Cricket: Aussie women sneak win

Australia struck a winning four on the final ball to maintain their hex on New Zealand in one-day women's cricket and breathe life into their defence of the Rose Bowl Trophy.

After succumbing in the two Twenty20 internationals last week, Australia bounced back to win the first of the one-dayers in thrilling style in Queenstown. Their two-wicket win at the Events Centre ground means they will maintain their long hold on the Rose Bowl if they win both one-day internationals in Invercargill over the weekend.

Australia are unbeaten in six one-dayers on either side of the Tasman this summer while the White Ferns have held sway in all five trans-Tasman Twenty20 matches.

New Zealand must win one of the Invercargill matches to clinch the five-game series in New Zealand and lift the silverware but will take a shaken confidence to the deep south after having today's match was snatched from their grasp late.

The White Ferns always seemed to be in command in their defence of 228 for six but couldn't deliver a knockout blow before Australian No 9 Erin Osborne and No 10 Julie Hunter rattled off the 14 runs needed off the final over bowled by Sophie Devine.

That included nine runs off the last three balls and the required boundary by Hunter from the final ball to carry Australia to 229 for eight.

The White Ferns had reduced the visitors to 90 for five at the halfway stage but a sharp 68 from wicketkeeper Jessica Cameron kept them in the hunt.

New Zealand regained the initiative through some tight bowling, notably Amy Satterthwaite, who dismissed Cameron and conceded just three runs in the penultimate over to finish with two for 24 off six.

Australian opener Shelley Nitshke compiled 51 before becoming Devine's second victim as the visitors lost three for three at the midway stage.

Devine also starred with the bat for New Zealand, clobbering two sixes and seven fours on the way to an unbeaten 74 off 82 balls.

She shared an unbeaten seventh-wicket stand of 69 over the final 10 overs with Nicola Browne (26 not out) to carry the hosts to a defendable target.

Only opener Victoria Lind did her job in the early stages of the innings with a solid 68 as the rest of the New Zealand top order capitulated to 56 for four.

- NZPA