The New Zealand women’s team is hosting Australia for a three-match bilateral ODI series from 19th to 23rd December 2024. The first ODI of the series was washed out without a ball being bowled and in the 2nd ODI, the home skipper Sophie Devine won the toss and inserted Australia to bat first. Regular skipper Alyssa Healy returned to the side after being on the sidelines courtesy of an injury.
The visitors had decent partnerships at the top of the order but also lost wickets in regular intervals. Annabel Sutherland joined Beth Mooney at the crease, and she lost her partner in the 24th over of the innings as Australia were in deep trouble at 110/4. She kept battling and taking the attack on the opposition bowlers and luckily found partners at the other end to keep the scoreboard ticking at a decent rate.
Sutherland took their side closer to the 300-run mark by notching up her 3rd century (105* off 81 balls) in the ODI format at the Basin Reserve, Wellington. In recent times she has been a rising star, creating a decisive impact on the game on multiple occasions, glimpses of what it could mean to be at the peak of her powers representing her country at the highest level. She became the first woman in ODI history to score consecutive centuries when batting at number 5 or lower in the order.
En route to her knock in the 2nd ODI, she also smashed the 2nd fastest century off just 78 balls in the ODI format, while batting at number five. The 33-year-old destructive batter from the West Indies, Deandra Jalisa Shakira Dottin holds the record for the fastest century off just 71 balls while batting at number 5 or lower against Pakistan at Grace Road during the 2017 ODI World Cup in England.
Sutherland joined Marizanne Kapp from South Africa on becoming only the 2nd player to score 2 centuries while batting at number 5 or lower. She did it in just 19 innings while Marizanne Kapp had 99 innings to get a couple of centuries under her belt batting in that position.
Australia eventually took the ODI series lead with a dominating 65-run victory in the 2nd game with Sutherland awarded the Player of the Match for her match-winning innings (105* off 81 balls) with the bat and also returned with impressive match figures (6-1-21-0) in her spell with the ball for her side.
Sutherland’s first century (110 off 95 balls), batting at number 5 for her side came against India at the Western Australia Cricket Association Ground, Perth in the 3rd ODI of the three-match series. She is also currently the leading run-scorer for Australia in the ODI format this year with 327 runs at a strike rate of 100.61 and an impressive average of 54.50 in 8 innings with the bat for her side.
Her tally of runs includes a couple of centuries and a half-century. She is closely followed by Phoebe Litchfield with 312 runs in 11 innings. The duo still has one game to go this year to end at the top of the run-scoring charts in the ODI format for Australia.
The decider 3rd ODI of the ongoing three-match ODI series against the home side, New Zealand led by skipper Sophie Devine will be played on 23rd December 2024 at the Basin Reserve, Wellington from 3:30 AM IST.
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