Jonassen’s all round performance helps Australia win the nail biter

Jess Jonassen’s 36(32) and 4-43 was instrumental in Australia’s narrow victory over New Zealand whereas the White Ferns' skipper Amy Satterthwaite’s resilient 92 ends on a losing side.
Earlier today at Perth, The Rose Bowl Series kicked off as the hosts Australia took on New Zealand in the first of three ODI which are part of ICC Women's Championship 2017-2020.
For the guests, wicket keeper Martin returned to the squad after missing out the ICC Women's Championship ODIs at home against India due to work commitments while Rosemary Mair made her ODI debut.
Amy Satterthwaite won the toss for the visitors and chose to field first.
Alyssa Healy and Rachael Haynes opened the batting for Australia and each scored a boundary in first two overs. Lea Tahuhu got the first breakthrough for New Zealand when Healy was clean bowled by a swinging delivery on the first ball of 3^rd over. Haynes continued to bat with the confidence and she added 35 for the second wicket with the skipper Meg Lanning.
Lanning could add only 6(16) before Satterthwaite took a fine catch in the first slip to dismiss her as she got beaten by the pace and bounce off the debutant Mair. Perry never seemed settled at the crease and she too fell soon for 6(22) as she edged one to the keeper Martin of Devine.
Mooney joined Haynes at 58-3 after 14.4 overs and stopped the further damage by steadily ticking the scoreboard. Haynes brought her 50 in 61 deliveries as she despatched Kerr to her 7^th boundary. The pair quickly added 45 runs in 9 overs before Mooney was caught by Martin off Kerr for 13(29).
Haynes looked set to reach a century as she added 2 more boundaries in to the score. But Mair struck again as Satterthwaite completed a fine catch to dismiss Haynes 67(80). Wickets continued to fell regularly as Kerr dispatched Villani for 18(25). Gardener launched a counterattack as she quickly raced to 27 off 31 deliveries with five fours. She hit the first six of the match in the 38^th over when she cleared the boundary off Jensen. But it was Jensen, who got the last laugh as she dismissed Gardener for 34(36) in the same over.
Jonassen continued the counterattack which Gardener had started as she quickly hit four boundaries. But that lasted for only seven overs as Devine sent her back to the pavilion for 36(32) as the keeper Martin took her third catch. In her next over Devine struck again for the third time as she claimed the wicket of Wareham. Cheatle and Schutt continued the resistance by adding 19 runs for the final wicket before Jensen wrapped the Australian inning by getting Schutt out for 12.
Australia posted the total of 241 all out in 49.4 overs. Haynes topped the scoring for the hosts whereas Devine spearheaded the attack for the guests.
Having to chase 242 to win, the ‘Smash Sisters’ Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates opened the inning for the White Ferns. They scored 8 runs in the opening over out of which a boundary came off byes which is an uncharacteristic for Healy. The joy didn’t last long at all as Perry dismissed Devine on the first delivery of the second over. In the 5^th over, Schutt trapped Bates leg before wickets as she followed her opening partner to the pavilion and sent the guests into a panic mode at 18/2.
The skipper Satterthwaite and Down could manage to add 26 runs in 4 overs but Perry clean bowled Down for 15(27). New Zealand managed to post 44/3 after 10 over with new batter Martin at the crease with Satterthwaite. The pair settled the nerves and added 45 runs in 10 overs. As they seemed to take control of the inning, in the 21^st over Wareham shattered the stumps of Martin for 20(31).
Perkins arrived at the crease with the score of 89/4 and the skipper batting at 27. They quickly started to rotate the strike with ones and twos as Satterthwaite took charge of the situation. It took 68 deliveries and 3 boundaries for her to bring up her third consecutive ODI fifty in the 31^st over. The pair brought up 50 partnership in the next over bowled by Perry which proved expensive as both batters scored boundaries and scored 13 runs.
The match entered in last 15 overs with the guests requiring 85 runs. Now set Perkins scored first six for the New Zealand in the 36^th over and the skipper scored a boundary in the next one. This followed by spell of three tight overs by Gardener and Schutt costing only 8 runs. This 99-run partnership off 21 overs was broken by Jonassen as she caught out Perkins of her own bowling for 48(68).
Jonassen struck again in the 47^th over by removing Kerr and Kasperek on the consecutive deliveries. In the penultimate over the White Ferns’ skipper Satterthwaite’s resilient knock of 92 (123) came to an end as Haynes caught her off Jonassen. With 18 required off last 6 deliveries Jensen and Tahuhu scored a boundary each but Schutt removed Tahuhu off the penultimate delivery. Jensen could score only 1 run off the final delivery resulting in the Aussies winning the match by 5 runs.
Jess Jonassen was declared player of the match for her all-round performance.
The two sides will meet on 24^th February at Adelaide for the 2^nd of 3 match fixtures.