Host nation New Zealand lost the opening match of the Women's Cricket World Cup in dramatic fashion Friday when the West Indies claimed three wickets in the final over.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
New Zealand finished three runs short of the West Indies' total of 259 as Hayley Matthews' 119 powered the Caribbean women to a shock victory at Mount Maunganui's Bay Oval.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Kiwi captain Sophie Devine responded with a defiant 108 but Deandra Dottin took 2-2 in the final over and helped run out rookie Fran Jonas to claim a last-gasp win.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
New Zealand opted to bowl after winning the toss, with Devine saying her players were excited about the "once in a generation" chance to play the one-day showcase on home soil.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"It would be silly to think that there's not going to be pressure or expectation, so we're trying to really step into that and embrace it," she said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The West Indies finished with 259-9, making a blistering start of 10 runs an over before the New Zealand attack pegged them back with a steady stream of wickets.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The first dismissal of the tournament was Dottin on 12 when she edged a Lea Tahuhu delivery to Jess Kerr at mid-off in the third over.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Matthews' maiden ton was the highlight of the innings after the 23-year-old was promoted from the middle order to open the batting.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"I'm not sure how I felt about it at first since I was pretty comfortable batting at five, but it seemed to work out alright," she said after a knock that included 16 fours and one six.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Matthews also took 2-41 with the ball in a player-of-the-match performance.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Chedean Nation chipped in with 36 runs and captain Stafanie Taylor made 30, while Tahuhu was the best of the Kiwi bowlers with three for 57.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Devine responded with a big total of her own, helped by some sloppy West Indies fielding that saw a run-out opportunity and a catch squandered.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Her sixth ODI century came off 117 balls, but she struggled to find partners as spinners Matthews and Anisa Mohammed contained New Zealand's batters.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
New Zealand looked in trouble when Devine was dismissed for 108 by a sharply taken caught-and-bowled from Chinelle Henry with the required run rate creeping up.<\/p>\r\n\r\n