Aussie women seal ODI series win over NZ women

The world record for consecutive one-day international wins now stands at 23 after Australia sealed a series win over New Zealand with another victory. Captain Meg Lanning’s team continues to set the benchmark in women’s cricket and took their unbeaten streak in 50-over cricket to 1262 days with a 71-run win over the Kiwis in the second match at the Bay Oval in Tuaranga. Two wickets in the opening two overs left New Zealand’s chase for 272 in tatters. Then series of run outs, three wickets to Jess Jonassen and a stumping by Alyssa Healy, in her 200th game for Australia, made the task impossible and the Kiwis were all out for 200. The victory secured the Rose Bowl trophy, which they have held since 1999, and also ensured the all-conquering Aussies remain undefeated in any series or tournament since 2017, underlining their dominance of all teams.

A washout in the final T20 meant that series was drawn, but since losing the T20 component of the Ashes in November 2017, Lanning’s team has claimed series wins over New Zealand twice, Pakistan, England and West Indies, taken out two T20 tri-series and claimed two T20 World Cup titles. “I thought our bowlers were outstanding,” Lanning said. “We thought we had a good score but didn’t think it was a matchw-inning score. We knew we would have to fight pretty hard. We did that.” The Aussies looked like posting a massive total when they cruised to 1-180 in the 33rd over. But when Lanning was out for 49, the rest of the batters failed to really fire. Healy made 44 off 50 balls and fellow opener Rachael Haynes, with 87 off 105 balls, was also able to get on top of the Kiwi bowlers.

But Australia managed just 87 runs in the final 16 overs as wickets fell consistently, and only 58 in the final 10 before, closing at 7-271. New Zealand’s Leigh Kasperek finished with 6-46, the best ever figures for a Kiwi against Australia But then both Tayla Vlaeminck and Megan Schutt then took wickets in their opening overs to leave the home side 2-7 and rattled. The middle-order fought back, but the task proved too hard and the Aussies now have three wins from four completed games across the ODIs and T20s with a final match to come on Saturday at the same venue.