Meg Lanning's Australia break record for consecutive ODI wins

Without a defeat in 50-over cricket since losing against England on October 29, 2017, they have won 22 consecutive ODIs – more than any other international team in the game’s history

Victory by six wickets for Australia’s women over New Zealand on Sunday added yet another record to the collection for Meg Lanning’s side.

Without a defeat in 50-over cricket since losing against England on October 29, 2017, they have won 22 consecutive ODIs – more than any other international team in the game’s history, usurping the previous record held by Ricky Ponting’s 2003 World Cup winners.

After electing to field first at Bay Oval, Australia were forced to work for their landmark by White Ferns batsman Lauren Down, who made 90 out of an overall score of 212, with her opening partner Hayley Jensen bowled by the first ball she faced – a hooping inswinger from Megan Schutt.

Amy Satterthwaite and Amelia Kerr both made starts but could not go on to post a sufficiently challenging total for the visitors, whose batting stocks are such that Nicola Carey and Jess Jonassen both went unused in the chase.

^{Lanning's side usurped their countrymen's record between 2001 and 2003}

Despite rare failures for Rachael Haynes, Meg Lanning and Beth Mooney, half centuries for Alyssa Healy, Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner made sure of Australia’s win with 69 balls to spare.

Healy, Haynes, Mooney and Gardner have played in every one of the 22-game streak, with Healy the leading run-scorer, having struck 1,197 during the period.

With the ball, Jonassen has been most potent, taking 39 wickets at 13.51 apiece since the winning run began with victory over India in March 2018.

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