Annabel Sutherland’s sizzling summer continues as Australia ease to win over New Zealand

Annabel Sutherland’s superb summer has continued, this time starring with the ball to help Australia claim a 2-0 series victory over New Zealand with a 75-run win. After Ashleigh Gardner’s career-best ODI score of 74 hit Australia to 290 in Wellington, Sutherland bagged 3-39 as the hosts were all out for 215.

The win wrapped up Australia’s last match before next month’s multi-format Ashes, and completed two dominations of New Zealand in the three-match Rose Bowl series after game one was washed out.

Long-considered one of the rising stars of Australian cricket, Sutherland can now rightly claim to be among the world’s best allrounders. The Victorian hit an unbeaten 105 from 81 balls against India in Perth a fortnight ago, before belting 110 in her next innings in New Zealand on Saturday.

She then contributed 42 with the bat on Monday, before taking the key wickets of Bella James and Suzie Bates with the ball. Her ball that went right through a hard-hitting James (24) ended a 42-run opening stand between the pair.

New Zealand were also right in the chase at 106-1 in the 20th over before Sutherland had Bates caught pulling in the deep for 53. The 23-year-old also came back to have Izzy Grace caught at mid on later in the innings, as the White Ferns lost 6-26 to be all out in the 44th over.

Legspinner Alana King also bowled well for her 3-34, gaining plenty of turn and regularly beating the outside edge of the bat.

Earlier, Gardner continued her return to form for Australia, after an underwhelming WBBL and lack of big scores in internationals. After also posting 50 in the last ODI against India in Perth a fortnight ago, Gardner struck nine fours and a big six over the leg side in her 74 from 62 balls on Monday.

After Phoebe Litchfield’s 50 helped lay the platform at the top for Australia in Wellington, Gardner powered the back half of the innings. The reigning Belinda Clark medallist was the only batter to truly get on top of Amelia Kerr (4-54), driving and pulling the legspinner for two fours in one over.

Gardner also drove Molly Penfold for a four then pulled her for six a few balls later, before helping take 21 from the 43rd over off Rosemary Mair.

At that point Gardner looked on for a maiden ODI century, after cutting, pulling and driving Mair for four boundaries in the one over. But she was bowled by a Kerr wrong’un in the next over, stopping Australia from posting a score well in excess of 300.