Sideline Sid Sports correspondent & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

The opening game of the 2022 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup, on Friday, March 4 2022 at the Bay Oval, will bring back a multitude of memories for many Kiwi older cricket fans of when New Zealand won the biggest prize in women's cricket, 22 years ago.

The country was hosting the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup for the second time, in the days before the New Zealand women's representatives played under the White Ferns banner.

Expectations of New Zealand winning the 2000 Women's Cricket World Cup took a big blow in the opening game, against defending champions, Australia. New Zealand batted first, and were removed for 166, with the team from across the ditch claiming victory for the loss of just four wickets.

New Zealand then got up off the canvas and overpowered Ireland, Sri Lanka and Netherlands, with all three unable to post a three-figure score.

The home side posted big scores against India (224/5) and South Africa (265/5) going on to win by 74 and 158 runs.

A big match-up came against the then two-time WCWC winners, England. The tournament hosts reached 238 for the loss of seven wickets before proceeding to bowl England out for 145. The win over England gave New Zealand a place in the semi-finals, against India.

Batting first, India were on the back foot from the opening ball and were rolled with just 117 runs on the board. New Zealand bowling honours belonged to Rachel Pullar, Kathryn Ramel and Clare Nicholson, with two wickets apiece.

The semi-final victory was a walk in the park as New Zealand got home with nine wickets to spare. Anna O'Leary anchored the win with an unbeaten half century. Emily Drum provided much of the home side's momentum, with 47 not out from just 43 balls, while Rebecca Rolls provided a handy 23 runs before dismissal.

However, waiting in the wings were Australia, who had laid down the challenge to the New Zealand side in beating South Africa by nine wickets.

New Zealand won the toss and backed themselves to set Australia a competitive score, in batting first. While New Zealand lost their first wicket with just 17 runs on the board, the other opener in Rebecca Rolls anchored the fight back before she was removed for 34.

The title decider swung Australia's way, at 121/5, before Kathryn Ramel entered the fray. Batting at six, the Kiwi middle-order batter played a patient innings to top score with 41 runs from 63 balls. Australia cleaned up the last three home sides wickets for 12 runs, to face a target of 185, to win back-to-back Cricket World Cups.

The loss of the first Aussie wicket without a run on the board fired up the New Zealand bowlers. At the halfway stage of the reply, Australia were behind the required run rate at 95/5.

The seventh Women's Cricket World Cup turned into a cliff-hanger, with Australia needing 10 runs from five balls, with their last pair at the wicket. Clare Nicholson pulled a rabbit out of the hat in dismissing the last Australian, to win a hometown Women's Cricket World Cup by four runs.

Twenty-two years later, the White Ferns will embark on their chase of a second Cricket World Cup, when they meet West Indies in the opening game of the WCWC at the Bay Oval.