Toss New Zealand opt to bowl vs Australia
New Zealand have won the toss and opted to bowl first in their World Cup clash with Australia in Wellington.
New Zealand go in with an unchanged team to that which beat India by 62 runs on Thursday. Australia, meanwhile, welcome back Ashleigh Gardner from her Covid-enforced isolation and Tahlia McGrath, who has been declared fit after suffering from a sore heel. They come into the side along with Darcie Brown in place of Jess Jonassen, Nicola Carey and Annabel Sutherland.
"We've gone aggressive, we want to try and take wickets if we can," Lanning said of her team selection. "We've seen throughout the tournament that that's what helps you to get the win so we feel like we've got a good balance there and hopefully we can set it up nicely with the bat first.
Devine said that her team's performance against India was the "blueprint" for how they want to play.
"It's a new wicket, there's obviously a bit of a green tinge on it but to be fair the wicket's always an absolute ripper here but we just want to crack in," Devine added of her decision to bowl first.
Play was set to get underway in typically breezy conditions at the Basin Reserve with the host hoping to record their first ODI victory over Australia since 2017 but with a nine-wicket win in their warm-up - when captain Devine scored an unbeaten 161 and in-form allrounder Amelia Kerr 92 - to call upon.
Australia are seeking a third straight victory in the World Cup with wins over England and Pakistan so far, while New Zealand were surprise losers to West Indies in the tournament opener before defeating Bangladesh and India.
New Zealand: Sophie Devine (capt), Suzie Bates, Amelia Kerr, Amy Satterthwaite, Maddy Green, Frances Mackay, Katey Martin (wk), Hayley Jensen, Lea Tahuhu, Jess Kerr, Hannah Rowe.
Australia: Alyssa Healy (wk), Rachael Haynes, Meg Lanning (capt), Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ashleigh Gardner, Alana King, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown.
Valkerie Baynes is a general editor at ESPNcricinfo
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