Cricket: Australia deny Ferns series win

Suzi Bates. Photo / Getty Images

The Australian women's cricket team ensured they would draw the five-match Twenty20 Rose Bowl series with a tense three-run victory over New Zealand in Invercargill today.

Set an imposing 167 for victory, the White Ferns remained in contention to sneak a series-clinching win, but a superb final over from Clea Smith guaranteed the series was shared 2-2.

Smith removed Nicola Brown and Sarah Tsukigawa in three balls to leave the hosts needing five from the final ball, but Katey Martin was run out.

Batting first at Queen's Park, the visitors scored 166 for nine, their best total of the series, and then struck regularly with the ball to keep the White Ferns' run chase in check.

Opener Leah Poulton hit three fours and three sixes in her 50 from 31 balls while there were handy contributions from captain Alex Blackwell (33) and Jess Cameron (30).

Suzie Bates was the best of the bowlers with four for 26.

Amy Satterthwaite (40) and Sara McGlashan (31) added 51 for the third wicket but when both departed in the space of eight balls they faced an uphill battle.

Liz Perry kept them in the hunt with an unbeaten 33, but Smith's accuracy in the 20th over ensured a shared of the series' spoils.

Two Twenty20 matches were played last December, with the first washed out at Hamilton on December 28 and Australia winning the second, at Nelson, by four wickets on December 30. New Zealand won the third match on Friday by 19 runs and fourth match yesterday by 14 runs, both at Invercargill.

- NZPA