Sam: "Do we know what the fastest fifty for a women's ODI is? Obviously Ash didn't quite get there but I imagine she would have with one more delivery" -- Deandra Dottin's 20-ball half-century against Sri Lanka in 2013. Indeed Gardner was a red-hot favourite to break the record

Stat alert: Ashleigh Gardner's strike rate of 266.67 is the highest in a Women's ODI innings of 30-plus runs.

Thomas: "Did NZ get their maths wrong? Crazy that the Kerr sisters and Tahuhu didn't bowl their full quotas."

Nirban: "Ash Gardner you beauty!! What an innings!! 48* off just 18 deliveries... That was some smacking!! Guess the COVID has made her even stronger!!"

Sahil: "Poor finish from New Zealand, probably should have been chasing closer to 240-250, but some poor bowling ans good batting has put up a big challenge for new zealand " -- Not sure about poor bowling, but definitely some very smart, clever batting where the batters toyed with the field placement in the death overs.

Jared: "Rowe offers a useful point of difference with the ball and isn't bad with the bat, but she's such a liability in the field. It really lets the side down when you're having to hide players"

2.18pm It's a stiff target at the end of the first innings, and one must doff their hat to how strong Australia's batting set up is. Healy failed, Lanning failed, Haynes failed. But the batting juggernaut kept coming along, and Perry-McGrath-Gardner changed the course of the innings.

The 101-run stand between Perry and Mooney started the recovery, Perry then went on to hammer 68, McGrath bedazzled with a 56-ball 57 and Gardner put the cherry on the top with her 18-ball assault. What's amazing about Australia's depth is both McGrath and Gardner returned to the XI after health-enforced breaks.

For New Zealand, they missed a trick or two with the ball. Was Amelia Kerr bowled too late? Should Jensen have bowled those extra few overs? Either way, no point crying over spilt milk. The hosts have a target to chase and bowling dissection will happen at the end of the game. A reminder that NZ chased down Australia's target of 322 with 7 overs to spare in the warm-up match.

PhilFour : "Horrible miss by Rowe. That cost NZ 7 runs, which could be the margin when all is done today. "

Gardner is on strike, though. Perfect result for Australia.

Final over. We all know what Wellington's task in this partnership is for the next ball.

Karl: "With Wellington at the crease now, we have a "Who's on first" situation"

Two overs to go.