da bet7k： The Australian Southern Stars carried on today where they left off againstEngland
Rick Eyre06-Feb-2000The Australian Southern Stars carried on today where they left off againstEngland. Fresh from a 4-0 clean sweep against the English women, Australiascored a thirteen-run victory over New Zealand today at Albert Ground,Melbourne, to take a one-nil lead in the three-match series.The Rose Bowl is the annual symbol of Trans-Tasman supremacy in women’scricket, with New Zealand the defending title holders.An even hundred by veteran New Zealand opener Debbie Hockley was not enoughas the visitors were dismissed for 167 chasing Australia’s 9/180 – captainBelinda Clark contributing 69.For the fifth time in five one-day internationals this season, Clark,Australia’s most-capped captain, won the toss. She elected to bat first,but New Zealand made an early breakthrough when Rachel Pullar had LisaKeightley trapped lbw in the eighth over of the day for 3.Pullar had a hand in the second wicket to fall, Cherie Bambury (4) getting aleading edge to a Haidee Tiffen full-toss which skied to Pullar at mid-on.Australia were 3/66 in the 22nd over when Karen Rolton (19) was stumped byRebecca Rolls who found the left-hander batter well out of her ground to awide ball from off-spinner Catherine Campbell.Clark’s partnership with Jo Broadbent (34) saw some of the brightest battingof the innings, and the Australian captain raised her third half-century inconsectutive ODI innings when she smashed a Paula Gruber full-toss to thelong-on boundary. Clark was out in the 34th over for 69, pulling Pullarstraight into the hands of Hockley at mid-on. The Australian captain’sinnings came from 100 deliveries and included seven boundaries. Over herlast three international innings, beginning last Tuesday against England atBowral, she had scored 281 runs without dismissal.Australia collapsed to be 9/150, among the wickets to fall being that ofOlivia Magno, run out without facing a delivery. Therese McGregor (23*) andAvril Fahey (12*) played a valuable tenth-wicket partnership of 30 in 33deliveries, taking the home side’s final total to 9/180 – a far cry fromtheir 2/299 against England three days ago.Haidee Tiffen (3/24 from nine overs) was the most successful of the NewZealand bowlers, with Pullar (2/42) and Campbell (2/36) the other bowlers toclaim wickets.With New Zealand chasing 181 for victory, the Australian new-ball pair ofCathryn Fitzpatrick and Charmaine Mason started proceedings with four maidenovers. Debbie Hockley got off the mark in the fifth over by top-edgingFitzpatrick over the keeper’s head for four. She soon broke free from therestraints of the Australian attack, but opening partner Anna O’Leary had nosuch luck, playing just two scoring shots in her 43-ball innings of 5.O’Leary was dismissed in the seventeenth over of the innings when sheattempted to drive off-spinner Avril Fahey but instead edged the ball toLisa Keightley at first slip.The new New Zealand captain, Emily Drumm, scored six before hitting legspinner Olivia Magno straight to Mason at square leg. Former Netherlandsinternational Nicola Payne had failed to score when Fahey took a good divingcatch in the deep from a Magno leg-side full toss. New Zealand were 3/54after 26 overs and would have been in deep trouble, except for one thing…Debbie Hockley was still at the crease, having contributed 39 out of those54.Tiffen (12) fell to a confusing run-out and when Rolls (18) lofted McGregorto a waiting Jo Broadbent, New Zealand were 5/119, needing 62 to win from 57deliveries. By the end of the 45th over the chase was 46 from 30, and thenHockley and Kathryn Ramel put the foot on the accelerator. The next threeovers, two from Mason and one from Fitzpatrick, went for nine runs each,although Ramel (14) fell to the second run out of the day. Hockley broughtup her hundred in the 48th over from 161 deliveries (nine fours), but shewas bowled by Fitzpatrick in the 49th over from the next ball she faced.Fitzpatrick made it two wickets from three balls when Pullar was bowledattempting to pull. With New Zealand needing sixteen to win, the fiftiethover saw Keenan bowled, then a leg bye, then a bye, then Gruber bowled. NewZealand all out for 167 with two balls to spare.Mason (2/43 from 9.4 overs) found the going tougher than against theEnglish, but has still taken 16 wickets in her last four ODI innings. Legspinner Magno (2/22 from ten) was the most successful of the Australianbowlers after missing most of the England series. Fitzpatrick (2/28 fromten) was very economical until the final ill-fated NZ onslaught, McGregorand Fahey claiming one wicket each.Game two of this series takes place at the same ground on Tuesday, with thefinal match at Junction Oval, St Kilda on Wednesday.