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Sport Nation
White Ferns' bowlers secure Sri Lanka ODI series with room for improvement
Sport Nation • March 9th, 2025 6:03 pm
Photo: Chris Symes/Photosport
Suzie Bates has captained the White Ferns to a 2-0 series victory against Sri Lanka, defending 280 to secure a 98-run win at Nelson's Saxton Oval.
The opening powerplay of Sri Lanka's run chase saw Jess Kerr create the first breakthrough for New Zealand in the third ODI. The medium-pace bowler challenged opener Vishmi Gunaratne to attack down the line, but instead a chip shot found the hands of Maddy Green to be 9/1 in the 4th over.
Green backed it up with a stunning individual fielding effort to dismiss Sri Lanka skipper Chamari Athapaththu in the 8th over, diving to her right to catch the speeding ball off the bat for Kerr's second wicket of the match.
Jess Kerr's hot streak continued to claim a third in her next over to have the visitors 23/3 inside ten overs - the Wellington bowler finished with team-best figures of 3/22.
Jess Kerr proved to be a challenge for the Sri Lankan batters | Photo: Chris Symes/Photosport
Sri Lanka were looking to turn around their fortunes in Nelson with a somewhat defiant 4th wicket partnership between Kavisha Dilhari and Imesha Dulani of 34 runs. That is until the latter succumbed to the spin of Eden Carson to be stumped by Polly Inglis at 57/4 in the 20th over - the Otago wicketkeeper continuing to take opportunities in her debut ODI series with incumbent keeper Izzy Gaze in the field.
Brooke Halliday joined the wicket-taking festivities ten overs later, cleanly bowling out Dilhari (45) to have Sri Lanka 103/5 and well off the run-scoring pace with the required rate climbing towards 9 an over.
With ten overs remaining, Nilakshika Silva and Anushka Sanjeewani had their side at 146/5 but with the required run rate well beyond the 13 mark, victory was only a matter of time for the Kiwis.
Fran Jonas picked up a quick treble of wickets from the middle-late order to finish with bowling figures of 3/40, Carson got her second (2/29), as Sri Lanka stumbled to 182 all out in the final over of the day - New Zealand securing a much-needed series win in what is an ODI World Cup year.
There is an injury concern for White Ferns head coach Ben Sawyer ahead of the three-match T20 series against the same opposition. Gaze went off the field to have a hip injury reviewed by their medical staff with an official update pending.
Another concern for Sawyer should be the amount of extras bowled by his side, with the bulk of the 24 extras (including 16 wides) coming in the death overs with the result all but guaranteed.
Plimmer's maiden ODI century puts White Ferns in strong position
The White Ferns have laid down a significant challenge for the Sri Lankans if they want to draw the three-match ODI series 1-1, with 281 runs required to beat New Zealand at Saxton Oval.
Spearheaded by a strong 108-run opening partnership between Suzie Bates (53) and Georgia Plimmer, New Zealand looked to be in control from first ball as Sri Lanka's bowling attack struggled to create much sustained pressure through the 50 overs.
Emma McLeod only managed 4 runs off 18 deliveries, with the 19th being her undoing from the bowling of Chamari Athapaththu in the 28th over - the ball glancing off down leg side and into the gloves of wicketkeeper Anushka Sanjeewani to have the White Ferns 120/2 and stalling their momentum.
Brooke Halliday was building a strong partnership of 60 runs for the third wicket as the White Ferns' innings neared the 40 over mark, until the bowling of Sugandika Kumari sent the Auckland batter back to the pavilion.
Georgia Plimmer scores maiden ODI century | Sport Nation Cricket
While her batting partners fell, Plimmer has made the most of her return to the national side after injury kept her out of December's ODI series against Australia. The 21-year-old converted her maiden ODI half-century into a maiden century in the 41st over, turning up the heat on Sri Lanka alongside second ODI centurion Maddy Green.
Plimmer's dismissal on 112 runs in the 45th over saw Green (32), then Izzy Gaze (21) take the reins for some quick-fire runs to reach an innings total of 280.
White Ferns make one change in ODI series decider
Suzie Bates has made a habit of winning tosses this series, doing it again for the ODI series decider and electing to bat first against Sri Lanka on a stunning Nelson day, with the stand-in skipper opening the innings alongside Georgia Plimmer.
The only change made to their eleven is Fran Jonas coming in for Hannah Rowe, adding an extra spin option for the Saxton Oval wicket - the same pitch used in Friday's match.
In the opening match of the series, the touring side only got 36 overs at the crease before Hawke's Bay rain put a halt to proceedings going any further.
Then in the second ODI, New Zealand put an impressive team effort to win by 78 runs, highlighted by Maddy Green's 100 with the bat, plus Rowe's dominant innings with the ball to finish 4/31.
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