Finally taking guard at University Oval as a White Fern, opening batter Suzie Bates felt the weight of the world on her shoulders.
Not only did her team desperately need a win over World Cup newcomers Bangladesh to resurrect their tournament hopes, the proud Dunedin woman was also charged with restoring her hometown's tarnished cricketing reputation.
There's a local saying that if you want to break a drought in the south, schedule an international cricket match for Dunedin. That kind of talk grates on Bates, who has had to wait 16 years and 250 matches to finally wear black on her homeground.
"It's been a long build-up," chuckles Bates. "I was actually part of a squad when we were supposed to play South Africa here a few years ago and it rained all day.
"Everyone gave Dunedin a lot of stick about the weather, so that was pretty upsetting. We had two games against England and I had just had shoulder surgery, so I wasn't a part of that.
"It has been a long time coming, everyone's talked about it, I've tried not to talk about it too much and then today, when it rained, I just wanted to hide under the covers, until the sun came out. It never did, but we got some cricket."
As rain delayed the start of play, then shortened the contest to 27 overs each, the NZ women began wondering if their dream of a home World Cup was turning to ashes, as they tried to bounce back from a shock opening loss to West Indies last week.
Taking maximum points against Bangladesh was absolutely essential, if they hoped to make the semi-finals. With no reserve days for pool games, shared points would likely put them too far behind, with the tournament heavyweights still to come on the White Ferns' schedule.
"Yesterday was a beautiful Dunners-stunner day and I went to bed thinking that it was going to clear," says Bates.
"We just stayed at the hotel, [coach Bob Carter] messaged us and told us to sit tight, and it was the longest 4-5 hours at home. I pulled the curtains shut again, because I didn't want to look outside.
"I was desperate for us to get a game on, but when we turned up, it didn't look that hopeful... next minute, we were warming up. It was all a bit of a blur, thinking we weren't going to play and then getting out there to finish it off."
Chasing 141 in their 27 overs, the contest was as much against the weather as their opponents, with 20 overs required to constitute a match, Duckworth Lewis Stern lurking in the background and rain still sweeping the ground.
Turned out Bates - with her local knowledge, and diehard support from family and friends - was the perfect person to lead her side home, crafting an unbeaten 79 runs in 68 balls, forming a 108-run partnership with allround Amelia Kerr and surpassing 1000 World Cup runs in the process, as New Zealand reached their target in exactly 20 overs.
"When I got out on the field, I was fully focused on doing my best job and hoping the rain would stay away," she says. "As soon as the innings finished, I realised it was going to be a quick turnaround, and there would be extra nerves and anxiety around being at home and the way the day had panned out.
"I made sure I got off quickly and took some time to reset and go through my same routine I've gone through all season. I did take an extra bit of time, so I wasn't too overwhelmed when I got out there, but as soon as I faced that first ball, it just felt like home and I knew it was a good wicket, as it has been all season."
Finally, she had put her demons - and those of her beloved birthplace - to rest.
At any time, poor light or rain could have ended the match prematurely, but while coaching staff, spectators and commentators frantically calculated the ramifications, Bates kept a relatively cool head, befitting a seasoned performer in her fourth World Cup.
"To be honest, I was looking at Duckworth Lewis quite a bit, as the drizzle hung around and it was getting darker," she says. "It was actually quite a good gauge for Melie and I to stick with.
"If we were ahead of that run rate with only one wicket down, that was a good place to be, so we talked about getting to that 20th and making a game of it, because the skies could open up at any point. Thankfully, Dunedin held off."
The Ferns now head to the warmer climes of Hamilton and very familiar foes India, whom they beat across a five-match build-up series last month and now must beat again, if they hope to advance to the semis.
Join us at 2pm Thursday for live updates of the White Ferns v India World Cup match
