Annabel Sutherland has belted a second consecutive century to help Australia set New Zealand 292 runs for victory in the second One Day International in Wellington.
On Alyssa Healy’s return from her knee injury, Kiwi quick Molly Penfold (4-42) restricted the star-studded top order after Healy’s rival captain Sophie Devine won the toss on Saturday.
But Sutherland (105 from 81 deliveries), who belted 110 in her last hit-out, was on hand to help Australia (7-291) recover and remained unbeaten with Kim Garth (11no) after the 50 overs.
New Zealand will require their highest-ever successful run chase for victory – the White Ferns have never chased down more than the 280 they managed against India in 2022.
Allrounder Sutherland reached her half-century with a single to long on from Rosemary Mair to finish the 42nd over.
Penfold almost capped a brilliant afternoon with the ball by sending Sutherland packing but put down a caught-and-bowled chance in her final over when the Australian No.5 was on 67.
The dropped catch appeared the impetus for Sutherland to click into overdrive.
She clubbed red-hot Penfold down the legside for two fours in the quick’s final over, both dropping just short of fielders en route to the boundary.
Sutherland continued to make the Kiwis pay with two sixes straight down the ground from the next Eden Carson over – the first two of the afternoon – before belting Amelia Kerr for two consecutive fours in the one that followed.
She survived a run-out chance in the penultimate over to bring up her century with two runs from Mair off the next ball.
Penfold’s drop wasn’t the only missed chance for the hosts. The Kiwis could have clamped down harder on the visiting batting order had debutant Bella James not dropped three catches.
James put Phoebe Litchfield (25), Beth Mooney (14) and Tahlia McGrath (34) down, though none could truly make her pay by going on to post big scores.
Opening batter Healy (34 from 32 deliveries) looked primed to kick on to a big score after making her return from the knee injury that sidelined her for more than a month.
The captain punished Mair in the quick’s first ODI since April 2022, punching anything she directed at the leg side to the boundary – including the first legal delivery of the match.
But just as Healy was humming, she miscalculated the short ball to become Penfold’s first victim, pulling to Kerr at mid-wicket.
Ellyse Perry (29) also made a start but couldn’t resist having a go at Penfold’s bouncer, edging to wicketkeeper Izzy Gaze.
James took a confidence-boosting catch to dismiss Mooney from Penfold’s bowling, before the quick swung an absolute jaffa into McGrath’s leg stump for her most impressive wicket.
Not since 1994 have they lost at Basin Reserve, where torrential rain meant play never began in Thursday’s first ODI.
