New Zealand Women will face Zimbabwe Women in the first ODI on March 5 at University Oval in Dunedin. The hosts will go into the 50-over series with confidence as they thrashed Zimbabwe Women 3-0 in the recently concluded T20I series.

New Zealand Women have played well in the T20I series. The team will now look to take the same form into the ODI series. The team has a good mix of experienced and young players. Batters like Isabella Gaze, Brooke Halliday, and Maddy Green will look to give the team a good start. The bowling unit will look to keep the opposition on a tight leash. Playing at home will be an added advantage for the team. 

Zimbabwe Women will be looking to bounce back in this series after facing a tough T20I series. Captain Nomvelo Sibanda will lead the side and expect better performances from the batting unit. Players such as Chiedza Dhururu and Beloved Biza will have key roles with the bat, while Loreen Tshuma and Christabel Chatonzwa will try to provide stability in the middle order. Zimbabwe will aim to challenge the hosts and begin the ODI series with a positive result.

NZ-W vs ZIM-W: Head-to-Head in ODIs

New Zealand Women and Zimbabwe Women have never face each other in ODIs. This will be the first encounter in this format, so there is no head-to-head record.

NZ-W vs ZIM-W: Pitch Report

The pitch at University Oval in Dunedin usually requires batters to be patient early in their innings. Players need to spend time at the crease and build partnerships. Bowlers who maintain accurate line and length can create problems, while spinners may get assistance during the middle overs.

See Also: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, 2nd Semi-Final: IND vs ENG, weather report, stadium stats and predicted playing XIs

NZ-W vs ZIM-W: Predicted Playing XIs

New Zealand Women (NZ-W):

Amelia Kerr (c), Isabella Gaze (wk), Izzy Sharp, Brooke Halliday, Maddy Green, Jess Kerr, Polly Inglis, Nensi Patel, Rosemary Mair, Molly Penfold, Bree Illing

Zimbabwe Women (ZIM-W):

Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano, Modester Mupachikwa, Kelis Ndhlovu, Beloved Biza, Josephine Nkomo, Loreen Tshuma, Chiedza Dhururu (wk), Nomvelo Sibanda (c), Adel Zimunu, Loryn Phiri, Precious Marange