Australia overcome late scare to see off White Ferns in first T20I

Australia have overcome a late collapse to secure a two-wicket win over New Zealand in the opening Rose Bowl T20I, with Georgia Plimmer's career-best knock not enough for the White Ferns to secure an upset win.

Plimmer's unbeaten 85 off 68 led the White Ferns to 2-162 at North Sydney Oval, and Australia, led by Beth Mooney (38 off 25) and Ellyse Perry (52 off 30), were flying at 2-102 off 10 overs in response.

But the dismissal of Perry shortly after she brought up her equal-fastest T20I fifty turned the match, with Australia's commitment to aggressive cricket and plucky fight from the Kiwis seeing the hosts lose 6-57 despite minimal run rate pressure.  

It was left to No.8 Tahlia McGrath, playing her first T20I since March, and No.10 Kim Garth to steer Australia home with seven balls to spare.

Australia now hold a 1-0 series lead with the Rose Bowl up for grabs, but the fighting effort will be a shot of confidence for a new-look New Zealand team looking to rebuild following the retirements of their two most-capped T20I players in Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates.

The Aussies were already missing the dynamic Phoebe Litchfield at No.3 after she failed to get up from a hip complaint, and lost Georgia Voll second ball of the chase when she was trapped lbw by Bree Illing.

But Perry, elevated to first drop, joined Mooney and immediately put the New Zealand attack under pressure, propelling Australia to 1-57 at the end of the Powerplay.

They plundered a further 17 off Illing in the seventh over, leaving Australia needing just 89 runs from 78 balls, at a required rate of just 6.84, by the time the White Ferns' biggest weapon, captain Amelia Kerr, bowled her first over.

Such was the ease with which the Australian pair were finding the boundary, Mooney's biggest concern was an issue with her contact lens, until her demise seemingly out of nowhere in the ninth over.

Mooney had looked to whip Rosemary Maur off her pads and took off for a run while the Kiwis made an unsuccessful appeal for lbw. But Perry was – smartly – not budging at the non-striker's and Mooney's delay in turning around combined with a brilliant direct hit from Flora Devonshire caught the Australian well short, breaking their 86-run stand.

Perry brought up her equal-fastest T20I half-century from 27 deliveries, but fell to her favoured powerful pull shot two balls later, picking out Izzy Sharp on the boundary.

With the required rate comfortably under a run a ball, Australia were under little pressure but, as is their new brand of all-out attack, they did not let up. It came at the cost of wickets, with Wareham caught for 10, while Ashleigh Gardner – who hit an enormous six that disturbed the fruit bats in the iconic North Sydney Oval fig tree – was trapped lbw for 23 off 17.

When Annabel Sutherland was caught on the boundary two balls later looking to hit Jess Kerr out of the ground, and Nicola Carey was run out after a disastrous mix-up with Tahlia McGrath, Australia lost 5-43 still needing 18 off 26.

Returning skipper Sophie Molineux (11 off 5) hit two boundaries to put her team within four runs of victory before she was bowled by Mair, giving the Kiwis hope of a late twist, before calm heads prevailed with McGrath and Garth sealing victory.

Earlier, after Molineux asked New Zealand to bat first in her return from a hip injury, opener Plimmer made the most of a couple of rare misses from Mooney behind the stumps.

Her opening partner Devonshire never looked settled during her four-ball stay in the middle, charging at Molineux and Garth before completely missing a superb ball from the latter which swung in late to bowl the left-hander.

Amelia Kerr (9 off 12) was scratchy early, scoring a sole boundary before she was brilliantly caught by Hamilton. Kerr looked to scoop Sutherland, only for Hamilton to charge in from fine leg and dive full length to secure the key wicket of the White Ferns skipper.

Green joined Plimmer with the tourists 2-35 in the seventh over. Plimmer had survived a stumping chance on 15, when Mooney fumbled a tough chance keeping up to Sutherland, and she got a second life on 39 when the Australian 'keeper put down another chance, this time off Lucy Hamilton.

The 22-year-old brought up her fourth T20I half-century from 40 deliveries, then survived a review for lbw on 51, before launching Nicola onto the hill to pass 63, her previous highest score in the format.

At the other end, Green played the acceleration role to perfection, hitting six fours and a six to bring up a half-century from 33 balls. She led the charge as the White Ferns took 40 runs off Molineux, Garth and Sutherland from overs 17-19, before Wareham did well to rein them in, denying the tourists a boundary from an eight-run final over.

Their third-wicket stand ended unbeaten on 127 as New Zealand posted 2-162. The average winning first-innings score in women's T20Is at North Sydney is 160, but was unlikely to ever be enough against the World Cup champions.

The second and third T20Is will also be played at North Sydney Oval on Tuesday and Thursday.

Australia XI: Beth Mooney (wk), Georgia Voll, Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner, Georgia Wareham, Annabel Sutherland, Nicola Carey, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux (c), Kim Garth, Lucy Hamilton

New Zealand XI: Georgia Plimmer, Flora Devonshire, Melie Kerr (c), Maddy Green, Izzy Sharp, Brooke Halliday, Jess Kerr, Polly Inglis (wk), Rosemary Mair, Nensi Patel, Bree Illing

NRMA Insurance Women's T20 Series v New Zealand

First T20I: Australia won by two wickets

Second T20I: Tuesday, October 20

Third T20I: Thursday, October 22

* All matches played at North Sydney Oval starting at 7:15pm AEDT

Australia T20I squad: Sophie Molineux (c), Ashleigh Gardner (vc), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Nicola Carey, Kim Garth, Lucy Hamilton, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham 

New Zealand T20I squad: Melie Kerr (c), Eden Carson, Flora Devonshire, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Bree Illing, Polly Inglis (wk), Bella James, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Nensi Patel, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Izzy Sharp

All women's international matches will be shown live on Seven, 7Plus, Kayo Sports and Foxtel