Green's century and Rowe's four-wicket haul secured a series win for New Zealand.

Maddy Green scored her second ODI century. Hannah Rowe took four wickets, giving New Zealand a comfortable 78-run win over Sri Lanka and an unassailable 1-0 lead with one game remaining in the series.  Green's 109-ball 100 drew New Zealand out of a difficult situation early in the game, setting Sri Lanka a target of 246, following which Rowe led the bowling effort to keep the visitors 78 runs short.

After a rain-soaked no-result in the series opener in Napier, the teams met in Nelson under better conditions, with Suzie Bates winning the toss and choosing to bat. However, she was run out for only five runs in the fourth over due to a misunderstanding, after which Achini Kulasuriya dismissed Emma McLeod, and Chamari Athapaththu removed Brooke Halliday.  Both were out to make precise catches within the circle.  Georgia Plimmer, who hit some lovely boundaries in the powerplay, was also dismissed for 28, and New Zealand was 59 for four after 18 overs.

A 51-run sixth-wicket partnership between No. 5 Green and No. 7 Isabella Gaze (19) helped to stabilize the score.  They came down the track and played the field by utilizing the width of the crease.  Following it, the lower-middle order stepped forward.  Jess Kerr scored 44 off 38 balls, while wicketkeeper Polly Inglis hit five fours in an unbeaten 21 off 34.

Green was a constant.  She hit seven fours, the last of which brought up her century on the penultimate ball of the game.  She has been in good form recently, building on her outstanding performance in the home One-Day Cup, where she scored 125 and 126 in two of her previous three games.  New Zealand scored 84 in their final ten overs to finish 245 for 7, with Green being run out trying to pinch a single on the penultimate ball of the innings.

Bree Illing struck early in the chase and removed Athapaththu for 11 in the fifth over.  The allrounder made a bold start, but she miscued a draw off a short ball, leaving her at deep square leg. In the eighth over, Rowe then removed the other opener, Vishmi Gunaratne, with Jess Kerr taking a diving catch at short fine leg.

Harshitha Samarawickrama, on the other hand, added a half-century to her unbeaten 66 in the first ODI.  She was dominant off the back foot when the pacers and spinners dropped the ball.  Her 68-run partnership with Kavisha Dilhari (25) momentarily put Sri Lanka ahead, but Eden Carson and Illing struck in the 22nd and 23rd overs to upset Sri Lanka once more.

Sri Lanka wanted Samarawickrama to score big after being 101 for 4, but she went next to Rowe for 58 on a mishit pull to midwicket.  Nilakshika Silva was lost to Bates after missing a flick. At the same time, Anushka Sanjeewani was caught short of her crease at the bowler's end when Sugandika Kumari's straight drive got a touch off Jess Kerr's boot before rolling onto the stumps.  This spell gave New Zealand a clear advantage, and Rowe returned to take out two of the final three batters, finishing with four for 31.  Carson took the final wicket to end the game in the 47th over.

The third ODI will take place on Sunday at the same venue.