Chirstchurch, Oct 16 (IANS) The Rose Bowl, which has been awarded to the winner of the ODI series between the Australia and New Zealand women’s teams, will be up for grabs every time two teams meet in a bilateral series, as it has been introduced to the T20Is as well.
Introduced in 1985, the Rose Bowl has been contested 31 times and will now be on the line for the first time in a standalone T20I series, beginning at North Sydney Oval on Sunday, New Zealand Cricket said in a statement.
It means the Rose Bowl will be up for grabs twice this summer, with New Zealand to return to Australia in March for three ODIs in Canberra and Melbourne.Since 1985, Australia and New Zealand have played for the trophy in one-day international series, with the Aussies holding the Rose Bowl since February 2000.
For series containing both ODI and T20I cricket, the winner will be decided by most wins overall, and the current holder would retain the trophy for a tied series.
NZC’s Chief Cricket Operations Officer and former player Catherine Campbell said the initiative, jointly proposed by NZC and Cricket Australia, was an exciting new era for the Rose Bowl.
“The Rose Bowl is a prestigious trophy that holds a lot of meaning to current and past players, and it’s a series we’ve always taken a lot of pride in competing in,” said Campbell.
“With so much T20I cricket now being played, this is a brilliant opportunity to keep the Rose Bowl relevant and to build on the history between us and our Australian rivals.”
Captain Melie Kerr said the group was thrilled by more opportunities to compete for the Rose Bowl.
“We’re all aware of what the Rose Bowl represents and the importance it holds in the WHITE FERNS whakapapa,” said Kerr. “Great players and teams have fought for it over the years, and we’d love the opportunity to claim our own piece of that history.”
New Zealand have not won an ODI series against Australia this century, they have been more successful in T20Is, with their last series win coming in 2017. In all, the T20I series ledger between the rivals stands at 12 wins to Australia, four to New Zealand with one drawn. Across 45 T20Is overall, Australia have won 26 to the White Ferns’ 18.
Australia captain Sophie Molineux said, “The Rose Bowl is such a special part of the rivalry between Australia and New Zealand, and having it up for grabs across all bilateral white-ball series adds another level of excitement. We know how much this contest means to both sides, and we’re looking forward to getting out there and competing for the trophy in front of a home crown in Sydney.”
–IANS
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