Alyssa Healy's 38-ball 55 and a combined seven wickets between Ashleigh Gardner and Megan Schutt have helped Australia to a resounding 97-run win over New Zealand in their T20 World Cup opener in South Africa.
Meg Lanning's 41 off 33 balls and Ellyse Perry's 22-ball 40 complemented Healy's effort as the defending champions posted 9-173 before they skittled the Kiwis inside 14 overs in Paarl.
Australia got off to a poor start when they lost opener Beth Mooney for a duck in the first over thanks to a spectacular catch by Eden Carson at point.
But Lanning and Healy then took them to 1-47 in the powerplay, their highest score in the first six overs against New Zealand in a T20 World Cup.
The duo put on a 70-run, second-wicket stand that ended with a googly from Amelia Kerr (3-24 from her four overs) which beat Lanning's trademark cut.
The Australia captain's attempt ended in a rare scream of frustration as the ball skidded on and rammed into the top of off stump.
Perry put together a rapid fourth-wicket 50 stand with Healy, who had recovered in time from a calf injury sustained during the India tour mid-December to slot into the XI.
Healy reached her 13th T20I half-century off just 35 balls, with a flick into the mid-wicket region.
By the end of the 15th over, Australia had 3-126 on the board.
Reintroduced into the attack for her third spell, Leah Tahuhu, who finished with 4-37 off three overs, had Healy hole out at long-on soon after.
But Perry continued the offensive, with Australia reaching 150 in the 17th over a ball after Grace Harris (14) fell short of her ground at the non-striker's end in a botched second run.
Kerr then dented Australia's death-overs momentum with a double-wicket 18th over. She first had Perry trapped LBW and then dismissed Jess Jonassen caught for a duck.
New Zealand's chase was rendered lifeless early courtesy of Schutt's double-wicket opening over.
The medium-pacer bowled Suzie Bates and trapped captain Sophie Devine LBW, both stars falling for ducks.
Player of the Match Gardner then dictated the proceedings with 5 for 12 from her three overs.
The off-spinner ran through the middle and lower order, starting with top-scorer Kerr's wicket for 21 in the ninth over.
With a delectable change of trajectory on a two-paced Boland Park surface that was used in the England vs West Indies fixture earlier in the day, Gardner proved too good for the Kiwi batters as Australia got their title defence off to a flying start.
The Australians will face Bangladesh in their next match on Wednesday morning (Australian time).
In the other match played, the English team began the tournament with a strong seven-wicket win over the West Indies.
Sophie Ecclestone took three wickets as the English restricted the West Indies to 7-135 off 20 overs.
Then an innings of 34 from Sophia Dunkley, and unbeaten knocks of 40 of 32 from Nat Sciver-Brunt and 32 off 22 from skipper Heather Knight saw England chase down the runs with 33 balls remaining.
AAP/ABC
