Rain falls at the Basin Reserve during the first ODI between the White Ferns and Australia in the Rose Bowl series Photo: Marty Melville
New Zealand and Australia are scheduled to play game two of the ODI Rose Bowl series at the Basin Reserve on Saturday morning and both teams will be hoping to take the field after wet weather forced Thursday's series opener to be abandoned without a ball being bowled.
Australia have had a strong hold on the trophy, having kept it away from their Trans-Tasman rivals for nearly quarter of a century.
For the White Ferns to get the trophy back they needed to win the remaining two games of the series - something senior player Suzie Bates was determined to do having been so close before.
"Having not won it to win it you can't draw and there has been a few draws, there's been a french cut for four off the last ball, there's been a rain out when it was two -all when we used to play five-match series, we don't just have to win one game we have to win the series and that is really tough against the best team in the world.
"This series being two matches is slightly different and in our home conditions, and I just know that is what is motivating this group is to win that Rose Bowl, it's not just winning a game against Australia it's to take that Rose Bowl."
Senior player Suzie Bates said she was determined to win. Photo: AFP/FADEL SENNA
Bates would not be looking at the weather apps ahead of the remaining games saying it was too stressful after her experience at the 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup in her hometown of Dunedin where rain nearly washed out a game against Bangladesh that the White Ferns eventually went on to win by nine wickets in a reduced overs game.
Despite Australia's dominance, Bates was confident the White Ferns could once again get a result when it mattered most.
"We can match it on any day across the board. They've set the benchmark, they've won a lot of World Cups, they've won a number of matches in a row and you know when you come up against them you have to be at your best.
"I think [the current White Ferns team] has grown so much in confidence and in terms of the amount of contributors we have across the board, the number of players that can chip in scoring runs and I think our bowling attack is one of the most challenging when we get it right.
"Just like the T20 World Cup when we put it all out on the day we can beat anyone and we believe that going up against this Australian side."
Game three is also at the Basin Reserve on Monday.
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