Australia posted a record 22 consecutive ODI victories by beating New Zealand at the Bay Oval
Alyssa Healy, Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner hit half a century after a disciplined performance of Australian bowling, which helped them win the first ODI against New Zealand by six wickets on Sunday (April 4). Having restricted the hosts to 212 at the Bay Oval on Mount Maunganui, with Megan Schutt (4-32) and Nicola Carey (3-34) doing most of the damage, Australia needed just 38.3 overs to hit the target when they recorded their ODI’s 22nd Trotting Win: A world record in ODI cricket, surpassing the feat of Ricky Ponting’s team, which achieved 21 consecutive victories in 2003.
Australia didn’t get off to the best start in the chase when Rachel Haynes overcame a Jess Kerr handover to the goalkeeper while captain Meg Lanning was caught behind Hannah Rowe to put the visitors 37-for-2 after nine passes. But Healy and Perry quickly transferred the pressure on New Zealand with their spirited scorer, taking fewer than seven overs to lift a half-century position. Healy posted a fifty-five of 57 balls with a six on 19 in the over from Amelia Kerr, who was unlucky enough not to fire the batter when the ball passed through Lea Tahuhu’s hands in the long run, and Australia arrived. to 100 in the same over.
Hayley Jensen also set up a catch, a difficult shot from her own bowling alley, to give Healy another stroke of luck. Healy and Perry added 78 for the third wicket before the first was fired by Amelia Kerr, who caught her own bowling pin. Beth Mooney fell shortly thereafter, delivering a close-range catch off Amy Satterthwaite to leave Australia 136-for-4 on the 26th lap.
But the wicket did little to impede Australia’s progress, with Gardner coming into the fold with positive intent, grappling with limits early on. While Perry hit fifty percent off 73 deliveries, Gardner hit his at just 41, scoring three sixes during his undefeated stint, including the most that propelled Australia to a record win.
Previously when asked to hit, New Zealand lost Hayley Jensen to a golden duck after a Megan Schutt delivery slipped through the gap between the bat and the pad. It was a quiet start for New Zealand with just 5 runs in the first five overs, while Lauren Down took 19 balls to get off the mark. With Satterthwaite providing support, Down began to build a partnership and tickets sped up a bit as they hit some limits on the route of a half-century grandstand, which was raised in the 15th.
But an attempt to launch a delivery of Nicola Carey on the ground resulted in Satterthwaite’s firing, leaving Down in the company of Amelia Kerr. Down went on to bring her ODI fifty maiden, and it took 90 deliveries to get there, while Amelia Kerr made a promising start at the other end. Together, they added 90 for the third wicket, setting up a good platform for New Zealand.
However, the firing of Amelia Kerr at 38, when she was stumped by Schutt, started New Zealand’s downfall. Out of 159 for 2, they lost eight wickets for the addition of just 53 runs. Down was fifth to go when she got a head start to deliver a catch back to Carey to go to 10 less than a hundred. Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday and Hannah Rowe scored some useful runs to help New Zealand pass 200 before their innings ended on the penultimate change.
Short scores: New Zealand 212 in 48.5 overs (Lauren Down 90, Amelia Kerr 33; Megan Schutt 4-32, Nicola Carey 3-34) lost to Australia 215/4 in 38.3 overs (Alyssa Healy 65, Ellyse Perry 56 *, Ashleigh Gardner 53 *; Amy Satterthwaite 1-10) by 6 windows.
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