New Zealand locked horns with Bangladesh in their third Women's World Cup clash in Guwahati after a couple of games in Indore, requiring two crucial points after having lost both games in the tournament thus far. The White Ferns opted to bat first on a wicket that looked a bit two-paced and Sophie Devine mentioned that runs on the board will be key. However, another interesting thing to note during the toss was a green armband, tied on the biceps of all three women - Devine, Nigar Sultana Joty (Bangladesh captain) and the match referee, Michell Pereira.
Alan Wilkins and Katey Martin on commentary confirmed that all the personnel participating in the match - players, backroom staff and all the match officials - sported green armband to celebrate the World Mental Health Day and raise awareness about mental health and in the current day and age with lives getting busier by the day, why it is so important to take a step back when everything is not going well mentally for anyone.
The green ribbon is the international symbol for mental health awareness and the players and the match officials chose to celebrate it by wearing armbands of the colour.
As for the match, New Zealand huffed and puffed their way to a score of 227 in their 50 overs after choosing to bat first on a sticky wicket in Guwahati. Skipper Sophie Devine smashed her third consecutive fifty-plus score (including a century against Australia), while Brooke Halliday dropped anchor with a 69-run knock, before the cameos from Maddy Green, Izzy Gaze and Lea Tahuhu at the end lifted the White Ferns to a score in excess of 220.
Bangladesh would have hoped to restrict the White Ferns to under 200 and those extra 20-30 runs might have been a game-changer. New Zealand were all over Bangladesh with the ball from the start and were heading towards their first win of the tournament.
