Annabel Sutherland’s second consecutive century has powered Australia to a rain-affected 65-run victory over New Zealand in the second one-day international.
On Alyssa Healy’s return from her knee injury, White Ferns quick Molly Penfold (4 for 42) restricted the star-studded top order after Healy’s rival captain Sophie Devine won the toss in Wellington on Saturday. But Sutherland (105 not out from 81 deliveries), who belted 110 in her last hit-out, was on hand to help Australia (291-7) recover and has now recorded as many international centuries as superstar all-rounder Ellyse Perry (five).
The White Ferns were unable to forge an enduring partnership in reply and struggled to keep pace with the DLS par as wet weather hovered on the radar around Basin Reserve. The covers came on in the 31st over just before 5pm local time, and Australia’s 14th consecutive ODI defeat of New Zealand was confirmed when play was called a little less than an hour later.
Quick Kim Garth (2 for 17) proved the pick of the bowlers for Australia when snaring both openers, while Darcie Brown (0 for 15) was economical in her first four overs returning from a hip injury. New Zealand finished at 122-5.
The win means Australia have retained the Rose Bowl with a game in hand after rain washed out the series opener on Thursday. The third match will be played at the same venue on Monday, when conditions are expected to be finer.
All-rounder Sutherland reached her half-century with a single to long on from Rosemary Mair to finish the 42nd over. Penfold almost capped a brilliant afternoon with the ball by sending Sutherland packing but put down a caught-and-bowled chance in her final over when the Australia No 5 was on 67.
The dropped catch appeared the impetus for Sutherland to click into overdrive. She clubbed red-hot Penfold down the leg side for two fours in the quick’s final over, both dropping just short of fielders en route to the boundary.
Sutherland continued to make the White Ferns pay with two sixes straight down the ground from the next Eden Carson over before belting Amelia Kerr for two consecutive fours in the one that followed. She survived a run-out chance in the penultimate over to bring up her century with two runs from Mair off the next ball.
Penfold’s drop wasn’t the only missed chance for the hosts. The White Ferns could have clamped down harder on the visiting batting order had debutant Bella James not dropped three catches. James put down Phoebe Litchfield (25), Beth Mooney (14) and Tahlia McGrath (34), though none could truly make her pay by going on to post big scores.
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Opening batter Healy (34 from 32 deliveries) looked primed to kick on after making her return from the knee injury that sidelined her for more than a month. The captain punished Mair in the quick’s first ODI since April 2022, punching anything she directed at the leg side to the boundary – including the first legal delivery of the match.
But just as Healy was humming, she miscalculated the short ball to become Penfold’s first victim, pulling to Kerr at mid-wicket. Perry (29) also made a start but couldn’t resist having a go at Penfold’s bouncer, edging to wicketkeeper Izzy Gaze.
James took a confidence-boosting catch to dismiss Mooney from Penfold’s bowling, before the quick swung an absolute jaffa into McGrath’s leg stump and finished with career-best ODI figures.
