Southern Stars go 2-0 up against White Ferns

Australia Women 2 for 153 (Rolton 60*, Jones 40*) beat New Zealand Women 8 for 152 (Lewis 30, Fitzpatrick 3-35) by 8 wickets
Scorecard

Australia shook off a food-poisoning scare to win their second Rose Bowl women's cricket match against New Zealand by eight wickets here today. The comfortable victory gave the Southern Stars a 2-0 lead in the one-day series, meaning that the White Ferns now had to all four remaining games to take the trophy off the holders.

On a slow wicket at Westpac Park, Australia easily chased down New Zealand's modest 8 for 152, reaching the target in the 39th over. Karen Rolton, who starred with a century in the first game in Auckland last Wednesday, again led the way with a fine 60 not out from 108 balls.

The result was all the more impressive given that Leonie Coleman, Southern Stars' wicketkeeper, and Alex Blackwell, a medium-pace bowler, were struck down with food poisoning the afternoon before the game and had to be replaced. Blackwell was so seriously affected she fainted at the team hotel.

Ironically, Blackwell's identical twin sister Kate Blackwell, who was visiting her sister, was brought in as 12th player. New Zealand's coach, Mike Shrimpton, said that the White Ferns's 152 wasn't enough to make the game competitive.

"By and large the senior players, the ones with most experience, haven't put their hand up and scored in anger really. We need more runs from them. We need 200 runs in order to be competitive and we were obviously 40 to 50 runs short in each game."

New Zealand's innings started well when openers Rebecca Rolls and Maria Fahey put on 35 in 40 minutes before Rolls was bowled around her legs trying to sweep medium pacer Emma Twining. Emily Drumm looked in great form and hit four fours in her 26 off 39 balls before holing out to mid-wicket off spinner Lisa Sthalekar with the score at 63.

It was the turning point of the innings as the rest of the batsmen struggled to score on a slow, low wicket. New Zealand's captain, Maia Lewis, worked hard for 30 off 70 balls before being yorked by Australian pace bowler Cathryn Fitzpatrick. Lewis and Aimee Mason shared the biggest partnership of the innings of 38 in 44 minutes before Mason was run out for 21 from a superb side-on throw by Sthalekar.

Fitzpatrick, the destroyer in Auckland, was again effective taking 3 for 35 while Sthalekar flighted the ball beautifully to end with 2 for 20. Rolton then guided Australia to a comfortable win with good support from Melanie Jones who took just 46 balls to compile a classy 40 not out including four fours and a six.

The teams meet again on Tuesday here in the third ODI, then fly to Australia on Wednesday for three games at Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart.