Australia squeeze past New Zealand after mid-order collapse in T20 opener
Australia survived a dramatic collapse to edge past New Zealand by two wickets in the opening women's T20 International at North Sydney Oval.
Australia survived a dreadful collapse to claim a tense two-wicket victory over New Zealand in the opening Twenty20 International at North Sydney Oval on Sunday night.
The reigning T20 World Cup champions secured the win with seven balls to spare, posting 165-8 in reply to the White Ferns' challenging total of 162-2.
No 10 batter Kim Garth held her nerve, facing eight balls without scoring before striking a crucial boundary to seal a 1-0 lead in the three-match Rose Bowl series.
The run chase was initially cruising when Beth Mooney and Ellyse Perry stitched together an 86-run stand in just 8.2 overs.
However, a dreadful mix-up saw Mooney run out for 38 off 25 balls, triggering a dramatic batting collapse where the hosts lost 7-62.
Perry raced to her equal fastest T20 half-century in 27 balls before falling for 52, while Jess Kerr wreaked havoc with the ball by claiming four wickets for New Zealand.
Earlier, New Zealand posted 162-2 on the back of a record unbroken 127-run partnership between Georgia Plimmer and Maddy Green.
Plimmer scored a career-high 85 off 68 balls, and Green chipped in with 56 from 37 deliveries, though their efforts ultimately fell short against the defending champions.