It was the last day of the Rosebowl series of ODI's between the women's teams of Australia and New Zealand. The Southern Stars had already retained the Rosebowl having gained a 2-1 lead. However, the White Ferns could level the series if they could win this match.
Today the Southern Stars had a new captain in Alex Blackwell.
Jodie Fields was on the bench and would have to undergo the lunchtime torture (sorry fitness) session arranged by the fitness coach.
Once again the Southern Stars won the toss but this time chose to bat first.
The participants enter the field of play
Sian Ruck will open the bowling for the White Ferns and discusses the field placings with the skipper.
First ball to Poulton.
Lea Tahuhu gets her first chance to bowl this series.
It is not long before she gets Poulton caught out by Rachel Priest for 6 runs.
Celebrations
Cameron comes on to bat.
Suzie Bates provides assistance to Jess Cameron who has an equipment malfunction.
Southern Stars get 100 and Cameron gets her 50.
Lanning goes for 38 this time.
Sthalekar comes on after Healy is caught by Ruck for just 2 runs.
Two of the White Ferns hurt themselves during their fielding session.
Megan Schutt makes her batting debut.
The Southern Stars are getting some important runs.
Millanta also adds 15 to the total.
End of the 50 overs. Perry, Schutt and Millanta had contributed a significant 62 runs between them.
Perry and Millanta did a good job.
Time for the lunch interval now. A chance to eat a packed lunch. There is not much in the way of catering at the ground. I estimate that were somewhere between 50 and a 100 spectators at this stage. Top class cricket like this deserves better support. At least Mitchell Starc was one of the spectators.
After lunch it was time for the White Ferns to try to chase down 268 runs for a win.
First ball for Lucy Doolan.
Bates gets under way.
Batting at the North Sydney oval.
Between over chat.
Doolan scores but eventually gets caught out for 30 runs by wicketkeeper Healy off Schutt's bowling.
After 30 overs it looks like the White Ferns could actually get the required runs. However, I lost count of the number of times that they hit out towards the boundary for 4, only for the Southern Stars to pick up the ball within a foot of the rope and usually save 2 runs. Was this down to slightly under power batting or the excellence of the fielding side ?
Nicola Browne getting runs.
200 up and ten overs to go.
Scoring runs started to become difficult and a batting collapse took place.
Nicola Browne had been resilient but was eventually caught by Lanning off Millanta's bowling.
Browne had actually scored 63 and the required total was tantilizingly close.
It was left to Candy and Ruck to try to get the boundaries needed.
They could not do it and the 50 overs were completed.
Ruck did get 1 making the White Fern's final score 260. 8 runs short of victory.
Those 'might have been' boundaries and the high score got by the Aussie tail proved costly.
Handshakes
The series winning skipper Jodie Fields is happy with the win and comments on the tough opposition provided by the Kiwis.
The Governer General hands over the Rosebowl.
Time for an official photo.
I had enjoyed the matches. The White Ferns were a much better side this time compared with when I saw them a year ago in last Rosebowl series.
I wonder how both of these teams will do when they meet my nation's team at the Women's World Cup that takes place in India next February.
Peewit
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