Gut instinct produced inspired bowling decision

Gut feeling still has a place in sporting success and it was the quality that saw New Zealand off-spinner Clare Nicholson entrusted with the bowling of the last over in Saturday's outstanding CricInfo Women's World Cup final victory over Australia.

A lengthy discussion between captain Emily Drumm, vice-captain Catherine Campbell, veteran Debbie Hockley and bowler Nicholson was called when Drumm thought Nicholson had completed her 10 overs.

Haidee Tiffen was originally called up to bowl the last over, but once it was realised Nicholson still had an over left she was given the ball basically on Drumm's gut feeling of what to do.

Nicholson said as she moved in to bowl the last over she was only concerned with getting the ball in the right place.

"You only worry about what you can control and we had put in a whole year of hard work.

"Being hit for four doesn't phase me. You can only worry about the next ball," she said.

Although she went into the tournament being used as an opening bowler, Nicholson didn't mind switching to bowling at the death on Saturday.

"I did it against India earlier in the tournament," she said.

But even more important than her first ball of the last over dismissal of Charmaine Mason, caught at the wicket by Rebecca Rolls with Australia still four runs short of New Zealand, was the removal of Australian captain Belinda Clark who had single-handedly looked as if she was going to take the game from New Zealand.

She was on 91 and looking very comfortable.

"She played over it. The track was playing a little low near the end of the day and the ball was just a straight one," she said.

Nicholson, who came back into the team this year after shoulder surgery had kept her out of the game for 18 months, has made no decision on her future. She says she will play the national competition out and make up her mind after that.