Annabel Sutherland’s second consecutive century guided Australia to a rain-hit 65-run win over New Zealand in the second one-day international.
On Alyssa Healy’s return from a knee injury, White Ferns pacer Molly Penfold (4 for 42) limited a 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 balls), who scored 110 in her last hit-out, was there to help Australia (291-7) recover and now she has made several appearances as superstar all-rounder Ellyse Perry (five) Has registered international centuries. ,
The White Ferns were unable to build a lasting partnership in reply and struggled to keep pace with DLS par as wet weather loomed on the radar around the Basin Reserve. Covers were taken in the 31st over just before 5pm local time and Australia’s 14th consecutive ODI defeat against New Zealand was confirmed when play was called less than an hour later.
Quick Kim Garth (2 for 17) proved to be Australia’s best bowler, dismissing both openers, while Darcy Brown (0 for 15) was economical in his first four overs after returning from a hip injury. New Zealand finished on 122–5.
The win means Australia have retained the Rose Bowl with one match remaining after the series opener was abandoned due to rain on Thursday. The third match will be played at the same venue on Monday, when conditions are expected to improve.
All-rounder Sutherland brought up her half-century with a single over long-on off Rosemary Mair to end the 42nd over. Penfold almost ended a brilliant afternoon with the ball by dispatching Sutherland, but he missed a caught-and-bowled chance in his final over when Australia’s No. 5 was on 67.
The dropped catch prompted Sutherland to go into overdrive. He hit the red-hot Penfold for two fours down the leg side in Quick’s final over, both falling just short of the fielders on their way to the boundary.
Sutherland continued to force the White Ferns to concede two consecutive sixes off Eden Carson in the next over and hit two consecutive fours off Amelia Kerr in the following over. She survived the chance of being run out in the last over and completed her century by taking two runs from Mayer on the next ball.
Penfold’s drop was not the only chance for the hosts. Had debutant Bella James not dropped three catches, the White Ferns could have put more pressure on the visitors’ batting order. James dismissed Phoebe Litchfield (25), Beth Mooney (14) and Tahlia McGrath (34), although no one could truly make her pay by scoring big.
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Opener Healy (34 off 32 balls) looked ready to kick off after returning from a knee injury that kept her out of the game for more than a month. The captain punished Mair in Quick’s first ODI since April 2022, punching anything directed down the leg side to the boundary – including the first legal delivery of the match.
But just as Healy was humming, she misjudged the short ball and became Penfold’s first victim, pulled by Kerr at mid-wicket. Perry (29) also started but failed to stop Penfold’s bouncer, which went past wicketkeeper Izzy Gaze.
James took a confidence-boosting catch to dismiss Mooney off the bowling of Penfold, before Mooney swung a quick jaffa into McGrath’s leg stump and finished with career-best ODI figures.