IN THE game against New Zealand on Saturday, Annabel Sutherland‘s star continued to rise as she made history to take the Australians closer to a Rose Bowl Trophy series win.

Sutherland’s recent form has been sublime, but yesterday’s effort culminated in her becoming the first woman to hit two consecutive ODI centuries batting at number five or lower.

Her effort in Wellington netted her an unbeaten 105 from 81 balls, taking her team’s total to 291. Australia won the match by 65 runs when the weather-affected fixture was completed with the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method.

Sutherland’s first of the two consecutive tons was during the series against India last week. Her knock helping to raise Australia’s tally with New Zealand pacer Molly Penfold taking hold (4-42) during the innings.

Batting first, Australia’s top order all got starts without troubling the bowlers, particularly Penfold much before being dismissed inside 40 runs each. Alyssa Healy returned from injury to take the place of youngster Georgia Voll who’s impressed in her debut appearances.

Healy (34 off 32 balls) and Phoebe Litchfield (25 off 39) made a 43-run first wicket partnership, but it was the form of the former that was pleasing. She hit seven boundaries and looked comfortable in what were tricky conditions given the weather in the days leading up to the game.

Continuing to get good starts but getting undone by conditions, Ellyse Perry (29 off 42) and Beth Mooney (14 off 24) made batting look difficult at times when contrasted by Sutherland who came out when Perry departed.

Soon after Sutherland’s arrival at the crease, Mooney’s wicket was taken and the side was left at 4-110. Again the middle order was able to capitalise with more time in the middle with two crucial 50-run partnerships courtesy of the 23-year-old.

The two batters that were crucial to Sutherland’s milestone were Ash Gardner (19 off 26) and Tahlia McGrath (34 off 30), who were most able to aid Sutherland in making the runs the side needed for a defendable total.

For the White Ferns bowlers, it was Penfold that was by far the most effective taking the wickets of Healy, Perry, Mooney and McGrath.

At the change of innings, New Zealand needed to get off to a good start to stand a good chance of chasing the total required. Suzie Bates did not get that, falling to Kim Garth for four runs off 17 balls.

After that wicket, debutant batter Bella James who had a decent start hitting Megan Schutt for two fours and a six before becoming Garth’s second scalp.

Amelia Kerr took a while to get going before getting run-out on 38 off 55 balls, making the job harder for her teammates following on. The run rate kept slipping as Sophie Devine (15 off 20) and Brooke Halliday (7 off 14) while the threat of heavy rain and lightning was looming.

The game ended with wicketkeeper Maddy Green on 26 not out off 41 balls, with Lauren Down only having faced one delivery for no runs. They made 122 off their 30.1 overs with DLS dictating that the visitors won with 291 from 50 overs.

With the washout in the first game at the same venue, the series is still up for grabs with the third game to take place on Monday.

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