The White Ferns secured a 98-run victory over Sri Lanka in the third and final One Day International (ODI) match in Nelson, winning the series.
New Zealand opener Georgia Plimmer played a key role, scoring her first-ever ODI century. After choosing to bat first, New Zealand posted a strong total of 280 for six.
Plimmer led the way with 112 runs, while Suzie Bates added 53, with the pair building a 108-run partnership for the first wicket. Lower down the order, Brooke Halliday, Maddy Green, and Isabella Gaze also contributed to the total. Sri Lankan bowler Sugandika Kumari took three wickets.
New Zealand’s bowlers then dominated, with Jess Kerr removing Sri Lanka’s top three batters cheaply, leaving them struggling at 23 for three. Kayisha Dilhari and Nilakshika Silva both scored 45, but the rest of the team could not add much, and Sri Lanka was bowled out for 182 in the final over. Kerr and Fran Jonas each took three wickets.
The first match of the series was washed out, and New Zealand had won the second by 78 runs. Plimmer was named Player of the Match, while Maddy Green was awarded Player of the Series. The teams will now face off in a three-match T20 series, starting in Christchurch on Friday.
