Amelia, an icon not only for her achievements at all levels, but also for her open-mindedness about mental health battles that have ignited winds of change within the system, had her arms raised and her eyes closed to soak up the moment before her sister Jessica gave her a hug.
Izzy Gaze, one of the youngest in the group and competing in her first World Cup, was so elated she didn’t know whether to run to the dugout first or meet her family who were in the stands. For fast bowler Lea Tahuhu, it was a call, perhaps back home, to her partner, former New Zealand batter Amy Satterthwaite, who took a step back after retirement to be there for their children, one of whom was barely four months old.
For Georgia Plimmer, it meant so much that the first person she turned to was Devine. Plimmer averaged 9.11 in his first 18 T20Is and was only marginally better – averaging 13.80 – in his first nine ODIs until last November. Devine and New Zealand coach Ben Sawyer supported her in this move.
Belief is huge right now, so we’re going to celebrate tonight, enjoy it, and spend some quality time together as a group. But yes, we know the job is only half done now
Sophie Devine
Plimmer’s recent performances – she hit her first T20I fifty on the tour of Australia just before the World Cup – have somewhat vindicated Devine’s decision to bat lower, not because she likes it, but because that’s what New Zealand needs for the future, especially when Devine and Bates retire.
It was these stories of hope, courage, determination and an unwavering never-say-die spirit that remained intact throughout their 10-game losing streak heading into the tournament, which came together in this group that Devine wanted everyone to join.
It was a demonstration of a leadership trait that Devine has imbued on the long road to building the future, while providing his young players with an environment to thrive even if the results were as dreadful as they were. These results are now starting to show.
Last year in South Africa, Devine attended a press conference asking questions about New Zealand’s decline and inability to progress through the group stages. Here in the UAE, the mood at the end of the group stage was not as bleak. There were tears; they were tears of joy.
Devine was pumped with the emotions of a “proud mom,” not necessarily the “cool mom they want me to be,” for defying expectations and trying the conditions to take a step forward when “no one knows.” ‘expected us to be here’.
In a way, the 18-month journey has not only been a journey of team building, but also a journey of constant readjustment for Devine. A readjustment of methods, mentalities, mental makeup but also player management – essentially an “all-in-one” role with the support of the team management.
“When I stepped into the role of leader and captain, I thought I could be all things to all people and that’s just not possible,” she said. “And what’s nice about our leadership group is we have people who connect stronger with certain people and that’s natural when you’re in a group.
“So for me, I can lean on those people if I need them to check on someone or have a conversation, to be able to lean on them if I feel like I’m not not the best person to do this. That’s probably one of my biggest learnings, because I want to make things right, I want to help people, and I want to make sure everyone is okay, but I’m also not that person for everything the world.
This is where Devine emphasized the importance of his core group, of which Bates and Amelia are an integral part. “I feel really lucky to have that support around me,” she said. “It’s not about managing people, it’s just about relationships and caring about people.”
“It’s one of our greatest values in this group of White Ferns; we talk a lot about looking after each other as people before cricketers and I hope you can see that with the way we celebrate each other’s successes.
“We really love each other and love seeing each other succeed, which makes it even sweeter when you get results like you do tonight. Belief is huge right now, so we’re going to celebrate tonight, enjoy it, and spend some quality time together as a group. But yes, we know the job is only half done now.