Another stirring century from Anabel Sutherland set Australia up for a 65-run victory via the DLS Method over New Zealand.

The second ODI was called because of rain and lightning at Wellington’s Basin Reserve.

With the result, the Aussies retained the Rose Bowl with one game still to play after the series opener was abandoned because of the weather.

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Sutherland notched 115 runs from 81 balls, her knock including 11 boundaries and two sixes.

Having also reached triple figures in Australia’s 83-run win over India at the WACA last week, the allrounder now has three career ODI centuries to her name.

Ahead of the Australian summer of cricket, no Australian woman had scored an ODI century batting at No.5 or lower. Now, Sutherland has achieved the feat in consecutive matches.

“I’m pretty competitive so anytime I get an opportunity to bat — it doesn’t come too often so I’m just loving the opportunity to bat a little higher at No. 5 — I’m trying to make the most of it, to spend time in the middle and cash in towards the end,” Sutherland told Fox Cricket during the innings break.

Set a 292-run target for victory, the White Ferns were lingering at 5-122 in the 21st over when rain began to fall.

Play was delayed before the match was called with the conditions unlikely to cease.

After the White Ferns won the toss and chose to bowl first Australia posted 7-291 — largely buoyed by Sutherland’s ton.

Warning signs sounded early when Kiwi seamer Molly Penfold ripped through Australia’s top-order with career-best figures of 4-42 from 10 overs.

With Alyssa Healey (34), Ellyse Perry (29) and Beth Mooney (14) all dismissed by Penfold, Sutherland steadied Australia as wickets continued to fall around her.

Openers Healey and Litchfield (25) got the victors off to a strong start before being caught at mid-wicket and behind respectively.

Things appeared grim at 4-20 in the 24th over as Perry also found the wicketkeeper Izzy Gaze’s gloves before Mooney chipped towards point for a simple catch.

Combining with several members of Australia’s middle and lower order, Sutherland was unbeaten at the 50-over mark.

Penfold denied herself a maiden five-wicket haul with a caught and bowled of Sutherland, given a life on 67, when she dropped a difficult return.

Sutherland finished Australia’s innings with a flourish — whacking 42 runs during the final four overs.

Seamer Kim Garth finished the best of Australia’s bowlers in the limited overs after she removed both of the White Ferns’s openers during the Powerplay.

Ferns skipper Sophie Devine edged behind to Mooney before Brooke Halliday fell cheaply to Ash Gardner.

Moments before play was delayed, Kiwi Amelia Kerr was deemed to have been run out after Litchfield knocked the bails off with a pin-point perfect throw at cover.

In her return from a knee complaint, Healy served as an outfielder for the first time in an ODI match since 2013.

To ease the pressure on her knees that comes with wicket-keeping, Mooney put on the gloves as she did during the series against India.

With Australia taking an unassailable 1-0 lead in the three-match series across the ditch, New Zealand will now have to wait three years for another shot to win back the Rose Bowl, which Australia has held possession of since 2000.

The third and final ODI is scheduled to begin on Monday at 9am AEDT at Basin Reserve.