White Ferns lose Rose Bowl series to Australia

ON TOP: Ellyse Perry unleashed another quick delivery against the White Ferns at Bay Oval yesterday. PHOTO: GEORGE NOVAK

Australia completed a 2-1 Rose Bowl series win against the White Ferns with a five-wicket victory at Bay Oval yesterday.

The White Ferns won the opener at Eden Park to build hope they could win their first Rose Bowl series since 1999 but two losses at Bay Oval ended that dream.

The White Ferns were sent into bat by Australia and made a competitive total of 270-9 off their 50 overs.

A rare failure from Anne Satterthwaite, who was bowled for 11, gave the opportunity for experienced opener Rachel Priest and first-drop Katey Martin to shine.

Wicketkeeper Priest fell for 77 off 86 balls and Martin was also dismissed for 77, out to a brilliant diving catch by Australian captain Meg Lanning.

But the tail was not able to get going as the innings crawled to the finish with crucially just 14 off the last seven overs for the White Ferns.

Aussie opener Beth Mooney was in a belligerent mood and got stuck into the Kiwi pace bowlers early on.

Mooney scored 38 of the Australian 50 that came up in the 10th over and then hit three boundaries off the 13th over bowled by Erin Birmingham to take her to 50 off 47 balls.

Lanning has an ODI average of 50 and she effortlessly stroked the White Ferns bowlers around the billiard table outfield at Bay Oval.

Amelia Kerr was brought into the attack in the 14th over with the 16-year-old confident after snaring four wickets in game two of the Rose Bowl on Thursday.

Her well flighted right-arm leg spinners, top spinners and wrong-uns were treated with respect by the experienced Australian pair.

At drinks Australia were 96-1 off 17 overs and seemingly in control of the run chase. The pair reached 108 before a crucial run out by captain Suzie Bates broke the partnership and ended Mooney's fine innings on 69 off 73 balls.

Then the moment that decided the match and the Rose Bowl.

Kerr expertly beat Lanning on 34 who should have been stumped by Priest but unfortunately she did not take the ball cleanly. The bail was dislodged but the umpire ruled not out in a controversial moment that sparked some fiery exchanges in the middle.

Kerr continued her impressive spell and looked most likely to snare Lanning who reached 50 in the 27th over. She bowled eight overs on the trot ending with 0-31 off 10 overs of disciplined leg spin bowling.

Lanning and Elyse Villani put on 50 together to reach 165-3 at drinks off 32 overs. Huddleston trapped Villani lbw for 37 to claim her third wicket at 182 and Tauranga's Anna Peterson pulled off a stunning caught-and-bowled catch with 26 to get but it was too little, too late.

Lanning continued on to her 10th ODI century at the age of 24 to once again thwart the White Ferns' hopes of a Rose Bowl triumph.

White Ferns 270-9 (Rachel Priest 77, Katey Martin 77, Katey Perkins 34; JL Jonassen 3-47) lost to Australia 273-5 (Meg Lanning 104*, Beth Mooney 69; Holly Huddleston 3-44)