Rolton's class act spoils Rolls' dream day

Australian left-hander Karen Rolton showed why she is the best batsman in women's cricket when producing a magnificent century and a sneaked last ball single to give her side victory over New Zealand in a record-breaking game at Bert Sutcliffe Oval today.

Rolton ran flat out for the other end as the ball passed through to CLEAR White Fern wicket-keeper Rebecca Rolls, who had scored the century that ensured Australia would face a record chase for a 50-over match.

The third most runs in a women's One-Day International was scored (505) as Australia's 253/4 edged out the White Ferns, who had made 252/9, the second-highest score against Australia in an ODI after England's 279/3 in 60 overs at Birmingham in the Women's World Cup of 1973.

Rolton and Melanie Jones added 144 in 132 balls for the fourth wicket to set up a thrilling finale in which Rolton dictated to the inexperienced Frances King in the New Zealand attack, and applied pressure to other bowlers, and to the fieldsmen as they reduced the required run rate from over seven at one stage, and finally laid the ghost of its CricInfo Women's World Cup final loss to New Zealand to rest.

"I was cramping and starting to really struggle by the end," revealed Rolton, who described the win as a "great team result," that was "probably the most satisfying" she had been involved in for Australia. "I guess I was worried when Melanie got out," she continued. "It was chaos out there, but off the last ball I knew I had to run."

A record stand for any wicket against the Southern Stars by Rolls and Emily Drumm should have been more than enough to pull the White Ferns back to a 2-4 win-loss record in the series.

However, it was not to be. Drumm said, "It was gut-wrenching. It hurts more because we should be able to defend 250 against most sides in the world. The fact is inexperience showed in that one of our bowlers didn't bowl well enough."

However, Drumm's reluctance to use Kathryn Ramel was odd, despite her poor form in Australia, and bringing back King, a rookie at this level for the 49th over was a huge risk.

None of this drama seemed possible as New Zealand's second wicket pair put on 170 after Paula Flannery was run out early on in the game.

Rolls hit the numerous bad balls unfailingly to the boundary, punishing leg side deliveries aggressively to bring up fifty in 63 balls and her maiden international century in 111 balls.

In all New Zealand hit 26 fours and a six in the innings. Right-handed Auckland wicket-keeper Rolls, 26, had a previous ODI best of 84 not out, scored against South Africa in 1998/99. "I'm very jealous of her that she's got a one day hundred against Australia," joked Drumm afterwards. Drumm's opposite number Belinda Clark said, "Sometimes she (Rolls) comes off and sometimes she doesn't."

Today Rolls' attacking style worked unprecedentedly well as she recorded a maiden century at any senior representative level.

Drumm's role in the stand was less dominating, although she reached a 12th ODI fifty in 95 balls.

When Rolls lobbed to square leg off opening bowler Therese McGregor's leg-spin variation, the pace did not let up, although Drumm was beaten by fellow skipper Clark's throw from mid-off two runs after Rolls was dismissed.

Haidee Tiffen hit 34 off 27 balls, but fell to Cathryn Fitzpatrick towards the end. Fitzpatrick moved to 95 ODI wickets with possibly the slowest spell of bowling in her cricketing life. A calf injury had forced the world's fastest female bowler to cut her run up, and resulted in just the second stumping dismissal of her career, when Julia Price sent Ramel on her way for a duck.

New Zealand lost five wickets for 21 runs in the last 28 balls and this show of spirit spilled over into Australia's reply.

Clark and Lisa Sthalekar had no problems against Rachel Pullar, who used the bouncer effectively, Anna Corbin, who opened up with her off-spin, or with slingy newcomer Louise Milliken in the early overs.

Clark called Lisa Keightley's replacement by Sthalekar "a harsh call" but it was a justified one in that it set Australia up for an attack with wickets in hand at the end of the day.

The fifty came in 65 balls, and although the required rate was almost at six an over, it took the run out of Sthalekar for a joint-best ODI score of 33, and, more importantly, the wicket of Clark, who had hit a 25th ODI fifty, lbw to Pullar. Michelle Goszko went too, caught behind by Rolls, who seemed to be having the day of her dreams.

Only Rolton, with support from Jones, was left to carry the fight, New Zealand as the rate required approached eight an over.

Crucially, Rolton was dropped by Nicola Payne at mid off when on 68.

"If we'd taken that chance we probably would have won the game," rued a phlegmatic Drumm.

The excitement never stopped, even after Rolton's hundred came up off 98 deliveries, with Jones holing out for 47 with three runs needed off four balls.

A bash to extra cover by Rolton, who had crossed, almost resulted in new batsman Sally Cooper being run out without facing.

Milliken fumbled at mid-on off the next, leaving Rolton to run a one bounce single (that she thought she hadn't hit) to Rolls off the final ball for the amazing victory.

Unscheduled guest appearances by the Canterbury Crusaders, a jockstrapped streaker and the England cricket team delighted a ground full of schoolchildren and boisterous students, who all enjoyed the sunshine as well as the facilities New Zealand Cricket provided.

The White Ferns have a winter tour to England to look forward to while the Australian international calendar gives Clark's triumphant team a year off to relish its recent achievements.