KEY POINTS:
SYDNEY - A run out off the final ball of the match saw New Zealand suffer a one-run defeat to Australia in a women's Twenty20 cricket international in Darwin on Thursday.
Chasing 109 to win their Australian tour opener, the White Ferns needed 13 off the final over and two boundaries from allrounder Nicola Browne off Sarah Andrews saw them needing three to win off the last ball.
But Sarah Tsukigawa was run out at the bowler's end trying to tie the match with a second run to deep mid-wicket.
Amy Satterthwaite was New Zealand's best contributor with the bat, with a hard-hit 25 off 18 deliveries in their total of 107 for seven.
Browne earlier gave New Zealand a good chance, taking three for 14 with the ball including the big wickets of captain Karen Rolton for six and Lisa Sthalekar for three as Australia plummeted to 28 for four.
Helen Watson and Sarah Tsukigawa chimed in with two wickets apiece while Kris Britt's rapid knock of 39 boosted Australia's total to 108 for nine.
The five-match Rose Bowl series begins in Darwin on Saturday as New Zealand try to avenge a 0-5 hiding from last year's series.
SCOREBOARD
Australia
M Bulow c Tiffen b Browne 4
S Nitschke run out 12
K Rolton c Mason b Browne 6
L Sthalekar c McGlashan b Browne 3
K Blackwell c Devine b Watson 7
S Edwards b Watson 4
K Britt b Tsukigawa 39
J Purves c Tiffen b Devine 16
S Andrews not out 1
C Smith c Browne b Tsukigawa 1
Extras (4b 11w) 15
Total (for 9wkts, 20 overs) 108
Fall: 14, 23, 24, 28, 44, 53, 97, 106, 108.
Bowling: S Devine 4-0-30-1, B McNeill 4-0-18-0 (1w), N Browne 3-0-14-3 (8w), H Watson 4-0-18-2, S Tsukigawa 4-0-19-2, A Mason 1-0-5-0 (2w).
New Zealand
M Fahey c Blackwell b Sthalekar 17
A Mason b Smith 24
S McGlashan c Rolton b Sthalekar 3
H Tiffen c Sampson b Nitschke 10
A Satterthwaite b Sampson 25
R Priest c Purves b Sampson 7
S Tsukigawa run out 4
N Browne not out 9
Extras (2lb, 6w) 8
Total (for 7 wkts, 20 overs) 107
Fall: 39, 44, 48, 58, 77, 94, 107
Bowling: E Sampson 4-0-16-2, S Andrews 4-0-37-0 (2w), C Smith 4-1-10-1, L Sthalekar 4-0-15-2 (1w), S Nitschke 2-0-13-1 (2w), K Britt 2-0-14-0 (1w).
Result: Australian won by 1 run
- NZPA
