The fourth international series of the year in the world of women’s cricket will be played between Australia and New Zealand starting March 28. The two teams will play a three-match each T20I series and ODI series. The T20Is will be played at Hamilton, Napier and Auckland, while all the three ODIs will be played at Mount Maunganui.
Australia’s tour of New Zealand 2021 – Complete Schedule
| Date | Match | Venue |
| March 28, 2021 | 1st T20I | Hamilton |
| March 30, 2021 | 2nd T20I | Napier |
| April 1, 2021 | 3rd T20I | Auckland |
| April 4, 2021 | 1st ODI | Mount Maunganui |
| April 7, 2021 | 2nd ODI | Mount Maunganui |
| April 10, 2021 | 3rd ODI | Mount Maunganui |
As the bilateral series is just a stone’s throw away, in this article, we will look at the squads of both sides, head-to-head numbers, top players to watch out for from both teams, and recent performances of the teams.
Squads
T20I squads
Australia: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes, Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Hannah Darlington, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy (wk), Jess Jonassen, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Molly Strano, Georgia Wareham, Belinda Vakarewa, Tayla Vlaeminck.
New Zealand: Sophie Devine (C), Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Hayley Jensen, Fran Jonas, Amelia Kerr, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Frankie Mackay, Katey Martin (wk), Thamsyn Newton, Hannah Rowe, Amy Satterthwaite (vc)
ODI squads
Australia: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes, Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Hannah Darlington, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy (wk), Jess Jonassen, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Molly Strano, Georgia Wareham, Belinda Vakarewa, Tayla Vlaeminck.
New Zealand: Sophie Devine (C), Lauren Down, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Hayley Jensen, Leigh Kasperek, Amelia Kerr, Jess Kerr, Frankie Mackay, Rosemary Mair, Katey Martin (wk), Hannah Rowe, Amy Satterthwaite (vc), Lea Tahuhu
Head to Head – Australia Women vs New Zealand Women
The two teams have played 43 T20Is and neither of the teams seems to have an upper hand over the other as is evident from their win loss ratio. Australia has won 22 out of 43 games, while New Zealand is not too far behind with 20 wins from 43 matches.
On the other hand, in ODI cricket, Australia enjoys dominance over New Zealand as the former has emerged victorious in 96 out of 129 ODIs, while the White Ferns have only managed to win 26 matches.
| Particulars | Australia | New Zealand | NR/Abandoned | Total matches |
| T20Is | 22 | 20 | 1 | 43 |
| ODIs | 96 | 31 | 2 | 129 |
Source: T20Is – ESPN cricinfo, ODIs – ESPN cricinfo
Top players to watch out for – Australia Women vs New Zealand Women
Meg Lanning: The captain of the Australian ODI and T20 side is one of the vital cogs in the Australian batting line-up. The right-hand bat has the reputation of pacing her innings well and has the ability to change gears at will. The last time when these two sides met in September – October 2020, Lanning was the second-highest run-getter in both T20Is and ODIs. In this series as well, she would look to score big and put Australia in a dominant position.
Megan Schutt: The right arm quick is the leader of Australia’s bowling attack. She can hit the deck hard and can give any batter run for her money. With 195 wickets in the limited-overs format, a lot will depend on her to give Australia the early breakthroughs as well as wickets at regular intervals.
Suzie Bates: The 33-year old all-rounder is one of the most experienced players in the New Zealand side. With 247 limited overs’ international games, Bates has the ability to contribute with both, bat and ball. The hosts will want her to blow hot all through the series to give a tough fight to the visitors.
Sophie Devine: The New Zealand skipper is another experienced all-rounder in the line-up. Her contributions with bat and ball are vital for the team’s success. Having lost to Australia in September-October last year, Devine would look for a change in fortunes as she and her team will host Lanning and co.
Recent performances of the team
The trans-Tasmanian rivals met last year in September-October for a three-match T20I series and a three-match ODI series. Australia hosted New Zealand for the bilateral series. The hosts dominated the series as they won the T20I series 2-1 and whitewashed White Ferns in the ODI series 3-0. As New Zealand will host Australia in March-April, Sophie Devine and co. will look to settle scores against Meg Lanning and her team.
I am a former cricketer having represented Mumbai University at All India University level. I was a part of MCA probables for the U-19 and U-23 age group. I have been an avid cricket writer for the last five years. Currently I am pursuing my Ph.D from IIT Bombay.