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Australia set New Zealand a target of 292
50th over: Australia 291-7 (Sutherland 105, Garth 11) Sutherland gets her century and Garth completes a fine cameo undefeated as Australia stretch the target to 292 runs. Rosemary Mair finishes with 1 for 56 which is a touch harsh on the White Ferns pacer.
Annabel Sutherland reaches a century
The all-rounder makes it back-to-back ODI tons with two runs through cover. The 23-year-old has again been the standout batter as her hot form continues with a ton from 78 deliveries with two sixes and 11 boundaries.
49th over: Australia 278-7 (Sutherland 98, Garth 6) Devine turns to her trust in spin late in the Australia innings with Kerr to send down the second-last over. Sutherland pummels two more boundaries before looking to bring up her century with a drive over cover. The Australian can only take a thick edge and set off for a quick single as Garth is almost caught short while failing to slide her bat. It’s the closest of calls but the third umpire says the bat was grounded. Another little let-off for the tourists.
48th over: Australia 267-7 (Sutherland 88, Garth 4) Eden Carson continues but has been kept in the attack a little too long as Sutherland goes bang! Two sixes in the over, both crunching drives over mid-on that clear the rope with ease. 19 runs from the over as Sutherland closes in on a ton and Australia edge towards 300 with 12 legal deliveries to come.
47th over: Australia 248-7 (Sutherland 71, Garth 3) Molly Penfold returns to bowl her final over and chase a first ODI five-for. The pacer almost has it not once, not twice, but thrice, as three chances go begging. The best was a caught and bowled opportunity off the ever-dangerous Sutherland who clubs a straight drive hard enough for it to bounce out of Penfold’s hands. Either side of that are a couple of skyward strokes on the leg-side, the first falling just out of Kerr’s reach at deep midwicket for four. The last ball of the over drops just short and bounces off the fielder’s knee and into the rope. Penfold finishes with 4 four 42 but there will be a hint of frustration.
46th over: Australia 239-7 (Sutherland 63, Garth 2) Kim Garth joins Sutherland at the crease as Alana King is trapped in front and Carson continues to cause problems in the second half of the innings.
WICKET! King lbw b Carson 8 (Australia 236-7)
Eden Carson traps a retreating Alana King dead in front and the finger is raised. But was the ball doing too much? King is quick to review especially with few overs remaining in the innings. The replay shows the ball would’ve crashed into the top of leg-stump. Good call from the umpire.
45th over: Australia 236-6 (Sutherland 62, King 8) Melie Kerr continues and is unfortunate to still be without a wicket after nine quality overs. King somehow survives after stepping back and flailing with a square drive but only getting an inside edge that bounces twice towards the off-stump before rounding it and ending up in the keeper’s gloves. Australia still pick up five from the over.
44th over: Australia 231-6 (Sutherland 59, King 7) Sutherland scoops Devine for a smart and seemingly effortless boundary. The White Ferns skipper is more aggressive to King and digs in a shorter ball that the leg-spinners spins wildly at without being close to getting bat on ball. The runs are flowing freely enough for the Australians though.
43rd over: Australia 222-6 (Sutherland 53, King 4) Melie Kerr marks out her run as it is hard to keep up with all the bowling changes. Australia half-preserving wickets now as they find easy singles with seven overs still to face.
42nd over: Australia 217-6 (Sutherland 50, King 2) New Zealand go for the jugular as Rosemary Mair returns with only two overs up her sleeve. Sutherland works the ball around the gaps to reach fifty after amassing a scoring century in her previous ODI innings against India.
41st over: Australia 212-6 (Sutherland 47, King 0) Molly Penfold improves on her career-best figures with a fourth scalp and each have come at a critical time for the White Ferns. McGrath had started opening up and blazed away for a boundary before biting off too much late in the over with Penfold in devastating form and the ball moving.
WICKET! McGrath b Penfold 34 (Australia 211-6)
Molly Penfold has her fourth and it might be her best yet. The pacer hits the ideal spot back of a length as the ball angles through McGrath’s bat and body. The Australian is nowhere near that one and is clean bowled.
40th over: Australia 206-5 (Sutherland 46, McGrath 30) McGrath opens up with back-to-back boundaries – not for the first time today – to end the over from Carson. Australia pass the 200 mark with 10 overs up their sleeve but the tail arguably just a wicket away for the White Ferns.
39th over: Australia 195-5 (Sutherland 44, McGrath 21) Penfold back into the attack as the White Ferns look to break up another threatening partnership. Devine has been on point with her changes and Penfold still looks like the most dangerous bowler but goes for a couple of singles this time.
38th over: Australia 193-5 (Sutherland 43, McGrath 20) Carson with another fine over and the off-spinner is really impressing now after a worrying start. Three singles from the over.
37th over: Australia 190-5 (Sutherland 42, McGrath 18) Suzie Bates is next White Ferns part-time – these days at least – to have a trundle. The veteran’s off-spin isn’t enough to trouble the Australian pair who work her around the field until Sutherland smacks a boundary to square leg.
36th over: Australia 181-5 (Sutherland 35, McGrath 17) Carson being treated with more respect now after claiming a wicket and with New Zealand turning to part-timers at the other end.
35th over: Australia 179-5 (Sutherland 34, McGrath 16) Back-to-back boundaries from McGrath as the vice-captain lifts the run-rate without taking any risks. McGrath simply uses the pace of the ball to pick up runs on either side behind the stumps as seamer Brooke Halliday goes for 12 runs off her first over.
34th over: Australia 167-5 (Sutherland 32, McGrath 6) Devine brings herself back into the attack with a new batter at the crease and finds McGrath’s edge as the batter drives hard. With no slip in place the ball races barely past the keep and fine to the boundary.
33rd over: Australia 161-5 (Sutherland 31, McGrath 1) Carson fights back after being taken for 25 runs from her opening three overs. The off-spinner claims the critical wicket of Gardner in her best over yet. Australia vice-captain Tahlia McGrath is in earlier than they would have hoped.
WICKET! Gardner b Carson 19 (Australia 160-5)
Once again the White Ferns strike just as the game looks like getting away from them. Eden Carson has been a target for Australia through her three-and-a-bit overs but gets some redemption with a wonderful delivery to fellow offie Ash Gardner. The Australian drives too far from her body as the ball drifts and spins towards her seemingly less than expected.
32nd over: Australia 158-4 (Sutherland 30, Gardner 18) Another opportunity goes begging for New Zealand and they are paying the price for a lack of sharpness in the field. Substitute fielder Jess Kerr dives low to her left at mid-on but can’t get a hand to the ball as it races away to the boundary. That was a half-chance but the White Ferns need to start holding some of those if they’ re going to match the world champions.
31st over: Australia 153-4 (Sutherland 26, Gardner 17) Sutherland goes after Carson who has been a target throughout much of the Australia innings. The Australian picks up a pair of twos then ends the over with a controlled loft that reaches the rope.
30th over: Australia 143-4 (Sutherland 16, Gardner 17) Typically clever captaincy from Devine as the pace of Mair is called back into the attack on the brink of the drinks break and with this partnership getting away from the White Ferns. The Australians find runs through the gaps without taking any real risks.
29th over: Australia 139-4 (Sutherland 16, Gardner 13) Gardner slogs powerfully for another boundary as ominous signs start to appear for the White Ferns. The hosts have done well to dismiss any Australians that have been able to make a start but as much as any these are the two batters that they wouldn’t want to go on and make a big score.
28th over: Australia 134-4 (Sutherland 16, Gardner 8) Devine’s seamers lock down the Australian pair until Sutherland slices a square drive to the rope.
27th over: Australia 128-4 (Sutherland 11, Gardner 7) Kerr continues with mid-on up inside the circle allowing Gardner to loft a straight drive into space over the back. That forces a change in the field after clever batting from the Australian. Sutherland sweeps hard at a fuller delivery but a mis-timed swipe goes to backward square for two runs.
26th over: Australia 120-4 (Sutherland 8, Gardner 2) Sutherland clobbers a pull shot over midwicket for four. That was all power with little backswing and comes just one ball after the batter had almost nicked behind.
25th over: Australia 114-4 (Sutherland 2, Gardner 2) Just the one run from Kerr’s neat over of leg-spin as Australia reach the halfway mark with 114 runs on the board. The White Ferns will be pleased with that.
24th over: Australia 113-4 (Sutherland 1, Gardner 2) Penfold starts with the prized wicket of Mooney then dishes up a mixed bag to Gardner. The Australian flicks off the pads for two to backward point, then nicks off trying to drive the next delivery. The ball falls short and wide of James who is still being trusted as the only slip.
WICKET! Mooney c James b Penfold 14 (Australia 110-4)
Molly Penfold has her third wicket and her best figures in ODIs. Mooney drives away from her body but can only slice the ball to Bella James at point. The debutant will be as relieved as anything to hold onto that after dropping a couple of earlier chances.
23rd over: Australia 110-3 (Mooney 14, Sutherland 1) New Zealand keep swinging the bowling changes with Kerr taking over from Carson. Mooney is on the move to give herself space to pick up an easy single on the off-side. The right-hander ends the over with a powerful sweep that perhaps went too hard as the fielder on the fence restricts the Australians to one run.
22nd over: Australia 107-3 (Mooney 12, Sutherland 0) Penfold takes the ball from Mair and picks up her second scalp. Once again it is well-timed as Perry was just starting to light up her attack.
WICKET! Perry c Gaze b Penfold 29 (Australia 107-3)
Ellyse Perry punishes a short ball with a pull to the boundary but is out next ball with another delivery that pitches back of a length stays a wide. Perry swipes but can only take an edge for a simple catch to the keeper Gaze.
21st over: Australia 101-2 (Perry 25, Mooney 11) Carson drifts too far down the leg-side but fellow keeper Mooney is awake to the threat of a stumping. The Australian pair pick up an easy single apiece as Mooney punishes another loose delivery heading down leg from the final delivery. A subtle sweep sends the ball fine and our of Maddy Green’s diving reach to the rope.