Meg’s marauders look to elbow aside Punter’s champions
THE White Ferns will be standing between Australia and history when the Rose Bowl oneday international series gets under way today at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui.
Meg Lanning’s side has won its last 21 ODIs, equalling the record set by Ricky Ponting’s men’s side in 2003 as it won that year’s World Cup, but will stand alone if it wins a 22nd against a New Zealand team it has not lost a 50-over match to since 2017.
It’s been an incredible run for the team in green and gold, who are firm favourites not only to extend their run to 24 matches over the next week, but to also return to these shores a year from now and win a seventh World Cup.
But after the Twenty20 international series between the two teams ended in a 1-1 draw with Thursday’s decider washed out, Lanning was eager to remind everyone that Australia were always looking to win so were treating the first ODI like any other.
‘‘Ricky Ponting is a great of Australian cricket and world cricket, and they had a pretty amazing team,’’ she said.
‘‘If we were to break that record it would be a great achievement for the group. Those wins have come over a long period of time as well. It hasn’t just been a year or so, it’s been a two- or three-year block.
‘‘That shows we’ve had some really good consistency. It’s not something we’re focusing on, but if it was to happen it certainly would be a great achievement.’’
White Ferns veteran Amy Satterthwaite has played in 12 Rose Bowl series since her debut in 2007, and she said having the chance to stop Australia breaking a record wouldn’t provide them any extra motivation – because they don’t need any.
‘‘They’ve been a quality team. I think we’re under no illusions around that. We’ve played in a few of those games where they’ve managed to get wins, and we know how much of a challenge they are.
‘‘The Rose Bowl has always been a series that we really get up for, and it’s been one that we’d love to get our hands on. It’s always been one we really want to win, so I think there’s no extra motivation needed to really turn up for that series.’’
The White Ferns have lost their last nine ODIs against Australia and were beaten
comfortably the last time the two teams met in the format – for three matches in Brisbane last October – but they have won two of the last three completed transTasman T20s and Satterthwaite felt that would give them a confidence boost.
‘‘I think whenever you beat them it does give you that belief that you can do it and I think that’s huge for this side and where we’re trying to head as a group and the progress that we’ve been able to make.
‘‘I think we’re starting to see a lot of players put their hand up and just have belief in how they can play as individuals, and then we’re seeing it as a team as well, and the more we can hopefully tip over Australia, we’re going to take that confidence into other games.’’
Satterthwaite will captain the White Ferns in the Rose Bowl series with regular skipper Sophie Devine returning home to Wellington for a period of rest after missing the final two T20s against Australia due to fatigue.