Green century and Rowe's four-for help New Zealand secure unassailable series lead

New Zealand posted a total of 245 for 7, with Green scoring an impressive century, supported by J Kerr's 38 and Inglis unbeaten on 34*. Sri Lanka managed to reach 167 in their innings, with Samarawickrama top-scoring with 58. Rowe picked up 4 wickets for New Zealand, with Carson and Illing taking 2 wickets each, leading them to a convincing 78-run victory over Sri Lanka.

Maddy Green struck her second ODI century and Hannah Rowe claimed a four-wicket haul to give New Zealand a comfortable 78-run win in the second ODI against Sri Lanka and an unassailable 1-0 lead with one game left in the series. Green's 109-ball 100 dragged New Zealand out of a delicate situation early in the game to set Sri Lanka a target of 246, after which Rowe led the bowling effort to stop the visitors 78 runs short.

After a rain-hit no-result in the series opener in Napier, the teams came face to face in better conditions in Nelson and Suzie Bates chose to bat after winning the toss. But she was run-out for only five in the fourth over, after which Achini Kulasuriya picked off Emma McLeod and Chamari Athapaththu dismissed Brooke Halliday. Georgia Plimmer soon fell for 28, and New Zealand were 59 for 4 in 18 overs.

A 51-run sixth-wicket partnership between No. 5 Green and No. 7 Isabella Gaze (19) stabilised the innings, and after that, the lower-middle order stepped up. Jess Kerr struck a 44-ball 38 while wicketkeeper Polly Inglis crunched five fours in an unbeaten 21-ball 34.

Hannah Rowe completed a four-wicket haul

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Green was the constant. She struck seven fours to reach her century in the final over, continuing her strong form from the domestic One-Day Cup where she hit 125 and 126 in two of her last three outings. New Zealand scored 84 in their last ten to post 245 for 7, with Green run-out trying to take an extra run in the final ball of the innings.

In the chase, Bree Illing struck early to remove Athapaththu for 11 in the fifth over. Rowe then dismissed the other opener, Vishmi Gunaratne, in the eighth over, and New Zealand were on top. Harshitha Samarawickrama, though, followed up her unbeaten 66 from the first ODI with another half-century. Her partnership of 68 with Kavisha Dilhari (25) briefly put Sri Lanka in the ascendancy, but Eden Carson and Illing struck in the 22nd and 23rd overs respectively to rattle Sri Lanka again.

From 101 for 4, Sri Lanka needed Samarawickrama to go big, but she fell next to Rowe for 58. Nilakshika Silva was lbw to Bates and Anushka Sanjeewani was run-out by Kerr, giving New Zealand the firm upper hand. Rowe returned to pick up two of the last three batters to finish with 4 for 31 before Carson claimed the last wicket to wrap up the game in the 47th over.

The third ODI is on Sunday at the same venue.