Australia have retained the Rose Bowl with a comfortable 40-run victory in the Twenty20 International against New Zealand at North Sydney Oval.
Led by a blazing 84 from vice-captain Ash Gardner, Australia scored a competitive 6-167 and held New Zealand to 8-127 on Tuesday night, claiming a 2-0 lead in the three-match series with the remaining game on Thursday.
It was Australia’s 12th T20 victory in a row, including an unbeaten run during the World Cup in the UK during June and July, prompting Gardner to credit surprise skipper Sophie Molineux with enhancing a winning culture.
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“It’s led by Soph, who has brought this different mantra to the group, and the fun aspect as well,” Gardner said.
“When you’re enjoying yourself and you’re having fun it creates an environment of growth and wanting to learn and challenge yourself.
“For us, there’s always someone there who’s wanting your spot so to have that competition always helps.”
Australia have held the Rose Bowl for more than 26 years, and the trophy is on the line again in March for a three-match one-day series. This will be the first time it has been contested twice in the same season.
Gardner dominated an otherwise stuttering Australian batting performance, hitting 10 fours and four sixes in 45 balls on the compact North Sydney Oval.
Australia then smothered New Zealand. White Ferns captain Melie Kerr top scored with 32 from 38 balls while the most successful bowler was leg-spinner Georgia Wareham, who claimed 3-18 from her four overs.
Beth Mooney looked good for the second time in the series without pressing on, well caught by a diving Maddy Green at long on for 39 from 28 deliveries, lofting a slower ball from Jess Kerr.
The left-hander survived a couple of chances, most tellingly in the third over when dropped on the backward square leg boundary for four.
Ellyse Perry was a major part of Australia’s recovery in the opening game but on Tuesday night she was part of the collapse, holing out to long on for 11 as Australia stumbled to 3-41.
Georgia Voll made her second duck in as many games, skying a hook four balls into the match to be caught and bowled by Bree Illing. In the opening game last Sunday Voll lasted two balls, falling lbw to the same bowler.
The double failure comes little more than a week after Voll hammered a career best 131 not out in the second of three one-day matches against Bangladesh at Allan Border Field in Brisbane.
Phoebe Litchfield returned to the side after missing the opening match with a minor hip complaint and slotted into her usual place at No.3, but managed seven. Replacing Tahlia McGrath in the only change to the team, Litchfield mistimed a pull to mid-off.
New Zealand named an unchanged team after giving Australia a fright in the opening game, with the home side scrambling to victory by two wickets in a tense finish.
There was no such tension this time, with New Zealand never mounting a serious challenge.
