KEY POINTS:
Australia have taken the Rose Bowl women's one-day cricket series into its fifth and final match after beating New Zealand by 44 runs in the fourth game at Hamilton yesterday.
New Zealand led 2-0 after the first two matches in Whangarei but Australia bounced back to win the next two in Hamilton to keep the series alive in defence of the trophy.
The final match of the series will be at Wellington's Basin Reserve on Thursday.
Australia lost just four wickets on the way to racking up 307 runs after skipper Karen Rolton won the toss and opted to bat first.
In reply, New Zealand were bowled out in 48 overs for 263.
The Southern Stars' big score yesterday was built on a solid opening partnership between Shelley Nitschke and Leah Poulton.
The pair put on 121 before medium pacer Sarah Tsukigawa bowled Nitschke with an inswinger for 56.
Poulton departed in the 32nd over for 81 but not before putting on 54 runs with Lauren Ebsary for the second wicket.
Ebsary played an outstanding innings, scoring her 86 at better than a run a ball in a 98-minute stay.
Ebsary and Alex Blackwell, 37, accelerated Australian's scoring between the 32nd and 42nd overs, taking just 39 balls to score 50 runs.
The pair put on 81 runs for the third wicket.
New Zealand, who lost game three by 104 runs on Friday, made a game effort of overhauling Australia's massive score. Amy Satterthwaite hit a well-compiled 67 from 76 balls while Aimee Mason, 30, Nic Browne 45, Tsukigawa, 45, Sophie Devine 17 all scored at better than a run a ball.
But the loss of openers Katey Martin for one and Lucy Doolan for 31 along with skipper Haidee Tiffen for eight proved too great to over- come.
Emma Sampson starred with the ball taking three wickets for 34 for Australia with Lisa Sthaleker contributing two for 58.
- NZPA
