Belinda Clark, Australia's captain, says the six-match Rose Bowl cricket series against New Zealand will give Australia's powerful women's cricket team a clear indication of where it stands before next year's World Cup in South Africa.

Australia, rated the best side in the world, head into the series as hot favourites after dismantling New Zealand three times at home in last summer's four-nation tournament, including an emphatic 109-run victory in the final at Lincoln.

But Clark expects a hard-fought series against the Kiwis starting tomorrow (February 11) in Auckland before matches in Hamilton on Sunday and Tuesday. The other three matches will be in Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart on February 21, 25 and 27.

"This will be a key yardstick as to how we are going before the 2005 World Cup," Clark said.

However New Zealand skipper Maia Lewis is confident her side can upset Australia. "We believe we've got the side to do it and we've got nothing to lose," Lewis said. "The Australians are pretty much a strong all-round unit, but if you can put pressure on a team, it's interesting to see how they react."

Lewis said the return of Emily Drumm and Rebecca Rolls to the top of the New Zealand batting order was a major boost after the experienced pair missed a recent tour of India. "One, they add experience and, two, they are both world-class bats," Lewis said. "Obviously we missed them in India and it's huge to be able to welcome them back."

The New Zealand side is accepted as the second best team in the world and Lewis said the team's bowlers would be looking to grab early wickets to get at the Australian lower order. "They rely on their top order to score runs," she said. "If we get through them early, they could be vulnerable, because their bottom order don't tend to get to bat a lot."