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Ellyse Perry fifty steers Australia to two-wicket win over New Zealand Women in 1st T20I

Australia secured a hard-fought two-wicket victory over New Zealand Women in the opening T20I of their three-match series at North Sydney Oval. Chasing 163, the hosts fell just short of the target, finishing at 165 for 8 in 18.5 overs, with Ellyse Perry’s 52 and Beth Mooney’s 38 leading the batting charge.

New Zealand’s innings was anchored by an unbroken 162-run partnership between Georgia Plimmer (85*) and Maddy Green (56*), who propelled the total past 160 with aggressive strokeplay. Despite Jess Kerr’s standout bowling figures of 3 for 25, Australia’s resilience in the chase ensured they took a 1-0 series lead, setting the tone for their dominance in women’s cricket after winning the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup earlier this year.

New Zealand, now needing two wins to level the series, will look to regroup ahead of the remaining matches at the same venue on October 20 and 22, 2026.

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