Give yourself permission.
It is OK to let hope seep in. It is OK to feel quietly confident. And it is OK to dream again.
The White Ferns have earned that.
They earned that with a 4-1 series win over India.
They earned that with a rollicking nine-wicket win over Australia in a warm-up game on Tuesday.
And they earned that through some hard lessons over the past few years.
It feels like these White Ferns are starting to believe they can win the World Cup, which gets under way this afternoon.
It helps having their three best players back on the park at the same time.
Former captain and opener Suzie Bates missed last season through injury.
The 34-year-old belted her way into form during the domestic season and is back near her best.
Star all-rounders Sophie Devine and Melie Kerr both took time out of the game to address mental health concerns.
Some things are much bigger than the game but they are back playing it, and playing it well.
To have two players you can rely on with the ball batting in your top order just gives the team so many options.
You get to decide whether to play an extra batter or bowler depending on the conditions.
Batting depth gives you comfort to go harder earlier. And if you stack your bowling attack, you have more room to wriggle when someone is having an off day.
There will be off days, too. But perhaps not today.
The White Ferns open the tournament with a match against the West Indies at Bay Oval.
The home side will be heavily favoured. The White Ferns know the conditions and their form has been superior.
The West Indies lost both their warm-up games — a 90-run loss to Australia and an 81-run loss to India.
But a couple of crisp shots from the bat of Stafanie Taylor or Deandra Dottin would be all it would take to dislodge the notion the game respects form or reputation. It does not.
It does not respect history, either. But the White Ferns may will look to other successful tournaments for a blueprint.
New Zealand’s men started well in the 1992 and 2015 World Cups held in New Zealand and were able to generate some wonderful momentum to propel them further in the tournament.
The Whites Ferns will be keen to emulate that. But an early hiccup is not necessarily the end of the road.
The White Ferns won the World Cup in 2000 but lost their first game. That was against Australia, though, which they ended up beating in a tense final.
The White Ferns have tougher games ahead than their opening two games.
After the West Indies, they play Bangladesh in Dunedin on Monday.
Dropping one of those could potentially derail their tournament. But a couple of confident wins will set them up nicely.
Go on.
Give yourself permission.
Believe.
Women’s World Cup, Bay Oval, 2pm
White Ferns: Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine (captain), Melie Kerr, Amy Satterthwaite, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Katey Martin, Hayley Jensen, Frankie Mackay, Lea Tahuhu, Hannah Rowe, Rosemary Mair, Fran Jonas, Jess Kerr, Georgia Plimmer.
West Indies: Deandra Dottin, Aaliyah Alleyne, Kycia Knight, Stafanie Taylor (captain), Hayley Matthews, Shermaine Campbelle, Chedean Nation, Chinelle Henry, Cherry-Ann
Fraser, Anisa Mohammed, Afy Fletcher, Karishma Ramharack, Shakera Selman, Rashada Williams, Shamilia Connell.
