In crushing style, the New Zealand WHITE FERNS have beaten Sri Lanka by 188 runs to claim the trophy in their historic inaugural five-match ODI series against Sri Lanka with two games in hand — thanks to a New Zealand record opening stand that featured Rachel Priest’s second ODI century in just three games.
Scorecard
Thirty-year-old Priest, who came into the series never having scored a ton for the WHITE FERNS, belted four consecutive fours off Inoka Ranaweera to go to 98*, then breezed past the three figure mark as she stormed on to an explosive partnership of 196 with captain Suzie Bates, who had elected to bat on a sunny Bert Sutcliffe Oval.
Suzie Bates paced her innings for a record opening stand
When Bates fell on 80 (in 77 balls, 10 x 4) in the 32nd over — so tantalisingly close to the WHITE FERNS’ 200, Priest, on 113* at the time, simply put her foot down en route to a stellar new ODI career best of 157 off 146 balls.
Unleashing a torrent of 23 boundaries (remarkably without one six); the powerful Wellingtonian had threatened to eclipse Bates’s New Zealand record for the highest individual WHITE FERNS score in an ODI.
She fell at the death just 11 runs shy of Bates’ mark of 168 — set against Pakistan in 2009 to settle for the WHITE FERNS’ second-highest score in One-Day International history.
It was the fifth time the pair had combined in a 100-run stand in One-Day Internationals — another New Zealand WHITE FERNS record. It was also their third 50-plus opening partnership in succession, a feat that the team hadn't achieved since 2003. The previous record opening stand had been 180 by Barb Bevege & Lesley Murdoch, set at Eden Park in 1981/82.
Taking it all in on the sidelines as the WHITE FERNS ran away to 326/5 — their fourth highest ODI total in history — was former WHITE FERN Debbie Hockley, on her birthday. It seemed a fitting touch to have the batting legend present, the side having posted 300 just three wickets down.
Faced with a daunting ask of more than a run a ball, Sri Lanka’s plight had worsened by drinks, by which time they were already three down.
Hands up: Satterthwaite and Bates appeal
Regular breakthroughs saw them put away for 138 in 41.5 overs, Canterbury spinner Erin Bermingham taking 3-16 off 7.5 overs and teammate Amy Satterthwaite 2-5 off her lean four-over spell as the WHITE FERNS hammered down an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-match Series.
Dilani Manodara of Sri Lanka is bowled by Erin Bermingham
The match was the last in the Series to carry IWC points and the WHITE FERNS are now just one victory away from joining Australia and the West Indies at the top of the IWC table.
The fourth One-Day International is at the same venue on Tuesday.
