Cricket: Australia retain Rose Bowl

Australia made light work of a challenging target to win the fifth women's one-day cricket international against New Zealand yesterday.

Australia's eight-wicket success with 19 balls to spare secured them the series 3-2 and saw them retain the Rose Bowl.

New Zealand scored a highly respectable 249 for seven at Bert Sutcliffe Oval near Christchurch but were then on the receiving end of a match-turning 144-run partnership between Shelley Nitschke and Alex Blackwell.