Captain Meg Lanning became the fastest player to score 14 One Day International centuries as she starred in Australia’s series-clinching win on Monday. The hosts won the second ODI by four wickets to retain the Rose Bowl series and extend their winning streak to 20.
After Jess Jonassen (4-36) starred with the ball, Lanning scored an unbeaten 101 in a chase of 253 again to to put her team one win away from the world record of consecutive ODI wins held by Ricky Ponting’s 2003 Australia team.
The hosts won the toss and elected to field first, after skittling the White Ferns for 180 to win by seven wickets in the first ODI. The visitors put on a much better batting display on the day, with top guns Sophie Devine (79 off 115) and Amy Satterthwaite scoring half-centuries on a day they were without the injured Suzie Bates.
Australia’s spinners were applying the choke once again before a late partnership from Katey Martin (26 from 14) and Maddy Green (21 from 13), who put together 42 from 22 balls, to take them to a competitive total.
In response, Australia’s batting didn’t break a sweat as Lanning and Rachael Haynes (82 from 89) built a 117-run second-wicket stand that made all the difference. The Australia captain’s 14th ODI ton beat Hashim Amla’s record for fastest to the landmark in ODI cricket.
New Zealand were hit by injury again as pace spearhead Lea Tahuhu couldn’t finish her spell because of a back injury.
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