And here’s the match report from Wellington:
Summary
A dominant performance from Australia and disappointing for New Zealand, who were hoping to put themselves in a better position to qualify for the 2025 ODI World Cup with a win today. Australia hold on to the Rose Bowl – although they already retained it after the win in game two after the first game was washed out, they would certainly have wanted to win it, not just retain it through a draw.
Australia have had two dominant series wins now, after comprehensively beating India just a few weeks ago. They will now go into the Ashes after a break for Christmas, which will almost certainly bring more of a challenge. England look like the only team who can threaten Australia’s dominance, so it should be an excellent series to watch.
From a New Zealand perspective, there is plenty to ruminate on. Their next series isn’t until March when Sri Lanka head over for an ODI and T20I series, before taking on Australia again in T20Is later that month. Their biggest issue continues to be depth – they rely so much on the ‘big three’ of Bates, Kerr and Devine to make runs and that is something that can be more easily exposed in ODIs.
Thank you so much for joining us here today – I’m sure I’ll be back on the OBO before too long in this summer of cricket, so I will see you then!
Player of the series: Annabel Sutherland
No surprises that Sutherland is also the player of the series.
“I feel like every game you’re play, you’re learning all the time,” she said. “I feel like my game is always getting better. It’s nice to be promoted up the order and have a bit more time out in the middle, I’ve really enjoyed that. The competitiveness between the two teams – we know each other really well and play with and against each other in franchise cricket, so it’s nice to get the win.”
Player of the match: Annabel Sutherland
Sutherland has been strong throughout this series and is today’s player of the series.
“I’m enjoying my cricket at the moment and we’ve had a couple of good series wins now,” she said. “It was nice to get a start, but it was disappointing not to go on with Ash out there, but she did a really good job…We’ve spoken about playing to our strengths and going down the ground is definitely one of mine…The top order for New Zealand played really well, but I think Darce came in with some good pace and changed the momentum of the game.”
Australia win by 75 runs
The White Ferns looked like they could win this match for a time – particularly during that Kerr and Bates partnership – and had some excellent patches of batting in there. But Australia managed to find regular wickets to slow them down and built pressure through plenty of dot balls to stop NZ from getting on top of the run rate.
Sutherland and King got three wickets each to dominate the match and make it a comfortable victory for Australia.
Updated
WICKET! Carson c Gardner b Garth 1 (New Zealand 215)
Carson tries to keep playing aggressively, but she mistimes her pull shot and it’s an easy catch for Gardner.
42nd over: New Zealand 214-9 (Green 38, Carson 0) Penfold swings hard at a King delivery and it falls between fielders and does enough for her to get off strike. Green pulls out the reverse and finally finds the boundary she’s been looking for. An appeal for LBW on Penfold late in the over, but not a very convincing one. Penfold reverse sweeps King for two and then tries to get another two after a nice pull shot, but is run out.
Updated
WICKET! Penfold run out (King) 5 (New Zealand 214-9)
Penfold plays a nice shot and they try to get two from it, but King is all over the throw and hits the stumps at the keepers’ end with Penfold well out of her crease.
42nd over: New Zealand 205-8 (Green 33, Penfold 1) Green gets some strike at the start of Sutherland’s over for the first time in a while and she immediately brings up the 200 runs for NZ. Penfold is finding it tough out there, but a misfield from Mooney gives her the chance to run a bye and get off strike. Green follows it up with a single however – she needs to find more twos and boundaries to protect Penfold.
41st over: New Zealand 199-8 (Green 29, Penfold 0) King bowls her eighth over of the day and there’s a chance from the first ball, but Perry can’t hold on to it diving to her left. King decides next ball that just taking out the stumps is a simpler way to take a wicket, rather than relying on Perry acrobatics, so she does just that. Penfold works hard to keep the ball off the stumps, but can’t add any runs just yet.
WICKET! Mair b King 3 (New Zealand 199-8)
Mair goes down swinging – King beats her with flight and turn to take out the stumps.
40th over: New Zealand 197-7 (Green 29, Mair 1) Sutherland continues as the required run rate creeps up towards nine an over, which is starting to get quite tough. Sutherland pulls out her bouncer and Green takes a wild swing at it, which falls safely and they get a single. Sutherland gets her reward with the wicket of Gaze and Mair comes out to bat. She immediately skies one off the edge, but Schutt can’t cover enough ground to take the catch.
WICKET! Gaze c Healy b Sutherland 1 (New Zealand 196-7)
Healy with a catch in the field and she celebrates it with delight. Gaze got caught too high on the bat and there’s not enough power to clear the infield.
39th over: New Zealand 194-6 (Green 28, Gaze 0) King continues after that brutal last over she bowled. They run two byes to start the over, then Green tries to pull out the big reverse, but can’t get bat on ball. A big appeal for LBW soon after that, but the umpire shakes her head and King can’t convince Healy to review it. Replays show that Green got some glove on it, so it was a good decision not to review.
38th over: New Zealand 190-6 (Green 26, Gaze 0) Sutherland returns to bowl to try to shut down any hopes of a White Ferns resurgence. She cramps Gaze right up and pushes her deep in her crease with some stifling bowling. A very tidy over, with just one leg bye coming from it.
37th over: New Zealand 189-6 (Green 26, Gaze 0) King starts the over with a wicket, which brings Lauren Down to the crease. Every time NZ start to build a good partnership and look like bringing the game under their control, the loss of a wicket brings trouble. This time they can’t even get a partnership going and it’s a double wicket maiden for King.
WICKET! Down c Sutherland b King 0 (New Zealand 189-6)
King gets some nice drift on the ball and Down charges down the pitch looking to go up and over and lofts the ball straight to Sutherland for King’s second wicket in the over.
WICKET! Halliday c Perry b King 27 (New Zealand 189-5)
A wicket was coming for King and finally it arrives. Halliday tried to drive it over the field, but was only successful in sending it straight to Perry for a simple catch.
36th over: New Zealand 189-4 (Green 26, Halliday 27) Another over from Schutt – Green and Halliday look a little more watchful against her bowling than they did against the spin. But Halliday finds her confidence and a gap in the field to pick up a quick two before trying to go again, but this time Schutt beats the bat. The White Ferns are looking more aggressive now and they’re not letting the run rate get away from them.
35th over: New Zealand 183-4 (Green 23, Halliday 24) Healy turns to King now – she has looked like taking a wicket a few times now – could this over be her time? There’s a little chance early from an edge that just misses the stumps and Mooney’s gloves. King is getting some really good turn out of this pitch. Halliday sets up early for the reverse sweep and clubs it for four – the turn doesn’t trouble her. She tries it again, but can’t quite get contact the second time.
34th over: New Zealand 174-4 (Green 18, Halliday 20) Schutt comes back into the attack for the first time since her opening spell. Her first ball beats Halliday’s bat and the second offers a caught and bowled chance, but Schutt can’t hold on to it. Green plays a lovely pull shot, but Perry is up to the task on the boundary and cuts it off before it can be a much-needed boundary.
33rd over: New Zealand 167-4 (Green 13, Halliday 19) Brown resumes after her successful previous over. Green starts the over well, with two from the first ball and four from the second, with Brown not quite finding her line. She pulls it back with a straighter delivery that Green can’t get away.
32nd over: New Zealand 159-4 (Green 6, Halliday 18) Green takes on Gardner immediately, driving it past long for for four. Halliday gets in on the action soon after, driving the ball straight down the ground for a second boundary in the over. I think we can guess what the message was to these two in the drinks break.
31st over: New Zealand 150-4 (Green 1, Halliday 14) Brown gets Devine early in the over with a beautiful delivery and Green comes in after a quick drinks break. NZ bring up the 150, but it will be very tough from here without Devine.
WICKET! Devine b Brown 25 (New Zealand 149-4)
Brown varies her length, putting in a couple of short balls before bowling one very full that goes straight under Devine’s bat and takes out middle stump. New Zealand are in trouble now.
30th over: New Zealand 149-3 (Devine 25, Halliday 14) Gardner comes back now for some more spin in this match. Devine looks to get aggressive early in the over, but she can’t quite get the ball away. They’re managing plenty of singles now, but with the required run rate now sitting above seven, they need to get back to hitting boundaries – at least one an over. They don’t manage one from this over.
29th over: New Zealand 143-3 (Devine 21, Halliday 12) Another over from Brown now – her fifth over of the game. She starts the over with – guess what? A dot ball. Devine and Halliday are able to find a couple of singles, before Brown throws in a bouncer to keep things interesting.
28th over: New Zealand 139-3 (Devine 19, Halliday 10) Mooney appeals for LBW from the first ball of the Garth over, but even Garth herself isn’t interested in that one. The run rate required is starting to creep up now, NZ really needs to find a way to reduce the dots to stop that climbing further up.
27th over: New Zealand 135-3 (Devine 16, Halliday 10) Devine has clearly been watching a lot of Marnus Labuschagne, with a big “NO RUN”, followed by a complaint about something flapping on the sight screen. King is unperturbed, starting with three dots, before Devine finds a single. Halliday sets up for her reverse very early – it looks too early for a second, but she times it very well to send it to the boundary and release the pressure that King was building.
26th over: New Zealand 129-3 (Devine 15, Halliday 6) Garth returns for her second spell and beats the bat with a wide-ish delivery to start. Halliday retaliates with a beautifully timed cover drive for four. A decent over for NZ with six runs coming from it.
25th over: New Zealand 123-3 (Devine 14, Halliday 1) King resumes and Devine finds a single to get Halliday some strike to see if she can get off the mark, which she does with a very nice sweep shot. There’s a little bit of life in this innings, but is it enough to get NZ to victory? Halfway through their innings now and they’ve got a bit of a mountain to climb, but it’s not impossible.
24th over: New Zealand 119-3 (Devine 11, Halliday 0) NZ were looking like they might find a way to win this game when Bates and Kerr were in, but the momentum has swung hard in the past couple of overs. This over is where Devine and Halliday start to build it back in their direction again, with Devine taking 10 runs from the first three balls of the Sutherland over, which starts to make up for all those dots. Sutherland fights back with two dots, before Devine finishes with a single.
23rd over: New Zealand 108-3 (Devine 0, Halliday 0) Another over from King and now it’s Halliday’s turn to look frustrated as she can’t get a big shot away and everything she plays keeps finding the field. King slightly releases the pressure with a wide after 10 dot balls in a row from Australia.
22nd over: New Zealand 107-3 (Devine 0, Halliday 0) Devine will want to be out there for a long time now – not just to give her team the best chance of victory, but also because she will want to give herself plenty of time before she has to be in a room with Melie Kerr, who must be fuming right now. Sutherland dots her up aggressively, building on Devine’s frustration and bowling a maiden.
21st over: New Zealand 107-3 (Devine 0, Halliday 0) Alana King comes on to bowl for the first time today, looking to make another breakthrough. Either Devine or Kerr (and preferably both) needs to make a big score today to give NZ a chance, so the sooner Australia can dismiss one (and preferably both), the more comfortable they’ll feel. Devine gives us a Marnus Labuschagne style leave – there’s a big flourish of the bat – and then Australia appeal for a stumping, but the third umpire can see that Devine is safely back in her crease. She then runs Kerr out – taking a run when the ball goes straight to Litchfield of all fielders is a real choice.
WICKET! Kerr run out (Litchfield) 22 (New Zealand 107-3)
Devine looks desperate to get off strike and runs out the set batter in a very silly move with a run that was never on. Absolutely not what NZ needed.
20th over: New Zealand 106-2 (Devine 0, Kerr 21) Sutherland returns for her second spell – she is Australia’s only wicket taker so far today. Bates gets an outside edge, which might have found a second or third slip, but unfortunately for Australia there are no slips in place and it goes for four, as does the edge from the next ball to bring up Bates’s 50. Sutherland takes her second wicket late in the over to dismiss Bates.
WICKET! Bates c Perry b Sutherland 53 (New Zealand 106-2)
Just as Bates looked like making a huge score, she loses her patience and sends the ball flying towards Perry, who holds on to a tough chance.
50 for Suzie Bates!
Not the way she would probably have liked to do it – with a streaky edge for four – but she’s happy with the runs and will hope to go on with it and lead her country to victory.
19th over: New Zealand 98-1 (Bates 45, Kerr 21) Brown starts the over with very nice line and length, she will want to find some consistency with that through this over. She finds some nice variation in pace, which keeps the batters guessing as her slower ball is considerably slower than her pace on delivery.
18th over: New Zealand 95-1 (Bates 43, Kerr 20) Gardner continues and Bates finds a boundary with a very nicely played cut shot from the second ball. Kerr and Bates bring up their 50 partnership, which they will want to keep building.
17th over: New Zealand 90-1 (Bates 38, Kerr 20) NZ are looking a bit more settled now and more often starting overs with a single, rather than a dot, which keeps the strike turning over and releases the pressure. Brown sends down a short ball and Bates mistimes it and skies it, but it falls safely in front of fine leg. It’s not a sensational over for NZ, but they still come away with six runs from it, which will keep them happy.
16th over: New Zealand 84-1 (Bates 35, Kerr 18) Gardner takes the first over after drinks and Bates uses her footwork early to find a gap and flick it past deep midwicket for a once bounce four. Picking up a boundary early in the over is important for NZ, as it takes the pressure off knowing those 5-6 runs an over are much easier to get from there. They get six from this over and they’re ticking along fairly nicely for now.
15th over: New Zealand 78-1 (Bates 30, Kerr 17) These are two highly experienced batters for NZ at the moment and you get the feeling that it’s the key partnership. Brown is bowling some very nice line and length and they’re finding it tricky to face her at the moment. Eventually Kerr finds one she can pull – it doesn’t reach the boundary, but they run two and the next ball plays a textbook straight drive back past Brown for four. Drinks are on the field now.
14th over: New Zealand 70-1 (Bates 29, Kerr 10) We get our first taste of spin for this innings, with Gardner coming on for her first over. Kerr finds a run from her Sydney Sixers teammate immediately, then there’s an appeal for LBW on Bates, but it seems to be one of those appeals that’s more about tricking the batters into not running than an actual appeal. Then she sends a lovely shot over long on for a four and it’s a much better over than the last two.
13th over: New Zealand 63-1 (Bates 24, Kerr 8) We get our first look at Darcie Brown for today – there just seems to be a never-ending supply of fast bowlers for Australia. Brown starts with three dots. She has incredible pace, but can sometimes be guilty of missing her length a little and can be expensive if she’s not on target. But it’s a good over from her, with just one run from it.
12th over: New Zealand 62-1 (Bates 24, Kerr 7) Bates and Kerr pick up a single each from Perry to start the over. They’ll be aware they need to keep on getting 5-6 runs an over so as not to let the run rate get away from them. Perry is not going to make that easy for them, she has tightened up her line and length this over. They only manage three from this over and that builds the pressure.
11th over: New Zealand 59-1 (Bates 23, Kerr 5) Sutherland resumes and there’s an almost appeal for LBW on Kerr early in the over, but no one is very interested in it. Kerr is able to find some space through the infielders and she and Bates run well to pick up three. Five from the over to keep the run rate moving.
10th over: New Zealand 54-1 (Bates 22, Kerr 1) Ellyse Perry comes into the attack now, taking over from Garth. She starts with a dot – it’s worth keeping an eye on these dots, because it already feels like NZ are allowing far too many. Perry releases the pressure with a wide next ball, but then she finds the line she was looking for with a wide-ish (but not wide) ball. And then Perry bowls a very un-Perry-like delivery with a waist high full toss that Bates delightedly pulls for four. Perry finishes the over well with three dots.
9th over: New Zealand 49-1 (Bates 18, Kerr 1) Sutherland continues after her miserly first over and she breaks the partnership almost immediately, bowling James to bring Amelia Kerr to the crease. Kerr gets off the mark with a little edge and Bates manages to bring a positive out of the over with a nice pull shot for four, followed by a quick single to keep the score moving.
WICKET! James b Sutherland 24 (New Zealand 43-1)
James looks to be aggressive once again, but she’s beaten by a full, straight delivery from Sutherland that goes cannoning into her stumps.
8th over: New Zealand 43-0 (Bates 13, James 24) Garth continues her spell and Bates is able to pick up a single straight away. James mistimes a pull shot and it goes up very high in the air, but it falls safely. The next ball she finds the timing on her pull shot and sends it flying over the boundary rope. There’s yet another scoop to follow and it goes over the boundary as well for consecutive fours. In her frustration, Garth bowls a wide on what should have been the last ball of the over.
7th over: New Zealand 30-0 (Bates 12, James 13) Sutherland enters the bowling attack for the first time today. She starts with a dot, as Bates plays cautiously as she tries to get her measure. Bates plays nice shots for the next couple of balls, but can’t pierce the field – she is looking for runs, but they’re just not on for her. Finally it’s an overthrow that breaks the barrage of dots. There’s another LBW appeal on the last ball of the over, but the umpire shakes her head and Australia doesn’t review.
6th over: New Zealand 29-0 (Bates 11, James 13) Garth catches the edge of Bates’s bat to start the over, but it hits the outstretched hand of Gardner and falls safely. James looks a little flustered as she comes on strike and swings wildly at a wider ball, but doesn’t make contact. Garth keeps on delivering the dot balls and nearly frustrates James into giving her wicket away, attempting another scoop on a ball that just wasn’t right for it. She finally picks up a run late in the over and Bates is able to finish off with a single as well.
5th over: New Zealand 26-0 (Bates 9, James 12) Schutt continues despite her expensive over, looking to reel the scoring back in. She starts with a dot and is looking good, but James pulls out the scoop once again and sends the ball sailing down past third for another four. She appears quite comfortable out there and rotates the strike back to Bates with a nicely played glance.
4th over: New Zealand 20-0 (Bates 8, James 7) Garth resumes and the batters look a little more tentative against her to start, but midway through the over, Bates comes charging down the wicket and finds the long on boundary. Garth adjusts well and finishes the over with three dots.
3rd over: New Zealand 15-0 (Bates 4, James 7) Bates starts by stepping away outside leg stump again, which she’s found to be a good tactic against Schutt. There’s a muted appeal for LBW next ball, but the umpire isn’t interested and the Australians don’t review it. Bates gets off strike with a strong pull shot, then James gets the first boundary of the innings with a very nicely timed scoop shot. It’s an expensive over for Schutt and a productive one for NZ.
2nd over: New Zealand 4-0 (Bates 1, James 2) And just as customarily, we see Kim Garth opening the bowling from the other end, with James on strike. The first ball of Garth’s over is a beauty, but it narrowly misses everything and flies through to Mooney at keeper. The statisticians have confirmed that if NZ chase this down, it will be the second highest successful chase in women’s ODI history, so that highlights the huge task that the White Ferns have ahead of them. James picks up two runs from a streaky edge down to third to get off the mark and looks a little more settled with that out of the way.
1st over: New Zealand 2-0 (Bates 1, James 0) Megan Schutt takes the new ball for Australia, as she customarily does. Bates starts defensively, seeing out a couple of dots. On the fourth ball of the over, she steps away from her stumps and gives herself some room and manages to flick the ball away for a single to give James the strike. James is watchful early as well, wary of Schutt’s full length.
Players are back on the field and we’re ready to get the NZ batting innings underway!
Just having a little check in on the weather after the first ODI was rained out and the second was rain affected with DLS coming into play in the second innings. But things are still looking fine in windy Wellington, it’s currently 19 degrees and Met Service in NZ is telling me there’s a 0% chance of rain.
Hello everyone, I hope you’ve enjoyed the first innings today. It’s an interesting one – as James noted, it’s the first time Australia have been bowled out batting first in an ODI in five years, so that sounds like it would be quite favourable for New Zealand, but Australia have also put a big total on the board and it will be a tough chase.
New Zealand didn’t fill me with confidence with the way they went about their chase in the second ODI a couple of days ago, so they’ll need to show a lot more intent and play some big shots from the outset if they want to have a chance of chasing this down. But with players like Bates, Devine and Kerr, it’s certainly a possibility. I really liked the looked of Bella James at the top of the order the other day too, so if she can stay out in the middle a bit longer today, that could go a long way towards setting them up for success.
It should be a fascinating innings coming up, so stay with me and we’ll power through together!
After a hefty partnership between Healy and Litchfield at the top of the order the Kiwis hit back with four quick wickets. Ash Gardner and Annabel Sutherland then rebuilt for Australia with the former finding the boundary with regularity before falling with five overs to go.
New Zealand need to score 291 runs to level the series 1-1.
That’s me done. Megan Maurice will be along very shortly to guide you through the chase. Bye!
Updated
Australia all out for 290!
Rosemary Mair picks up Kim Garth for her third wicket and that’s it for the Aussies! They are bowled out batting first in an ODI for the first time in five years – 2019 the last time they surrendered some overs in their first dig.
WICKET! Schutt run out (Green) 2 (Australia 288-9)
Direct hit and gone! Schutt tries to steal a single to mid on but Maddy Green swoops and throws down the stumps with the batter inches short!
48th over: Australia 288-8 (Schutt 4, Garth 8) Eden Carson finishes her spell with a thrifty over, just two singles taken off it. She closes her stint with 0-53 off her ten, she’s held up her end very well. Two overs to go.
47th over: Australia 286-8 (Schutt 3, Garth 7) Four runs off Devine’s ninth over, New Zealand have pegged Australia back but this target is still going to be a lofty one. In fact, I think it might already require the second biggest Women’s ODI chase in history.
46th over: Australia 282-8 (Schutt 2, Garth 6) Six runs taken off Eden Carson as Australia target 300. Here comes Sophie Devine to try and stop them.
45th over: Australia 275-8 (Schutt 0, Garth 1) Kerr finishes with 4-54 off her ten overs. Brilliant bowling. Megan Schutt and Kim Garth the new batters at the crease with five overs left.
WICKET! King lbw b Kerr 9 (Australia 270-8)
Kerr takes her second of the over and goes to 99 ODI wickets! King goes back and is pinned stone dead in front of her stumps.
WICKET! Gardner b Kerr 74 (Australia 274-7)
Kerr strikes in her final over to pick up Gardner! The wrong’un does the business and Gardner’s excellent innings comes to a close just as she was taking the game out of New Zealand’s reach.
44th over: Australia 269-6 (Gardner 70, King 8) Gardner is ticking now, Mair tries a slower ball and it is seen and spanked over cover for four. The all-rounder drives down the ground for two more before flicking off her pads and driving a full toss down the ground for a flurry of boundaries. 21 runs and four boundaries off the over, trouble in town for the Kiwis!
43rd over: Australia 248-6 (Gardner 52, King 7) Fifty for Ash Gardner! She gets there in some style by pulling Penfold over square for SIX. Saw the short ball early and climbed into it. Twelve runs in total off the over, this pair like to find the boundary and could be very dangerous for New Zealand heading into the final overs.
42nd over: Australia 236-6 (Gardner 41, King 6) A lot resting on Ash Gardner’s shoulders now as the set batter. Alana King joins her in the middle and carves away for four off Devine.
WICKET! McGrath c Kerr b Devine 10 (Australia 230-6)
Gone! Devine picks up her second wicket and McGrath’s slightly torturous innings of ten runs off 33 balls comes to an end.
41st over: Australia 230-5 (Gardner 41, McGrath 10) Wonderful over from Kerr, she could have picked up both Gardner and McGrath with false shots, Gardner lofts for two off the final ball in a shot of pure frustration.
40th over: Australia 227-5 (Gardner 39, McGrath 9) Carson gets in and out for the cost of just three runs. Ten overs to go. Amelia Kerr is coming on for her penultimate over.
39th over: Australia 224-5 (Gardner 38, McGrath 7) Rosemary Mair has 2-29 and three overs up her sleeve as she comes back for the first of them. Gardner struggles to time the ball off a length and very nearly spoons a catch to Devine at mid-off. Six off the over, Australia aren’t pulling out of sight, New Zealand would love to get a few more and get into the lower order and tail of King, Garth, Schutt and Brown.
38th over: Australia 218-5 (Gardner 32, McGrath 7) Carson rattles through a quick over, a cheap one. Just a Gardner single off it.
37th over: Australia 217-5 (Gardner 31, McGrath 7) Ash Gardner hits Australia’s first boundary in nearly half an hour, a drive down the ground off Penfold breaks the shackles and a pull behind square makes it two boundaries in a row. McGrath looks positively rusty in comparison.
36th over: Australia 208-5 (Gardner 22, McGrath 7) Devine dots up. Gardner comes down for a word with the increasingly frustrated McGrath. The batter is finding it hard to lay a bat on the pace off delivery and cuts a disconsolate figure as the maiden is completed.
35th over: Australia 208-5 (Gardner 22, McGrath 7) Penfold is given the nod, that’s the aggressive option taken by Devine and New Zealand. The bowler still hasn’t found the accuracy and penetration of her last game but the Aussies are struggling to find the boundary too. Six off the over. 15 overs left for Australia and five wickets to take for New Zealand.
34th over: Australia 202-5 (Gardner 21, McGrath 3) Devine uses all her wiles, bowling with a split fingered seam and mixing up her pace. Just two singles off her latest.
33rd over: Australia 200-5 (Gardner 20, McGrath 2) Three singles off Kerr’s 8th over see Australia bring up their 200.
32nd over: Australia 197-5 (Gardner 18, McGrath 1) Tahlia McGrath joins Ash Gardner. Devine gives away five wides down the leg side for the second time in the over, Isabella Gaze has struggled stood up to the stumps today and New Zealand have gifted 31 extras and counting. That’s waaaay too many.
WICKET! Sutherland c & b Devine 42 (Australia 189-5)
Devine clings on and manages to get rid of Sutherland with beauty of a caught and bowled. Devine took some pace off and the ball stopped in the surface a little, Sutherland went with hard hands and then tried to stop on the shot. New Zealand needed that!
31st over: Australia 185-4 (Sutherland 42, Gardner 17) Sutherland starts to look dangerous as she smashes Kerr for two fours in the over. The fifty partnership comes up off 53 balls, this pair have consolidated well. Gah! Kerr spears five wides past the helpless keeper. New Zealand in need-a-wicket-territory once more.
30th over: Australia 171-4 (Sutherland 33, Gardner 17) Sophie Devine brings herself on and sneaks in and out with a cheap over of two runs.
29th over: Australia 169-4 (Sutherland 32, Gardner 16) More singles and strike rotation, Australia consolidating after their wobble. They can still target a big score in the back ten with wickets in hand.
28th over: Australia 164-4 (Sutherland 30, Gardner 14) Sutherland is so hard to bowl too. Carson is a tad short and she’s lapped away to fine leg, the next ball is a tad too full and is driven past point for four. The next is worked away for three more and before you know it a tidy over has gone for ten runs.
27th over: Australia 154-4 (Sutherland 21, Gardner 13) Penfold returns, the game in something of a holding pattern as both sides grapple for supremacy.
26th over: Australia 148-4 (Sutherland 19, Gardner 10) Carson replaces Mair and apart from a gorgeous cover drive from Sutherland it is a decent over, five dots keeping the woman in form tied down to some extent.
25th over: Australia 144-4 (Sutherland 15, Gardner 10) That’ll make Ash Gardner feel better, Kerr gives too much flight and a front foot drive whistles to the fence at extra cover.
24th over: Australia 138-4 (Sutherland 14, Gardner 5) Annabel Sutherland is in some rare form, she plays a ridiculously good straight drive down the ground for four off Mair. The bowler does well to restrict for the rest of the over, Ash Gardner hasn’t been at her freewheeling best with the bat of late and she struggles to pierce the infield.
23rd over: Australia 132-4 (Sutherland 9, Gardner 4) Kerr hops and skips in, she’s bowling with fizz and tying the Aussie batters down as we approach the halfway stage in the innings. The first hour was all Australia, the second has belonged to New Zealand.
22nd over: Australia 127-4 (Sutherland 8, Gardner 0) Ash Gardner blocks out her first ball and the final one of a successful over by Mair. Australia have lost four quick wickets and need to consolidate. Amelia Kerr and Rosemary Mair have other ideas. Game on!
WICKET! Mooney c Halliday b Mair 2 (Australia 126-4)
Another one gone! Mooney flicks a leading edge to short cover where Halliday swallows the catch. The visitors in a bit of strife now as the momentum has definitely swung.
21st over: Australia 126-3 (Mooney 2, Sutherland 7) Can Kerr pocket another one and really turn the screw for New Zealand? Close! More turn from a good length outside off and Sutherland edges just wide of Devine in at slip. Absorbing cricket as the White Ferns hit back.
20th over: Australia 122-3 (Mooney 1, Sutherland 4) Two new batters at the crease for Australia. Mair tries to bowl the magic ball but Sutherland pings the resulting leg stump half volley for four. Don’t bowl there!
Here comes Annabel Sutherland
WICKET! Litchfield c Bates b Mair 50 (Australia 118-3)
Australia are having a wobble in Wellington! Litchfield goes to Fifty but then falls right after, plinking Mair to Bates with a loose shot.
19th over: Australia 116-2 (Litchfield 49, Mooney) Beth Mooney joins Litchfield. Rosemary Mair is recalled into the attack. Key period of this innings incoming.
WICKET! Ellyse Perry b Kerr 14 (Australia 116-2)
Got her with a beauty! Kerr flights and lands a wonderful googly that leaves Perry groping and grasping, the ball fizzing past her outstretched blade and back into the stumps! Kerr wheels away in celebration – she’s bowling her team back into this match.
18th over: Australia 113-1 (Litchfield 47, Perry 13) Carson misses her line and length and Ellyse Perry is too good not to make her pay, she clatters two boundaries off the over to keep the scoreboard ticking upwards.
17th over: Australia 102-1 (Litchfield 42, Perry 7) Five runs worked off Kerr as the New Zealand spinners look to rattle through their overs at warp speed. The hundred comes up for Australia. It could be the first of a few in this innings.
16th over: Australia 97-1 (Litchfield 38, Perry 6) Carson follows up with a tidy over that is spoilt at the last at Perry sweepscoops a leg side ball fine for four to make it seven runs off the over.
15th over: Australia 90-1 (Litchfield 36, Perry 1) Ellyse Perry joins Litchfield in the middle. Not exactly who you want to see striding out if you are up against it in the field. Both batters exchange singles to end a crucial over from Kerr.
WICKET! Alyssa Healy b Kerr 39 (Australia 88-1)
Amelia Kerr strikes straight after drinks! My days New Zealand needed that. Healy misses a sweep and is castled by a ball that turned into her. One down!
14th over: Australia 85-0 (Healy 39, Litchfield 35) Carson continues, she’s worked around by Healy and Litchfield with relative ease. Five off the over and the first hour firmly belongs to Australia. Time for New Zealand to re-group over a slurp of electrolytes. Drinks.
13th over: Australia 80-0 (Healy 37, Litchfield 32) The Aussie openers are really ticking along now, another eleven runs pilfered off Penfold.
12th over: Australia 69-0 (Healy 34, Litchfield 24) Eden Carson comes into the attack with her darting off breaks. She looks threatening and lands her first over nicely, challenging Litchfield to sweep across the line into the vacant square region, the batter doesn’t take the bait. Yet.
11th over: Australia 66-0 (Healy 31, Litchfield 24) Penfold spears down a couple of wides, she’s not been on it today so far. It’s a bit flat for New Zealand and this partnership is looking more ominous each over. A glance down at the Aussie batting line up will give the Kiwis some further collywobbles too. Wickets needed.
10th over: Australia 61-0 (Healy 30, Litchfield 22) Litchfield bunts Devine back over her head for another four with a flourish. Devine hits back with a nasty short ball that thuds into the batter’s shoulder. Gnarly pro taking on precocious colt here. Youngster winning the battle at the moment, eleven off the over.
9th over: Australia 50-0 (Healy 25, Litchfield 13) Penfold switches ends and replaces Mair. The Aussie openers are looking to get after everything now, Healy clips for three and then throws the kitchen sink, fridge, island, kettle and toaster at a length ball later in the over but fails to connect. She throws her head back afterwards, which was the problem when executing the shot in the first place.
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8th over: Australia 45-0 (Healy 25, Litchfield 13) Now then! After being pinned down Phoebe Litchfield decides enough is enough, she lofts a drive off Devine over extra cover for four and follows up next ball with a wonderfully smooth drive back over the bowler for a one bounce four. Dangerous signs here for New Zealand, 11 off the over.
7th over: Australia 34-0 (Healy 24, Litchfield 3) Healy picks up another boundary and Litchfield shows her first sign of real intent by wandering down the wicket to play a powerful drive, it goes straight to the fielder and she remains tied down in comparison to her partner.
6th over: Australia 27-0 (Healy 18, Litchfield 2) Sophie Devine fancies a piece of the action and brings herself on for the slightly wayward penfold. She fizzes a short ball past the advancing Healy to keep her opposite number honest and starts with an accurate over, stump to stump as Chris de Burgh didn’t quite sing.
5th over: Australia 23-0 (Healy 15, Litchfield 2) Mair tightens things up, just a Healy single off the over. You’re still thinking about those dropped catches aren’t you?
4th over: Australia 23-0 (Healy 15, Litchfield 2) Healy sits back and pulls Penfold to the square leg fence with ease. The Kiwi seamer is struggling slightly with adjusting her line to the left/right hand Australian opening partnership. Drop! Another chance goes begging, this time Healy gets a huge glove down the leg side and Isabella Gaze can’t cling on to it with the gloves. New Zealand can’t afford to give this gilded batting card lives. That’s one each now to Healy and Litchfield.
3rd over: Australia 15-0 (Healy 10, Litchfield 2) Drop! Mair gets the edge of Litchfield’s driving blade but Bella James can’t cling on to the catch diving away to her left at slip. She kicks the turf and shakes her head for the rest of the over. It was a tough chance but she feels like she should have grabbed it. The batters took a quick single and Healy rubs salt in the wound by crunching a drive through cover for four.
2nd over: Australia 9-0 (Healy 6, Litchfield 1) Litchfield clips off her toes to get off the mark. Penfold is trying to find some movement and she’s pitching very full but a bit too wide. The next ball is given wide too and then the over correction is too short, Healy pounces and swivels a pull for four. Penfold finds her length with the final three balls of the over but the forward defensive strokes all come ominously out of the middle of the bat.
1st over: Australia 2-0 (Healy 2, Litchfield 0) It’s a sprightly start from Rosemary Mair who beats Healy with a beauty that angles in and seams away late. Close! A leading edge from Healy somehow finds the gap between point and backward and the batters scamper a couple of runs. That could have easily gone to hand and they are the only runs off the over.
Molly Penfold will share the new Kookaburra, she’s fresh off career best figures of 4-42 after scything through the Aussie top order a couple of days ago.
Here we go, bright sunshine at the Basin Reserve. Rosemary Mair is going to start with a slip in place to Alyssa Healy. Play!
Amelia Kerr speaks about being aggressive and not taking a backward step as that approach just does not work against this Australian juggernaut. The pitch does look a belter and Australia have a stacked batting card, the White Ferns will need early wickets that’s for sure.
Tahlia McGrath, who stood in as Captain in Alyssa Healy’s absence, speaks to the host broadcaster about Australia being ‘ruthless’ and how Annabel Sutherland is playing on a different plane right now. There’s talk of getting this game in the bag and then a 3am alarm tomorrow for the Aussies to get the flight home to spend Christmas with family. They are such a well drilled and indeed ‘ruthless’ outfit already that they won’t have given much thought to eggnog, presents and Christmas lunch just yet. The same can’t be said for myself.
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Some nice pre-match reading right here:
New Zealand name an unchanged XI too:
An unchanged XI for the final ODI against @AusWomenCricket. Bowling first after a toss win for Alyssa Healy. Follow LIVE and free in NZ on @TVNZ + & DUKE 📺 and @SportNationNZ 📻 Live scoring | https://t.co/ac4cTj4QQY #NZvAUS #CricketNation pic.twitter.com/HqqhcY2ByX
— WHITE FERNS (@WHITE_FERNS) December 22, 2024
Australia win the toss and will bat first
Alyssa Healy calls the coin correctly and chooses to bat first on a decent looking Wellington wicket. It’s an unchanged XI for the Aussies, we will have news on the White Ferns team ASAP.
Unchanged XI for the third and final ODI against the White Ferns!
— Australian Women's Cricket Team 🏏 (@AusWomenCricket) December 22, 2024
Skipper Healy wins the toss and we're batting first #NZvAUS pic.twitter.com/ZXL1gNIpWp
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I have it on good authority that the weather is clear and bright in Wellington! Toss incoming…
You can't beat Wellington on a good day ☀️ #NZvAUS pic.twitter.com/tC2w4aKAyt
— Laura Jolly (@JollyLauz18) December 22, 2024
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Preamble
Hello and welcome to the third women’s ODI between New Zealand and Australia from Wellington. Jolly Old St Nick might be dousing his abundant whiskers with beard oil and lint rolling his ermine in preparation for another festive jaunt but we’ve still just got time to sneak a game of cricket in before the big man saddles the reindeer and programs the SleighNav.
Australia are looking to finish the year on a high, a victory today will see Alyssa Healy’s side take the series against the White Ferns in their own backyard and will keep the Aussies ticking over nicely before the small matter of *The Ashes* gets underway in January.
As for the home side, after a washout and a rain affected loss in the previous two matches, Sophie Devine and co will be hoping for fair skies and a decent crack at drawing the series one game apiece.
Jim here with the call in foggy old Blighty. I’ll be back for news of the teams and toss shortly, play is due to get underway at 11am local time/9 am AEDT.
Pass me some figgy pudding a shiny white Kookaburra.
