Cricket: White Ferns make promising return ahead of World Cup with T20 win over India

Step one complete for the White Ferns – now the real challenge begins.

After four and a half months without a match, the Ferns returned to international cricket with a comfortable 18-run win over India in a one-off Twenty20 in Queenstown.

The result matters little; the match merely a chance for the Ferns to acclimatise and ease their way back to the top level ahead of next month's ODI World Cup.

Winning or losing a warm-up Twenty20 will have no bearing on that ultimate goal, but the upcoming five ODIs against India will, and today would have ticked some boxes in giving key players confidence and time in new roles ahead of what could be a generation-defining run of one-day matches.

All of the New Zealand top five made double figures after being sent into bat, though openers Sophie Devine (31 off 23 balls) and Suzie Bates (36 off 34) rode their luck.

Devine was dropped on one, while Bates was nearly run out twice in second over, but both took advantage, with Devine smacking 16 off three balls to start the fifth over, before Bates scored 12 off the sixth.

They put on a 60-run stand before Devine holed out, and while Amelia Kerr (17 off 20) and Maddy Green (26 off 20) struggled at times in the middle overs, pinch hitter Lea Tahuhu came in at five and changed the match.

Lea Tahuhu took out the player of the match award. Photo / Photosport

Having scored just five runs from her first six balls, she then blasted 22 off her next seven in a pivotal cameo, before Katey Martin clipped nine off the last three balls of the innings to see the White Ferns reach 155-5.

It proved to be a competitive total. India started solidly, reaching 39-0 after six overs, but Amelia Kerr removed both openers in the following over, and Jess Kerr saw a hooping inswinger knock over the stumps of skipper Harmanpreet Kaur.

The seamer had figures of 1-9 from three overs, and came back in the final over to end with 2-20. By then, India were facing a lost cause, with Sabbhineni Meghana their only resistance with 37 off 30, but Tahuhu chipped in with the ball to take that pivotal wicket and ensure there would be no late drama.

Despite a move up the order, 27 off 14 balls and 1-27, Tahuhu joked she's yet to be accepted into the White Ferns' all-rounders club.

"They won't let me yet. I'm trying to as hard as I can but not quite yet.

"It was a little plan that we talked about doing in the Super Smash, so we thought we'd give it a bit of a go here as well.

"It's a really good way to kick off what's a really big couple months for us. To be able to get a win is really important - really chuffed that we could get over the line."

Devine was pleased to start a pivotal stretch of matches with a win, but knows the challenge that awaits.

"We're really pleased with the performance, but we know that the real work starts now."