Teenage debutante Jess Jonassen and batter Jess Cameron guided Australia to victory in the opening Twenty20 international against New Zealand at North Sydney Oval on Friday.
Jonassen took two wickets in New Zealand's 7 for 145 before making an unbeaten 8 with the bat, including a crucial late boundary, as Australia made 6 for 148 with one ball to spare to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
Cameron set up the win with a 41-ball 59, a crucial innings after Australia's run chase stuttered early to be 3 for 44.
Cameron's 77-run stand with the experienced Alex Blackwell (35 off 33) lifted Australia out of early trouble.
"We needed to build a partnership and Alex and I were able to do that and that pretty much won us the game," Cameron told Grandstand.
Blackwell's dismissal sparked another flurry of Australian wickets, with Cameron out the next delivery and Lisa Sthalekar run out shortly afterwards as 3 for 121 became 6 for 123.
But 19-year-old Queenslander Jonassen and Sarah Coyte (17 not out) stopped the rot and did enough to get the Southern Stars over the line.
Friday's match is the first of three in as many days at North Sydney Oval between the two rivals.
The final two matches will be played as curtain-raisers to the Australian men's team's two Twenty20 matches against India in February.
Australia captain Jodie Fields said she was delighted by her team's first-up victory but wanted an improved display in the remaining matches.
"I think we've got some improvements to make in our bowling and fielding in particular," Fields said.
ABC/AAP
Tags: twenty20, cricket, sport, north-sydney-2060, nsw, australia, new-zealand First posted January 20, 2012 17:54:30
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