Aussies cruise to win No.23, maintain Rose Bowl dominance

Australia have retained the Rose Bowl in style, cruising to a 71-run win in the second ODI despite a record-breaking six-wicket haul from New Zealand spinner Leigh Kasperek.

Kasperek, included in the White Ferns XI for the first time this series in place of quick Lea Tahuhu, took the best-ever ODI figures against Australia, her 6-46 restricting the tourists to 7-271, with Rachael Haynes (87) top scoring.

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A double-strike from new-ball pair Tayla Vlaeminck and Megan Schutt left New Zealand in early trouble at 2-7, with fighting efforts from Amelia Kerr (47) and Brooke Halliday (32) not enough to keep the series alive.

Spinners Jess Jonassen (3-25) and Georgia Wareham (2-39) did the damage to see the White Ferns bowled out for 200 in 45 overs, extending Australia’s 21-year grip on the Rose Bowl and stretching their winning streak in ODIs to 23.

Despite Kasperek’s efforts, New Zealand still required their second-highest ODI chase ever for victory at Bay Oval.

That task became even tougher with fiery quick Vlaeminck steaming in, and Lauren Down – who top-scored with 90 in Sunday’s first ODI – could not lay bat on ball for the first four deliveries, before she prodded at the fifth, edging to Meg Lanning at first slip and departing for nought.

Captain Satterthwaite (6) joined Hayley Jensen in the middle but after finding the boundary first ball, she departed two balls later, edging behind from Schutt.

From 2-7, Jensen rebuilt with Amelia Kerr, while the movement found by Schutt and Vlaeminck under lights only served to gift New Zealand five wides.

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Lanning rotated her attack trying to stem the flow of runs, while an uncharacteristically sloppy display in the field was highlighted by Alyssa Healy's two missed stumpings.

The solution arrived in leg-spinner Wareham, who snapped a 69-run partnership when she had Jensen caught at long-off for 28.

Kerr, with her mixture of the technically correct and the creative, remained a thorn in the side of Australia, but Jonassen ensured she fell three runs shy of a half-century when the allrounder mistimed a pull to Gardner at midwicket.

From there, Halliday and Maddy Green held the key to the fading White Ferns’ hopes, and the task became even tougher thanks to a piece of fielding brilliance from Haynes, who deftly collected the ball at point and executed a direct hit to catch Halliday short.

Australia’s determination to save every possible run was perfectly illustrated by an athletic fielding effort from Ellyse Perry on the boundary, who saved a certain six from Green and just managed to throw the ball back into play as she fell over the rope.

Once Green was stumped off Jonassen for 23 in the 39th over, the end came quickly, New Zealand losing 5-26 to be bowled out for 200.

Earlier, Kasperek’s destruction job restricted Australia, who had looked on track for a total in excess of 300 after the strong foundation laid by Haynes, Healy (44) and Lanning (49).

Healy made an aggressive start, hitting three of the first four balls she faced to the boundary, but in-form White Ferns pace pair Jess Kerr and Rosemary Mair fought back to tie down the Australian opening pair, restricting them to 0-41 at the end of the Powerplay.

Kerr was particularly impressive up front, producing two maidens and leaking just 11 runs. 

But a change in the bowling saw Healy and Haynes hit the accelerator, attacking Amelia Kerr and Hannah Rowe, before Healy’s bid for a second-consecutive half-century was denied when a misjudged attempt to hit Kasperek over the rope picked out Satterthwaite on the long-off boundary.

Lanning survived a very close lbw call on nought after being struck on the back leg by Amelia Kerr, but with no DRS available the leg-spinner had no avenue for appeal.

The Australia captain had a second slice of luck on 12 when a top-edge fell safely, and she and Haynes got to work rebuilding the Australian innings.

Lanning passed 7,000 runs across all international formats, becoming just the fifth woman to do so after Charlotte Edwards, Mithali Raj, Stafanie Taylor and Suzie Bates.

She had a third chance on 48 when Mair dropped a sitter on the boundary, but her charge to a half-century was thwarted on 49, when she became the second Australian to pick out the fielder taking on Kasperek.

It broke a 98-run second-wicket stand and when Haynes, who had a second ODI hundred in her sights, the left-hander became the third batter to fail to clear the field against Kasperek, the tourists had lost 2-7.

Each time the Australians looked to build a partnership, Kasperek struck, adding the scalps of Ellyse Perry (16) and Ashleigh Gardner (19) to her haul.

Just four boundaries were scored from the final 10 overs of the Australia innings, as Beth Mooney (26), Nicola Carey (14) and Georgia Wareham (11no) pushed the ones and twos to help Australia to 7-271.

Australia XI: Alyssa Healy (wk), Rachael Haynes, Meg Lanning (c), Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Ashleigh Gardner, Nicola Carey, Jess Jonassen, Georgia Wareham, Megan Schutt, Tayla Vlaeminck

New Zealand XI: Hayley Jensen, Lauren Down, Amy Satterthwaite (c), Amelia Kerr, Brooke Halliday, Maddy Green, Katey Martin (wk), Hannah Rowe, Jess Kerr, Leigh Kasperek, Rosemary Mair

CommBank tour of New Zealand 2021

Australia ODI & T20I Squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Hannah Darlington, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Molly Strano, Georgia Wareham, Belinda Vakarewa, Tayla Vlaeminck

New Zealand ODI squad: Amy Satterthwaite (capt), Lauren Down, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Hayley Jensen, Leigh Kasperek, Amelia Kerr, Jess Kerr, Frances Mackay, Rosemary Mair, Katey Martin (wk), Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu

1st T20: Australia won by six wickets

2nd T20: New Zealand won by four wickets

3rd T20: Play abandoned due to rain

1st ODI: Australia won by six wickets

2nd ODI: Australia won by 71 runs

3rd ODI: April 10, Bay Oval, Tauranga, 12noon AEDT

All matches will be shown live in Australia on Fox Cricket and Kayo