Annabel Sutherland's second consecutive century has powered Australia to a rain-affected 65-run victory over New Zealand in the second ODI.
On Alyssa Healy's return from her knee injury, Kiwi quick Molly Penfold (4-42) restricted the star-studded top order after rival captain Sophie Devine won the toss in Wellington on Saturday.
But Sutherland (105 not out from 81 deliveries), who belted 110 in her last hit-out, was on hand to help Australia (7-291) recover and the 23-year-old has now recorded as many international centuries as superstar all-rounder Ellyse Perry (five).
The White Ferns were unable to forge an enduring partnership in reply and struggled to keep pace with the DLS par as wet weather hovered on the radar around Basin Reserve.
The covers came on in the 31st over just before 5pm local time, and Australia's 14th consecutive ODI defeat of New Zealand was confirmed when play was called a little less than an hour later.
Quick Kim Garth (2-17) proved the pick of the bowlers for Australia snaring both openers, while Darcie Brown (0-15) was economical in her first four overs returning from a hip injury. New Zealand finished at 5-122.
The win means Australia has retained the Rose Bowl with a game in hand after rain washed out the series opener on Thursday.
The third match will be played at the same venue on Monday, when conditions are expected to be finer.
Australia's top four all made starts, but were unable to cash in with big scores. (Getty Images: Hagen Hopkins)
Earlier, all-rounder Sutherland reached her half-century with a single to long on from Rosemary Mair to finish the 42nd over.
Penfold almost capped a brilliant afternoon with the ball by sending Sutherland packing but put down a caught-and-bowled chance in her final over when the Australian number five was on 67.
The dropped catch appeared to be the impetus for Sutherland to click into overdrive.
She clubbed red-hot Penfold down the leg side for two fours in the quick's final over, both dropping just out of reach of fielders en route to the boundary.
Sutherland continued to make the Kiwis pay with two sixes straight down the ground from the next Eden Carson over before belting Amelia Kerr for two consecutive fours in the one that followed.
She survived a run-out chance in the penultimate over to bring up her century with two runs from Mair off the next ball.
Penfold's drop was not the only missed chance for the hosts. The Kiwis could have clamped down harder on the visiting batting order had debutant Bella James not dropped three catches.
James put Phoebe Litchfield (25), Beth Mooney (14) and Tahlia McGrath (34) down, though none could truly make her pay by going on to post big scores.
Opening batter Healy (34 from 32 deliveries) looked primed to kick on after making her return from the knee injury that sidelined her for more than a month.
The captain punished Mair in the quick's first ODI since April 2022, punching anything she directed at the leg side to the boundary — including the first legal delivery of the match.
But just as Healy was humming, she miscalculated the short ball to become Penfold's first victim, pulling to Kerr at mid-wicket.
Perry (29) also made a start but couldn't resist having a go at Penfold's bouncer, edging to wicketkeeper Izzy Gaze.
James took a confidence-boosting catch to dismiss Mooney from Penfold's bowling, before the quick swung an absolute jaffa into McGrath's leg stump and finished with career-best ODI figures.
AAP
Look back at all the action on the ABC Sport live blog.
Australia has retained the Rose Bowl with a 65-run win, using the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.
The win means Australia has a 1-0 lead with one match left in the series.
A century to Annabel Sutherland was the star performance of the day, which ended 20 overs early due to rain.
ABC Sport will have a live blog of the final match in this series on Monday.
I hope you join us then.
Returning Australia captain Alyssa Healy says the depth of the Australian team currently was the key to victory today.
Australia had a nervous moment at 4-110 as New Zealand's bowlers tried to rip through the batting line-up.
But 50-run partnerships between Annabel Sutherland with Ash Garnder and Tahlia McGrath gave them more than enough runs to win today.
"We lost a few wickets through that middle period, but then we were able to bounce back, and we back our depth in our batting department to still give us a reasonable total," Healy says.
"There is just a genuine belief that we can keep fighting, keep scrapping, and either get ourselves a total or bowl teams out."
Sophie Devine is speaking after the loss to Australia.
Devine has described the loss as "disappointing", lamenting her side's dropped catches.
"Probably the first 10 and the last 10 overs of the bowling innings probably let us down.
"There were some glimpses there where we were able to take some wickets, which is really important against this side.
"But, not to be able to put the foot down fully probably killed us."
Unsurprisingly, Australia's Annabel Sutherland has been awarded player of the match for her unbeaten century.
"I think the wicket got a little bit harder, which made it easier to hit through the line [of the ball]," Sutherland said reflecting on her innings.
"I was working pretty hard with my partner up the other end to get to a decent total."
There will be no more cricket today.
The rain has meant we have bowled the final ball of the match.
Australia has won Game II of the Rose Bowl by 65 runs, using the Duckworth-Lewis System.
Australia has retained the Rose Bowl with a 1-0 lead with one match left in the series.
G'day Mike.
Georgia Voll got her opportunity to play against India due to the injury of Alyssa Healy.
Voll was exceptional, but the return of Healy means Georgia is running the drinks in this series.
It speaks to the depth of Australian cricket.
With 19.5 overs remaining, the players have gone off the field and the covers are on the pitch at the Basin Reserve.
New Zealand is 5-122. They need 170 runs from 119 balls.
Australia is a long way ahead in this game.
New Zealand are 65 runs behind where they need to be for the Duckworth-Lewis System — which almost certainly is about to come into the equation as the rain gets heavier.
The rain is starting to come in.
Maddy Green hits a boundary to start the 31st over.
The umpires have come together as thunder can be heard.
We are coming off.
Megan Schutt bowls to Maddy Green.
The first ball is defended.
Green then hits over the top and scores two runs.
BEATEN. Great ball from Schutt who beats the outside edge of Green's bat.
FOUR. Schutt tries a short ball but get pulled to deep square to the boundary. That was a sweet shot.
Green defends then takes a single to end the over.
New Zealand: 5-118, NZ requires 174 from 120 balls
Green: 22 off 40
Down: 0 off 1
Lauren Down fends the final ball of the Alana King over.
New Zealand: 5-111, NZ requires 181 from 126 balls
Green: 15 off 34
Down: 0 off 1
Great fielding from Australia.
Amelia Kerr has been run out at the striker's end.
Maddy Green hit the ball to Phoebe Litchfield and took off for the quick single.
Litchfield fired the ball to keeper Beth Mooney who whips the bails off.
The bail lights up with the bat on, not behind, the crease.
Was the bail dislodged from the stump? I'm not so sure. But the third umpire was convinced enough to give Kerr out.
The leg spin of Alana King has been called upon for the first time.
King is bowling to Amelia Kerr who starts with a pair of dot balls.
Kerr plays a late cut to third and runs two.
A pull shot into the leg side nets a single for Kerr.
Maddy Green is on strike.
Australia's opening bowler Megan Schutt is back on to bowl.
Wicketkeeper Beth Mooney is up to the stumps.
Maddy Green cuts and gets a single.
Schutt bowls to Kerr who fends into the off side.
Kerr knocks a ball to mid-wicket and scampers through for a quick single.
Green is on strike and plays behind backward point for another single.
A diving Ash Gardner at mid-on denies Kerr a single.
Kerr is able to squeeze the ball into the off side for a single to end the over.
New Zealand: 4-108, NZ requires 184 from 132 balls
Kerr: 35 off 51
Green: 15 off 33
Annabel Sutherland continues with her sixth over.
Maddy Green hits a single to start the over, then Amelia Kerr knocks a ball into the leg side for one run.
Green is back on strike and she pulls to mid-wicket for no run.
Sutherland bowls and Green is on the back foot defending.
A short ball is bowled and Green pulls in the air, but safely, for one run.
Kerr drives to mid-off for no run to end the over.
New Zealand: 4-104, NZ requires 188 from 138 balls
Kerr: 33 off 47
Green: 13 off 31
Ash Gardner bowls a short ball on Amelia Kerr's hip. Kerr does not punish it, and she groans in annoyance.
Kerr sweeps into the leg side and gets a single.
A dot ball is then followed by a quick single into the off side for Maddy Green.
Kerr sweeps again for a single.
That is 100 runs for New Zealand.
A drive to long-on from Green for one run ends the over.
New Zealand: 4-101, NZ requires 191 from 144 balls
Kerr: 32 off 45
Green: 11 off 27
Annabel Sutherland bowls to Amelia Kerr who works the first ball into the leg side for a single.
Maddy Green is on strike and cuts to the point fielder for no run.
FOUR. Maddy Green is given width and she cuts over backward point and to the rope.
A miscue on a cover drive from Green results in a dot ball.
A nice ball from Sutherland must be fended away from Green.
And another dot ball ends the over.
New Zealand: 4-97, NZ requires 195 from 150 balls
Kerr: 30 off 42
Green: 9 off 24
Ash Gardner bowls to Amelia Kerr who skips down the pitch and drives to long-on for a single.
Maddy Green then plays a lap to fine leg for a single.
A ramp shot from Kerr connects and goes over the head of the wicketkeeper for two runs.
Gardner now comes around the wicket and beats Kerr with a ball that goes straight on. It just misses the off stump.
A punch into the leg side from Kerr gets a single.
Maddy Green faces the final ball of the over and defends.
New Zealand: 4-92, NZ requires 200 from 156 balls
Kerr: 29 off 41
Green: 5 off 19
Darice Brown bowls short to Amelia Kerr who pulls in to the air but it falls just short of Alyssa Healy at mid-wicket.
Kerr then gets a single, hitting to Healy at mid-wicket who has a bobble.
A misfield from Australia allows Maddy Green to run two from a straight drive.
A cut shot goes straight to point for no run.
The final ball of the Brown over is another dot ball.
New Zealand: 4-87, NZ requires 205 from 162 balls
Kerr: 25 off 37
Green: 4 off 17
