Australia 233/3 (47.5)
Ellyse Perry 54* (75), Meg Lanning 48 (59) Leigh Kasperek 54-2 (9.5)
Beat
New Zealand 231/8 (50)
Sophie Devine 58 (90), Amy Satterthwaite 49 (48) Ashleigh Gardner 49-3 (9)
By 7 wickets
Australia breezed to a 7 wicket victory over their Trans-Tasman rivals to complete a 3-0 whitewash in the Rose Bowl ODI series. A modest target of 232 was easily overhauled by the Southern Stars at the Junction Oval, Melbourne.
The Kiwis opted to bat on winning the toss. They started well when they put on 51 runs in the Powerplay. Suzie Bates and her opening partner were “Devine” in their shotmaking, their partnership punctuated by some crisp and classic drives.
But then Jess Jonassen and Georgia Wareham began to apply the squeeze and the pressure showed. Bates (35 from 48) drove Wareham and found Ellyse Perry at mid-wicket.
The Australia duo were again in action an over later. Lauren Down (1 from 5) miscued and then had to watch Perry easily complete a difficult catch running in from mid-wicket.
Ashleigh Gardner was introduced in the 25th over and produced a dismissal on her second delivery. Katey Martin (13 from 25) was out tamely holing out to Meg Lanning at cover. At that stage New Zealand were 93-3.
Sophie Devine and Amy Satterthwaite then staged a mini-revival with a 39-run stand in which Devine also raised her 12th ODI fifty and launched Gardner for a six at long-off.
But Gardner had the last word when she struck Devine on the back foot. Devine had to depart leg-before for 58 off 90. Thereafter New Zealand had several mini-partnerships but none substantial.
Satterthwaite had a lapse in judgement and went for an ill-advised run. A direct hit by Jonassen at point saw Satterthwaite fall short of her crease and a 22nd ODI fifty.
In the 45th over Hayley Jensen (9 from 11) swiped across the line and was caught at deep mid-wicket to hand Gardner her third wicket. Katie Perkins contributed 41 off 53 deliveries which included a nonchalant six over deep-square leg.
When she attempted to go big again, she was put down by substitute Delissa Kimmince. But as it so often happens, a misfield produced a wicket. While attempting the second run, Leigh Kasperek missed the crease by several miles to depart for 12 from 15.
Perkins was run-out too despite a despairing dive. New Zealand finished with 231-8, a distinctly sub-par score.
A strong collective performance by Australia’s batters made short work of the score. The openers, Rachael Haynes and Alyssa Healy, put on a stand of 84. Boundaries were found regularly on both sides of the wicket by the left-and-right hand combination.
New Zealand had their first breakthrough when Haynes was caught at long-on for 46 from 58. Healy also fell for the same score when she found cover off Devine. Australia were 108-2.
Perry and Meg Lanning ensured there was no respite for the Kiwi bowlers. They shared a 62-run partnership with few risks. Lanning became the third Australian batter to fall in the 40s when she chipped Kasperek to mid-off. She made 48 from 59 balls.
Perry and Beth Mooney (35* from 43) then remained unbeaten to wrap up an Australian victory. Perry brought up her 26th ODI fifty in the 47th over. She finished as the second highest run scorer in the series with 167 runs. Amy Satterthwaite was the leading run scorer with 178 runs. Jess Jonassen was the leading wicket-taker with 9 wickets. Ashleigh Gardner was adjudged Player of the Match.
