New Zealand force decider in final-ball thriller

Veteran Frances Mackay starred with bat and ball as New Zealand pulled off a thrilling final-ball, four-wicket victory in Napier to upset world No.1 Australia and send the trans-Tasman T20I series to a decider.

With the hosts missing superstar captain Sophie Devine, who sat out the match due to illness, Mackay took 2-20 to help the White Ferns restrict Australia's star-studded line-up to 4-129 before battling through a calf injury to hit a crucial 46 from just 39 deliveries.

Her dismissal in the 12th over and the departure of Amelia Kerr (36) left New Zealand in trouble at 6-101 needing 29 from the final three overs, but aggressive cameos from Maddy Green (16no from eight balls) and Hannah Rowe (14no from 10) set up a thrilling final over.

With nine runs required, Rowe drove Carey's first delivery for four, making it five from five.

Carey held her nerve, allowing just two singles from the next four balls, with Green left to face the final delivery with three runs required.

The French cut may not have been the shot Green intended but it produced the desired result, racing away to the fine leg boundary to hand New Zealand a thrilling last-ball win, setting up a decider in Thursday's third T20I at Auckland's Eden Park.

 

Image Id: B359358AF03A46AD96D2CBA8C87E6759 Image Caption: Both teams react to the dramatic final delivery // Getty

 

Australia had needed a strong display with the ball to defend what seemed a below-par total, and captain Meg Lanning threw the new ball to 18-year-old debutante Darcie Brown in the second over.

The right-arm express quick displayed the raw pace that saw her bolt into the national squad after just one Rebel WBBL season, nudging the speed gun close to 120kph in a disciplined display that leaked just 11 runs from her first three overs.

Promoted to open in place of Devine, Mackay stepped up in her skipper's place, batting through a calf injury that hindered her ability to run between the wickets.

Ellyse Perry, bowling for the first time since her international return, produced a wayward first over that saw her first ball hit for four and a no ball but ended with the key breakthrough Australia needed, removing Hayley Jensen for three.

Carey struck with her first ball of the match, as stand-in captain Amy Satterthwaite (six) was caught behind, leaving the hosts wobbling at 2-27 in the seventh over.

Amelia Kerr joined Mackay in a crucial 54-run stand, which was only broken when Mackay attacked Brown's final over, hitting her for two fours and a six before she was caught at point from the final ball of the 12th over.

Katey Martin (five) and Brooke Halliday (one) fell in quick succession, and New Zealand's task became all the tougher when Kerr was caught behind off Schutt for 36, before Green and Rowe's heroics snatched victory.

 

Image Id: 74243B9D72EF410799ADC2E88727AF62 Image Caption: The winning shot // Getty

 

Earlier, a disciplined bowling display from the White Ferns, led by Mackay and Jess Kerr (1-28), restricted the world champions. 

Alyssa Healy struggled to get going against the White Ferns new-ball combination of off-spinner Mackay and pacer Jess Kerr, before edging the latter to be caught behind for an 11-ball four.

Mooney was joined by Lanning in a 50-run stand, with the captain smacking the lone six of the Australian innings, off Hannah Rowe, before her knock ended in disastrous fashion, run out on 27.

Rachael Haynes came to the crease with Australia 2-69 in the 11th over, ahead of first T20I hero Ashleigh Gardner, but was tied down by the New Zealand attack, working her way to 29 from 25 deliveries when she became Mackay's first wicket in the 19th over.

With just 10 balls remaining in the Australia innings, Gardner managed three singles from three deliveries before she top-edged a skied catch to ‘keeper Martin, giving Mackay her second wicket.

Australia were unable to find the boundary from the final two overs, as Mooney and Perry (two not out) rotated the strike to take their team to a competitive but not commanding total. 

Ahead of the match, Schutt presented state teammate Brown with Australia T20I cap No.54, with the 18-year-old replacing fellow quick Tayla Vlaeminck in the Australia XI.

CommBank tour of New Zealand 2021

Australia ODI & T20I Squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Hannah Darlington, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Molly Strano, Georgia Wareham, Belinda Vakarewa, Tayla Vlaeminck

New Zealand T20I squad: Sophie Devine (capt), Amy Satterthwaite (vice-capt), Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Hayley Jensen, Fran Jonas, Amelia Kerr, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Frances Mackay, Katey Martin (wk), Thamsyn Newton, Hannah Rowe

New Zealand ODI squad: Sophie Devine (capt), Amy Satterthwaite (vice-capt), Lauren Down, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Hayley Jensen, Leigh Kasperek - (games 2 & 3 only), Amelia Kerr, Jess Kerr, Frances Mackay, Rosemary Mair, Katey Martin (wk), Hannah Rowe (game 1 only), Lea Tahuhu

1st T20: Australia won by six wickets

2nd T20: New Zealand won by four wickets

3rd T20: April 1, Eden Park, Auckland, 1pm AEDT

1st ODI: April 4, Bay Oval, Tauranga, 9am AEDT

2nd ODI: April 7, Bay Oval, Tauranga, 12noon AEDT

3rd ODI: April 10, Bay Oval, Tauranga, 12noon AEDT

All matches will be shown live in Australia on Fox Cricket and Kayo