A powerful half-century from Suzie Bates has left Australia needing 146 to seal a T20I series victory over New Zealand at Allan Border Field.
Handed a life on 17, White Ferns opener Bates cashed in with 77 from 52 deliveries, hitting to all parts of the Brisbane ground before the Australians fought back with the ball to restrict the hosts to 8-145.
After Australia skipper Meg Lanning again sent the tourists in, it was Megan Schutt who drew first blood when she enticed Sophie Devine into an expansive shot in the second over only for the dangerous allrounder to be caught on the rope by Ellyse Perry.
But a series of fielding fumbles from the hosts didn’t aid the Australian cause. White Ferns No.3 Jess Watkin was dropped by Delissa Kimmince on one in the third over and while that missed chance didn’t cost as Schutt struck again in her second over, the tough chance off Bates that was put down by Perry in the fifth over proved far more expensive as the former NZ captain went on the attack with new skipper Amy Satterthwaite.
They added 30 runs off the final two overs of the Power Play and the pressure started to show in one disastrous over when Perry bowled three no balls in a row, before Megan Schutt dropped a catch to hand Amy Satterthwaite a life.
Schutt made amends with a sharp overhead catch the following over, sending Satterthwaite on her way for 27, while a brilliant caught and bowled from Georgia Wareham removed Katey Martin (3), a strong response from the teenage leg-spinner after her first 10 deliveries were taken for 14 runs.
Bates brought up her half-century from 35 deliveries and was just starting to up the ante even further when a piece of magic from Alyssa Healy behind the stumps created the breakthrough Australia desperately needed at the end of the 15th over, her athletic diving catch bringing to an end an entertaining 52-ball knock that featured 11 boundaries and two sixes.
The New Zealand batters stuttered after her departure, managing just 25 runs from the final five overs as wickets fell regularly.
Schutt lived up her reputation as the world’s top T20 bowler, taking 3-15 from her four overs, while Kimmince (1-17) also impressed.
Australia are seeking to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match Commonwealth Bank Women’s T20I Series, ending a 20-over series drought against the White Ferns that stretches back to 2012.
Australia XI: Alyssa Healy (wk), Beth Mooney, Ashleigh Gardner, Meg Lanning (c), Elyse Villani, Rachael Haynes, Ellyse Perry, Sophie Molineux, Delissa Kimmince, Georgia Wareham, Megan Schutt
New Zealand XI: Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine, Jess Watkin, Amy Satterthwaite (c), Katey Martin (wk), Maddy Green, Bernadine Bezuidenhout, Hayley Jensen, Amelia Kerr, Leigh Kasperek, Lea Tahuhu
CommBank T20 INTLs v NZ
September 29: Australia win by six wickets
October 1: Second T20I, Allan Border Field, Brisbane
October 5: Third T20I, Manuka Oval, Canberra
Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Delissa Kimmince, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham
New Zealand squad: Suzie Bates, Bernadine Bezuidenhout, Sophie Devine, Kate Ebrahim, Maddy Green, Holly Huddleston, Hayley Jensen, Leigh Kasperek, Amelia Kerr, Katey Martin, Amy Satterthwaite (c), Lea Tahuhu, Jess Watkin
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