figures. She topscored with 25.

The opening bowlers Louise Milliken and Helen Watson applied the squeeze from the off. Milliken went wicketless in her five overs, but at the cost of just seven runs she put the pressure on India good and proper. Watson trapped Rhumeli Dhar for 6, and she too oozed control, with her seven overs going for just 19.

The pair's dominance paved the way for the rest of the bowling attack to take wickets at regular intervals, with Aimee Mason starring. She picked up 4 for 23 from six overs at the death. There was also a wicket for Sarah Bates on debut and New Zealand were rightly pleased with their efforts.

And there was more to come from the batting. Rolls and Maria Fahey opened up with a quick-fire stand of 63 and they lost just two more wickets on their way to a crushing seven-wicket win, which went some way to avenge that World Cup defeat.

The series is yet young, of course, and India have the chance to bounce back immediately when the two sides meet for the second match on Sunday. India have had a woeful time of it of late, being pulped 3-0 by Australia. But prior to that they picked up the Asia Cup and routed England 4-1 so all is not lost just yet.