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Sport Nation
White Ferns cruise to comprehensive victory over Sri Lanka in second ODI
Sport Nation • March 7th, 2025 5:45 pm
Photo: Photosport
The White Ferns have eased to a 78-run win over Sri Lanka in the second ODI in Nelson on Friday.
After choosing to bat, the hosts recovered from a shaky start to post a competitive total of 245/7, highlighted by a magnificent 100 by Maddy Green off 109 balls.
Sri Lanka kept pace with their run chase early but faded rapidly after the departure of linchpin Harshitha Samarawickrama (59), eventually bundled out for 167 in the 47th over to give New Zealand a 1-0 lead in the series.
Hannah Rowe was the pick of the NZ bowlers with figures of 4/31 from her 10 overs, while Eden Carson (2/30) and Bree Illing (2/45) claimed two apiece.
The locals' nightmare start began with the departure of linchpin skipper Suzie Bates, who ran herself out in the fourth over.
Bates was followed in quick succession by Emma McLeod, Brooke Halliday, and Georgia Plimmer, leaving the Ferns in a spot of bother at 4/59.
White Fern Maddy Green hits a late boundary to bring up century against Sri Lanka I Sport Nation Cricket
Enter Green, who anchored three consecutive partnerships of 50-plus, ably supported by valuable cameos from Jess Kerr (38 off 44) and Polly Inglis, who was exceptional in her first bat at international ODI level with an undefeated hand of 34 off 21 balls.
Green's innings featured seven boundaries - the last of which propelled her to triple figures - coming to an end when she was run out trying to sneak one last single off the final ball of the NZ innings.
Pace bowler Bree Illing continued her impressive start to her ODI career, claiming the wicket of dangerwoman Chamari Athapaththu for the second straight match - this time with only 11 runs to her name.
White Ferns earn the match-swinging breakthrough in the second ODI against Sri Lanka I Sport Nation Cricket
Just as Sri Lanka were building at 99/2 in the 22nd over, Eden Carson scored the breakthrough for the hosts, Inglis taking a sharp catch behind the stumps to snare Dilhari for 25.
Illing made it two wickets in two overs for the Kiwis, as Inglis was in the action again to dispatch Manudi Nanayakkara without troubling the scorers.
Anchor Harshitha combined with Nilakshika Silva to repair the innings and keep the visitors in the contest.
But in the 33rd over, Harshitha's miscued pull shot off Hannah Rowe provided the match-swinging breakthrough for the White Ferns, with the final five wickets tumbling for 39 runs.
After the first match in Napier was washed out, Sri Lanka will need a win in the third and final game at the same venue on Sunday to deny the White Ferns a series victory.
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