NZ VS AUS: Australia Women’s Cricket Team Sets New World Record In ODIs.
Byline By- Vinayak Heliwal
Australian Women Cricket Team on Sunday set the new world record in International Cricket after beating New Zealand Women by Six Wickets in the first ODI at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui.
The Victory was Australia Women’s 22nd Consecutive Win in ODIs and it helped them to surpass the 21 successive wins mark set by Ricky Pointing- captained men’s team in 2003.
Australia women have now set the record for the biggest winning streak in ODIs after winning 22 ODI matches on the run eclipsing the record of their men’s team.
In the course of setting the world record, Australian Women have clean-swept Pakistan, England, West Indies, India, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand.
Australian Women team have beaten New Zealand in consecutive ODI series by 3-0 margin and are en route to a third successive ODI series win over the White ferns.
On Sunday, New Zealand Women set Australia a target of 213 being put in to bat. Opener Lauren Down top-scored in New Zealand’s innings by smashing 90 runs off 134 balls. Meanwhile, Meghan Schutt was the pickup bowler for the Australian team taking four wickets and give away just 32 runs off her nine overs.
Chasing the target of 213, Australia chased it down in 38.3 overs with Healy, Ellyse Perry, and Gardner hitting half-centuries.
Ashleigh Gardner brought up the winning runs when she smashed a six off Amelia Kerr on her way to a personal tally of 53 not out, as her team set the new global benchmark.
Reflecting on the world record of 22 Consecutive ODI wins, Australian captain Meg Lanning said that it was proof of the team’s impressive consistency over a long period of time.
“It’s a great achievement over a long period of time, shows how consistent we’ve been. Something we’ll look back on. That’s been a strength of ours, having key pillars throughout the team. We have a mixture of experience and youth. We like to play an aggressive brand of cricket. We don’t want to put any handbrakes on.”
On her team’s victory, Meg Lanning added that they played with freedom and the result was a very positive one. She said in this regard: “We were able to keep it pretty tight early, that wicket of Kerr set us on our way. The way we finished was excellent. Alyssa Healy set the tone with a real attacking mindset. Ash Gardner has been in really good form to push it on at the end. General theme is to play with freedom. We want to win the Rose Bowl, it’s one game.”
The Aussie women had earlier registered 17 and 16 consecutive ODI Victories back in the late 90s and early 2000.
Meanwhile, the second ODI of the Australia Vs New Zealand Women Series will be played in Mount Maunganui on April 7.