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Rain delays toss in Australia's series opener with NZ

3 minute read

Torrential rain in Wellington has delayed the toss, and Alyssa Healy's return, for Australia's first One Day International against New Zealand.

Rain is threatening to scupper Australia's first One Day International against New Zealand, which was set to mark Alyssa Healy's first game of cricket in a month.

The toss was delayed in Wellington on Thursday, with the conditions so bad that neither team had arrived at the ground as of 8.45am (AEDT) - 15 minutes before the game was originally due to begin.

The three-match series against New Zealand will be Australia's last chance to sharpen up before the home Ashes that begins in mid-January.

Healy will return from a knee injury that sidelined her from the entire three-match ODI series against India earlier this month but Beth Mooney is expected to continue keeping wicket as the captain continues her recovery.

Australia are a chance to make another change for the series opener after spinner Sophie Molineux suffered a knee injury.

Fellow tweaker Georgia Wareham is the most logical like-for-like replacement option after she was overlooked for the final two games of the India series.