Ferns aim to break 17- year drought
New Zealand, coming off a cracking 2- 1 Twenty20 series win in Australia, are aiming to put a ghost to rest when their one- day Rosebowl series starts at Eden Park tomorrow.
The White Ferns have won their last five T20 series, and are ranked third behind Australia and England.
However, New Zealand haven’t beaten Australia to win the Rosebowl since 1999. Since then, Australia have won 14 of the last 15 series, with one drawn. Time to do something about that, according to experienced wicketkeeper- batsman Rachel Priest.
“To beat them at home, we don’t get to do that often,” Priest said of the T20 series. “You take feelings and the thoughts of us beating them, which obviously gives us confidence, no matter what cricket you’re playing.
“But the Rosebowl is where it’s at for us. To win that after 17 years would be very special, especially for us older girls who have played a few series and not got over the line.”
Those ‘ older’ players include captain Suzie Bates, 29, rated the No 1 player a year ago by Wisden, Amy Satterthwaite, 30, and Priest, 31, coming into her 10th year in the national team. Eden Park Outer Oval 11am tomorrow Mt Maunganui, 11am Thursday Mt Maunganui, 11am
“We’ve had a pretty good couple of years as a group. We started to build a good core group and obviously some of the young players really stepped up in Aussie.”
Take 16- year- old legspinner Amelia Kerr, who marked her second T20 international with a diving onehanded catch and figures of two for 16 as Australia were flattened for 66 in the decider in Adelaide this week.
Throw in fast bowler Lea Tahuhu, 26, who is making an impact. Priest was delighted to have her at the Melbourne Renegades in the women’s Big Bash this summer and she rates among the quickest bowlers in the women’s game at around 126km/ h.
“She was fantastic in the Big Bash. She’s worked really hard just to get it right, she bowls in areas that are quite difficult. She’s a scary bowler. I try and hide from her in training,” Priest quipped.
Tahuhu and Holly Huddleston formed a quality new ball pair in Australia, taking a combined seven for 94. Whether there is a mental hurdle in beating Australia over 100 overs remains to be seen, but New Zealand appear to have as good a chance as any in recent seasons.