Isuru Sameera Peiris/Photosport
Suzie Bates scored 63, but the White Ferns lost the ODI series decider in Galle (FILE PHOTO).
At Galle International Stadium, Galle: White Ferns 127-2 (Suzie Bates 63 off 87) lost to Sri Lanka 196-2 (Chamari Athapaththu 140no off 80, Nilakshi de Silva 48no off 68) by eight wickets via DLS method.
The White Ferns lost their ODI series against Sri Lanka after a magnificent 140 from opener Chamari Athapaththu in the decider on Tuesday (NZ time).
Their eight-wicket defeat via DLS in a rain-affected third ODI meant New Zealand lost a series to Sri Lanka for the first time in women’s cricket.
Opting to bat first in Galle, the White Ferns made 127-2 from 31 overs before rain stopped play, with Suzie Bates and skipper Sophie Devine unbeaten on 63 and 38 respectively.
The hosts were set a revised target of 196 to win from 29 overs and chased it down with 13 balls to spare in which Athapaththu led the charge almost single-handedly.
She smashed 140 from 80 balls for her eighth ODI century and hit 13 four and nine sixes.
Athapaththu went after spinners Eden Carson (0-46 from five overs) and Fran Jonas (0-26 from three overs) and medium pacer Molly Penfold (0-29 from three overs) as she reached three figures in just 60 balls.
The hosts were 6-2 after Lea Tahuhu removed their other opener, Vishmi Gunaratne, for a duck in the first over before Devine dismissed Harshitha Samarawickrama for 3.
However, Athapaththu shared an unbeaten third-wicket partnership of 190 with Nilakshi de Silva (48 off 68 balls) – Sri Lanka’s highest in ODIs – to win the series and beat New Zealand in an ODI for only the second time.
Sri Lanka’s first win over the White Ferns was in the first ODI last Wednesday, a nine-wicket victory after another unbeaten century from Athapaththu at the same venue.
The White Ferns levelled the series on Saturday after Devine and Melie Kerr’s tons in Galle but lost the decider ahead of three Twenty20s to complete their Sri Lanka tour.
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