In a low-scoring match, the Australian women held their nerves to put it across New Zealand after staging a dramatic comeback.
Choosing to bat first, Australia struggled to a modest 106 for eight and New Zealand might have thought the match was in their kitty.
But the Australian women displayed the character one has come to expect from their male counterparts over the last several years.
Australia didn’t have any single partnership of substance, and in the end, a 27-run association for the seventh wicket between S Elliott and Lisa Sthalekar pushed them past the 100-run mark and gave their bowlersome total of sorts to work with.
Ellyse Perry then struck twice in the space of two overs as New Zealand slumped to 29 for four. Shelly Nitschke then got rid of Rachel Priest to reduce the Kiwi women to 36 for five.
New Zealand, however, showed stomach for fight, first through match top-scorer Sophie Devine (38 off 35) and then towards the end Rachel Priest (20), but their efforts were too little to make up for the early damage.
Needing 14 off the last over, New Zealand could manage only 10 to finish at 103 for six, leaving Australia victors by three runs.
A late blast from Devine did raise Kiwi hopes as they needed five off the last delivery but only a single materialised off the final ball.
The result also ended Australia’s six-match losing streak to Aimee Watkins’ team in the T20 format.
Perry, who bowled the last over, finished with figures of three for 18 to clinch the player of the match award. The win will come as some solace to Australian fans, whose men’s team went down tamely to Ashes rivals England in the afternoon.
For New Zealand, however, it was the third big disappointment in a row in less than two years. They had lost the 50-over World Cup and the World T20 finals last year to England.
ScoreBoard
AUSTRALIA
E Villani c McGlashan b Browne 6
S Nitschke lbw b Ruck 3
L Poulton c Watkins b Devine 20
A Blackwell c Devine b Browne 0
J Cameron b Broadmore 14
S Elliott (not out) 19
A Healy (run out) 10
L Sthalekar b Devine 18
R Farrell c Watkins b Doolan 3
Extras (LB-1, W-11, NB-1) 13
Total (for 8 wkts, 20 overs) 106
Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-14, 3-20, 4-50, 5-51, 6-72, 7-99, 8-106.
Bowling: S Ruck 3-0-18-1, N Browne 4-1-11-2, A Watkins 4-0-17-0, S Devine 3-0-21-2, K Broadmore 2-0-15-1, L Doolan 4-0-23-1.
NEW ZEALAND
S Bates c Elliott b Perry 18
A Watkins c Blackwell b Smith 2
S McGlashan (run out) 1
S Devine (not out) 38
A Satterthwaite b Perry 4
R Priest c Blackwell b Nitschke 5
N Browne c Healy b Perry 20
E Perry (not out) 4
Extras (LB-3, W-8) 11
Total (for 6 wkts, 20 overs) 103
Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-19, 3-24, 4-29, 5-36, 6-77.
Bowling: R Farrell 4-0-31-0, C Smith 4-0-22-1, S Nitschke 4-0-10-1, E Perry 4-0-18-3, L Sthalekar 4-0-19-0.
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