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Emily Drumm: New Zealand’s first World Cup-winning captain

New Zealand Women’s cricket team reached their pinnacle when Emily Drumm led them to their maiden World Cup title. In a career that spanned over 14 years, she played over a hundred Women’s ODIs.

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The greatest moment in New Zealand’s cricket history: Emily Drumm lifts the Women’s World Cup © Getty Images
The greatest moment in New Zealand’s cricket history: Emily Drumm lifts the Women’s World Cup © Getty Images

New Zealand Women’s cricket team reached their pinnacle when Emily Cecilia Drumm, born September 15, 1974, led them to their maiden World Cup title irrespective of gender. In an international career that spanned over 14 years, Emily Drumm played over a hundred Women’s ODIs in addition to 3 extremely successful Test appearances. Abhishek Mukherjee looks back at one of the greatest New Zealand cricketers and captains.

December 23, 2000. The grandest show in Women’s cricket — the World Cup that predates the men’s version by two years — had come down to its final match. The trend had changed over the past two editions: while Australia and England had shared the first two spots in the first four World Cups, New Zealand Women had reached the final in 1993 and 1997, only to be trounced by their English and Australian counterparts.

This was different. New Zealand were hosting the World Cup for the first time since 1982. As always, the matches were played at the “lesser” grounds; even the final was hosted at BIL Oval, Lincoln, later Bert Sutcliffe Oval. The ground had also hosted both semi-finals, where New Zealand and Australia had breezed past England and India.

Emily Drumm, the captain, was having an excellent tournament. Before the final she had scored 318 runs at an astounding 79.50 at a strike rate of 85 — exceptional numbers for Women’s cricket of the era. She also lifted her game in crunch matches, with 74 in the opening match against Australia Women, 104-ball 108 not out against South Africa Women, 53 against England Women, and an unbeaten 43-ball 47 against India Women in the semi-final.

The hosts had lost their first match despite Emily’s gutsy show. While she stood firm, none of her teammates came to her aid, and New Zealand Women were bowled out for 166. Australia had beaten them easily.

Emily’s women were desperate to give it back to their rivals. Unfortunately, once again they slipped, this time against the guileful seam bowling of Terry McGregor and the pace of Cathryn Fitzpatrick and Charmaine Mason. Kathryn Ramel got to 41, wicketkeeper Rebecca Rolls got 34, but that was it. Emily’s 21 came off 29 balls, while Debbie Hockley, playing her last match, got 24.

Note: Drumm and Rolls playing together must have been a punster reporter’s dream.

New Zealand Women were bowled out for 184. They had certainly put up better efforts in their history.

Emily regrouped her forces during the break. True, the Australians boasted of the troika of Belinda Clark, Karen Rolton, and Lisa Keightley, but Emily knew that once they got past the top three early they stood a chance.

The White Ferns hit back. In the first over Katrina Keenan pitched one outside off that moved away. Lisa poked at it, and Rebecca came up with a tumbling catch. Helen Watson, fielding at cover, ran out Karen shortly afterwards with a terrific direct throw. 2 for 2. The match was far from over.

But they still had Belinda, and Emily knew all Belinda needed was a partner. She found that in the unheralded Cherie Bambury, who hung around for 57 balls for her 14. Meanwhile, Belinda raced past her fifty. The score stood at 85 for 2. Australia Women were cruising.

Spin had not worked for Emily. She knew she needed wickets. She recalled Rachel Pullar, her other new-ball bowler. And finally Cherie holed out.

The collapse started. Emily shuffled her bowlers efficiently. Zoe Goss, the woman who had made headlines after dismissing Brian Lara several years back, was bowled by the off-breaks of Catherine Campbell, also playing her last match. Katrina and Rachel, the new-ball bowlers, hit timber as well, sending back Olivia Magno and Julia Price.

From 83 for 2 Australia Women had slipped to 115 for 6. They needed another 70. The hosts had smelled victory. The fielders came closer and closer to the batter. Emily marshalled her troops efficiently. The overs went by quickly. The pressure mounted.

But once again Belinda found support, this time in Terry. The pressure was mounting, but there was no way she was going to give up. The target came down to 35 from 54 balls.

The onus fell on Clare Nicholson. The off-spinner pitched the ball on middle. It was not the best ball to sweep, for it was too over-pitched, too straight. It was perhaps premeditated. But Belinda went for it, missed it, and the ball hit leg-stump. And BIL Oval exploded.

But the match was far from over, not even after Helen pulled off her second run out 9 runs later, sending Terry back. Cathryn and Charmaine batted on as Avril Fahey waited anxiously. She played for a side so good that she had had to bat only 4 times in a 34-ODI career till then; today, however, was different.

Australia needed 26 from 5 overs. Emily approached Haidee Tiffen: “Look, Tiff, you might be up bowling the last over.” Indeed, she might have gone for runs that day, but Haidee was one of the best death-over bowlers around.

Another 3 overs passed by. Cathryn and Charmaine had brought it down to 10 from 12 balls. Katrina, Rachel, and Catherine, the three best bowlers, had all bowled out, but Clare, with an over left, was the obvious choice: the last over, after all, was scheduled for Haidee.

Catherine bowled. It was the last over of her illustrious career. The ball went past Cathryn and the big gloves behind her. As Rebecca ran towards the ball to stop the single, the fielders appealed: the leg-bail was lying on the ground.

Brian Jerling took his time in front of the television set before ruling Cathryn out.

The White Ferns celebrated, but Avril and Charmaine squeezed 5 off the last 5 balls of the over. They needed another 5. Haidee was ready.

Then Emily had a hunch, a brainwave of sorts: she opted for Clare’s off-breaks. Haidee later told ESPNCricinfo how relieved she felt: “I hadn’t bowled particularly well that day but I was trying to focus. And then they decided to go with Clare Nicholson, which is great, and I was out on the boundary.”

It was shortish and slow. The lack of pace led to the undoing of Charmaine. She waited, she cut, she edged, and an ecstatic Rebecca threw the ball in the air. And they ran, Emily and Debbie and Catherine and Clare and Rebecca and all the others, for New Zealand had lifted their first World Cup.

Drumm-rolls: record time

After that day Emily Drumm’s name will forever be etched in the annals of New Zealand cricket. However, even if the tournament had not been played, Emily would have been remembered as one of the all-time greats of the sport.

A hard hitter of the ball (she later admitted T20s to be her favourite format of the sport), Emily scored 2,844 runs in 101 ODIs at an impressive 35.11, while her mixed bag of cunning military-medium paced bowling and leg-breaks fetched 37 wickets at a remarkable 21.02 — in addition to an economy rate of 3.02.

At the time of Emily’s retirement, Debbie was the only New Zealand woman to have scored more ODI runs, though both Suzie Bates and Haidee have gone past Emily subsequently. Emily was also the fifth woman to play a hundred ODIs.

Only five women (Suzie being the only other Kiwi) have scored more ODI runs than Emily while leading their sides; and only two New Zealand captains (Suzie and Aimee Watkins) have taken more wickets as I write this.

Tests were scarce. In fact, Emily played only 3 of them. Her career numbers read a phenomenal 433 runs at 144.33 with 2 hundreds and 2 fifties — an outstanding tally by any standards at any level of the sport. Only Chamani Seneviratna, whose only Test had fetched her 43 and 105*, has a better average.

Among White Ferns cricketers, only Debbie has more Test hundreds (4), and she had played 19 Tests. And at the time of writing, Kristy Bond (204) is the only New Zealand batter with an innings higher than Emily’s 161 not out.

For all Women’s limited-overs cricket Emily’s tally read 6,411 runs at 40.32 and 75 wickets at 20.05. In the New Zealand League alone (for Auckland and Northern Districts) she had 2,993 runs at 48.32 and 28 wickets at 21.53. Few cricketers have had numbers of such magnitude.

The fresh-faced teenager

Emily came from Avondale, a small suburb from Auckland. She went to Avondale College, an institute with a rich sports tradition. The alumni includes the likes of Murray Halberg (Olympic gold medallist runner); Francis Meli (rugby league); BJ Anthony, Leon Henry, and Lindsay Tait (basketball); Campbell Grayson (squash); Jamie Smith (hockey); and Martin Guptill and Jeet Raval (cricket).

She got her Hansells Cup break at a mere 14. Appearances were sporadic for the first two years till she took 3 for 34 and 2 for 32 against Central Districts (CD), followed it up with 47* against Canterbury B, and shortly afterwards, had 7 for 17 and 2 for 26 against North Harbour (NH). In the last match she and Yvonne Kainuku bowled unchanged to skittle out NH for 36. In the next match, against CD, she had 30 and 4 for 54.

The run continued, and the big break came when England Women toured in 1991-92. Drumm was selected to play twice for Northern Selection Women. Though the hosts did an impressive job with ball, they were themselves bowled out for 85 and 91. Emily failed with bat, but had 4 for 27 in the second match.

Suddenly, at 17, she found herself making her ODI debut against Australia women in the Shell Tri-Series that also included England. She was dropped after 2 matches, 11 runs, and no wicket.

But the selectors kept faith on the little girl, retaining her for against the tourists for the national Under-23s. She scored 39 and 16 and took 4 for 83; a week later Little Emily was given her Test cap.

Debbie shepherded the hosts with 65 as they were bowled out for 142. Batting at 6, our debutant ambled to a 60-ball 12 before edging one off Suzanne Kitson. Rain washed out the last two days of the Test.

Emily became a regular, but the big performances were some distance away. She scored 2 ducks in 3 innings in the 1993 World Cup. Things were not looking very good.

The surge

Things changed with the Shell Rose Bowl encounter at Australia in 1993-94. Bowling first-change, Drumm took the first 4 wickets, finishing with 10-4-31-4 and restricting the tourists to 138 for 9. Then she pulled off an unbeaten 37-ball 38 during the chase.

Two matches later she top-scored with a 51-ball 51, taking her side to 183 for 9 after they were 95 for 5; she also took 2 for 32, thus pulling off a 2-run win. The career had taken off, but when it came to Test cricket the following year, Emily did not click again; this time she scored a 31-ball 24 against the Indians.

After 2 Tests Emily’s career numbers read 38 runs at 19. In her last 3 Tests she would amass 397, getting out only once. The first of these came a mere three weeks later.

Of Christchurch and Guildford

The performance seems incredible all these years later. Belinda put the hosts in. Debbie and Trudy Anderson added 66 before three quick blows (including both openers reduced them to 76 for 3). Emily, barely 20, walked out.

She needed a partner, and she found exactly that in Delwyn Brownlee, who batted for 84 balls. She scored a mere 5, but she had absorbed the pressure and let Emily settle down. Clare and wicketkeeper-captain Sarah Illingworth both failed, as did Katrina Withers. The score read 184 for 7.

Emily and Justine Russell batted till stumps. The first hurdle was crossed. They continued the morning after, running hard, Emily racing to a well-compiled hundred. Justine finally fell for 39, the second-highest score of the innings. Julie Harris followed soon.

With 9 wickets down there was only one way to go about it: Emily farmed the strike and hit out at the same time. The last-wicket stand yielded an unbroken 42 at a-run-a-minute, of which Catherine contributed a mere 6.

Trish McKelvey’s 155* had stood as the New Zealand record since 1968-69, but not anymore. Emily went past the milestone, and Sarah declared with Emily on 161 and New Zealand Women on 323 for 9. Belinda, always one to push for a result, declared 72 runs behind on the third (and penultimate day).

Emily Drumm unleashes that trademark square-cut on her way to her record-breaking 161 not out © Getty Images
Emily Drumm unleashes that trademark square-cut on her way to her record-breaking 161 not out © Getty Images

Once again New Zealand were off to an ordinary start, reeling at 66 for 4. And once again Emily rose to the challenge, scoring an unbeaten 62 to go with her unbeaten 161 in the first innings. Set 265, the Australians finished on 149 for 3.

There were only two more Tests for Emily after that: the first, a rain-washed affair at Melbourne where she neither batted nor bowled (only 47 balls were bowled in the match); and the other, a high-scoring contest at Guildford in the summer of 1996.

New Zealand had whitewashed the ODI series 3-0 (Drumm failed), but the wet summer did not help their cause in the Tests.

England fought gamely at Scarborough, putting up 414, but Kristy’s 204 guided the tourists to 517 for 7 before time ran out. Not only did Kristy overhaul Emily’s record, but also became the first woman to score a Test double-hundred.

The second Test at New Road was even shorter-lived, England scoring 276 and New Zealand responding with 296 for 6. Drumm was recalled for the decider at Guildford. After all, they needed quick runs if they had to win the Test under the circumstances.

The tourists batted at breakneck pace, and Sarah declared at stumps on Day One. The score read 362 for 5 in 100 overs. Shelley Fruin got 80, Debbie 65, Kristy 97, and Emily 62. The stage was set for the bowlers.

The England innings stretched till the third morning. Nine of their batters made it past 15 but only Janette Brittin got a fifty. Then they hit back, reducing the Kiwis to 37 for 3.

Emily, promoted to 3, now scored a rapid 112 not out, allowing Sarah to declare at stumps for the second time in the Test. England Women were set 311 in a day, but after 66 for 4 (Emily got captain Karen Smithies) they were never in it.

Sue Metcalfe scored a stubborn 63, but even that was not enough. England Women, 129 for 4 at one stage, slumped to 160 for 8. The match-saving unbroken stand of 65 between Sue Redfern and Clare Taylor remains one of the greatest in history.

Despite her superlative efforts Emily did not play another Test.

Captain of New Zealand

For the second time Emily was the part of a World Cup squad, this time in India; for the second time in her career did New Zealand make it to the final; and the result was the same, though this time Australia, not England, emerged winners. She scored 69 and 60 in consecutive matches against India Women and Ireland Women, but little else of note.

Sarah had given way to Maia Lewis, followed by Debbie. With the World Cup at home round the corner, Emily was appointed captain in 1999-00. There was a lull before she regained form with 28, 45, 39, 59 in consecutive innings, peaking just before the tournament with 116 against England Women.

Like the previous two editions, New Zealand Women reached the World Cup final. As for the final, it is described at the beginning of this piece.

Not only did Emily lead New Zealand to their maiden World Cup, she also top-scored for them with 339 runs at 67.80 and a strike rate of 84. She finished fourth on the list, after the Australian trio of Karen, Lisa, and Belinda — which showed the extent to which they depended on their top three.

Note: Karen actually scored 393 runs at 131 at a strike rate of 106.

Less than a year after the World Cup triumph 2001 Emily was named Auckland’s Sportsperson of the Year, and confessed that she was taken aback. She had no reason to be.

Emily continued to lead New Zealand Women till 2002-03. If her numbers were excellent, her performance as captain (41 matches, 1,352 runs at 40.96, 11 wickets at 14.81) reached another level.

There were several performances worth a mention. Against Australia Women at Lincoln in 2001-02 she scored 88, taking her side to 196 for 9 and ensuring a 22-run win. Against India Women at Jersey in 2002 she scored 56; to give an estimate of the conditions it should suffice to mention that India folded for 26.

Emily led New Zealand to a win in that triangular series (hosts England being the third side). She also top-scored with 134 runs at 44.67 when nobody else reached 100 (once again giving an indication of the conditions); in fact, the top five names on the list were all White Ferns.

She had probably imagined a better swansong than the World Series of Women’s Cricket at home (also featuring England, Australia, and India). Australia made it to the final — once again at Bert Sutcliffe Oval — and won by 109 runs. With 175 runs at 25 Emily still finished second among New Zealanders.

The injury and the abrupt end

South Africa hosted the World Cup, and for the first time in their history New Zealand started a World Cup as defending champion. Things looked good for Emily. In 2005 she had won the Ruth Martin Cup for New Zealand’s best female cricketer of the year. She did not get big scores against the Australians, but got off to decent starts nevertheless.

The first match against the West Indians was washed out. Emily was run out for a duck. New Zealand lost to Australia in the second match. Chasing 175 they were down to 23 for 3 when Emily had arrived. Then Rebecca (60) and Emily (42) added 77. Unfortunately, nobody else reached double-figures, and New Zealand Women lost by 32 runs.

There was scope of a turnaround, but Emily would not be a part of it. A hamstring injury ruled her out of the rest of the World Cup. A brilliant 91 from Mithali Raj in the semi-final knocked the defending champions out of the World Cup.

Emily was caught in two minds: should she continue? She was certainly not as fit as she used to be. There was rehabilitation. As she told Jenny Thompson, “it was a major low and I could not finish that way.”

She played a bilateral series at home in 2005-06, helping the hosts secure a 4-1 series win over India Women in her farewell series. Fittingly, she scored 274 runs 91.33, finishing head and shoulders above the others. Her last three innings read 94*, 83, and 67*.

The fourth ODI was also her 100th.

Kent offered her a contract that summer, which she accepted readily. However, in an interview with New Zealand Herald she made it clear that she had no plan of shifting base: “I will still be available for New Zealand. This is just an opportunity I’m keen to make the most of.”

The summers with Kent Women were productive. The first two seasons fetched her 360 runs in 9 matches at 72; she also scored 6 fifties. Unfortunately, she picked up another injury in May 2007 while playing touch rugby (why, Emily, why?), which curtailed her career.

She played occasionally for Kent Women till 2010 (working as relocations consultant for Crown Relocation Company as a side), but she was not the same cricketer anymore. Her international career had also come to an end.

In November 2015 Emily was appointed Head Coach of Northern Districts (ND) Women. She even played the first match (against Wellington), scoring 5, but never again. ND were bowled out for 66 but the match was washed out.

(Abhishek Mukherjee is the Chief Editor at CricketCountry and CricLife. He blogs here and can be followed on Twitter here.)

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