Despite Harmanpreet Kaur-led India Women’s cricket team won the third ODI against Sophie Devine-led New Zealand Women’s cricket team by 6 wickets at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium on Tuesday, it was NZ’s middle order batter Brooke Halliday who gained all the applauds.
Batting in the intense heat, New Zealand batters could not hold off the Indian bowling attack, and their wickets fell like a pack of cards.
But opener Georgia Plimmer’s 39 off 67 deliveries and Brooke Halliday’s impressive 86 off 96 balls made all the difference. Due to their effort, New Zealand managed to set India a 233-run target.
Halliday scored nine boundaries and three sixes, despite returning to the crease with injuries. She braved the heat and injuries to play a magnificent knock. This was her first ODI fifty against India.
She is also the seventh-highest runs scorer for New Zealand without a century as she has 794 runs in her name now. Her 86 runs were also the 5th highest ODI score for New Zealand women against India in India.
New Zealand’s national women’s cricket team took to X and wrote, “Game on in Ahmedabad! A career-best ODI knock from Brooke Halliday (86) led the innings with support from Georgia Plimmer (39) up top and Lea Tahuhu (24*) to finish.”
However, her efforts didn’t bear the fruits, as Indian opener Smriti Mandhana slammed her 8th ODI hundred century off 122 deliveries and led India coast to the 233 run target in 44.2 overs.
With this win, India sealed the three-match Women’s ODI series 2-1.
Netizens hailed Brooke Halliday on social media.
Here are a few comments:
One wrote, “She deserved a 100. Was too tired, as a viewer I can understand if a player is unable to go big due to tiredness, but throwing it away in quest of getting 4s and 6s doesn’t sit well with me. Fine innings from Brooke Halliday.”
Another wrote, “#BrookeHalliday is a classy talent mixed with excellent temperament and game awareness”
A third one wrote, “Brooke halliday is such a fine fine middle order bat, knows how to constrict the innings, reads the game really well and the power she has”
“What an exhibition of tenacity, mental strength, determination from #BrookeHalliday. Kept battling single-handedly for NZ with d bat long after the heat, humidity, fatigue and exhaustion had physically consumed her and came up with a memorable knock of 86 off 96 balls,” wrote the fourth.
“Lot of franchises around the world might be looking at brooke Halliday as a genuine finisher….” a fifth user wrote.
“‘Halliday can make even hot Ahmedabad into a holiday’ Ad slogan by Brooke Bond,” a sixth user said.
#Brooke #Hallidays #powerful #knock #India #applauded #netizens #exhibition #tenacity
