Australia Women survived a dramatic late collapse to beat New Zealand Women by two wickets in the 1st T20I of the Women’s T20 Series 2026 at North Sydney Oval, Sydney, on Sunday, 18 October 2026. Chasing 163, the hosts reached 165 for 8 in 18.5 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. A blistering 52 off 30 balls from Ellyse Perry turned a wobbling chase around, while Georgia Plimmer’s unbeaten 85 earned her the Player of the Match award despite ending up on the losing side. If you missed the build-up, you can read our Australia Women vs New Zealand Women 1st T20I preview for full squads and head-to-head records.
New Zealand Women 1st Innings: Plimmer and Green rebuild after early strikes
Australia won the toss and chose to field first on a flat North Sydney Oval surface. Kim Garth struck early, bowling Flora Devonshire for 1 in the third over with a stunning inswinger, and Annabel Sutherland removed captain Melie Kerr for 9, caught by a diving Lucy Hamilton at fine leg. New Zealand were struggling at 35 for 2 in the seventh over.
Then Georgia Plimmer and Maddy Green took over. Plimmer played the anchor role to perfection, reaching her fifty off 40 balls and finishing on a career-best 85 not out off 68 deliveries, with ten fours and one six. Green supplied the faster scoring at the other end, smashing an unbeaten 56 off just 37 balls, including six fours and one six. Their unbroken 129-run stand for the third wicket carried New Zealand from 70 for 2 at halfway to a competitive 162 for 2 in 20 overs. Plimmer and Green would later rue not throwing the bat earlier, as the visitors left a few runs out on the field.
For Australia, Kim Garth (1 for 34) and Annabel Sutherland (1 for 28) were the only wicket-takers, while Sophie Molineux (0 for 25) and Georgia Wareham (0 for 25) delivered economical spells.
Australia Women 2nd Innings: Perry’s fifty, Jess Kerr’s fightback, and a nervy finish
Australia’s chase of 163 began in the worst possible fashion when Bree Illing trapped Georgia Voll lbw for a second-ball duck. But Ellyse Perry and Beth Mooney responded with a blazing 86-run stand that shifted all the pressure back onto New Zealand. Perry brought up her fifty off just 27 balls, smashing nine boundaries on her way to a 30-ball 52 — her 12th T20I half-century.
Mooney contributed a fluent 38 off 25 before Flora Devonshire ran her out with a direct hit, and Perry fell soon after, caught by Izzy Sharp off Jess Kerr. At 141 for 4 after 14 overs, needing only 22 from the final six, Australia looked home — but Jess Kerr had other ideas. The older Kerr sister trapped Ashleigh Gardner lbw on review (23 off 17) and had Annabel Sutherland caught by Sharp two balls later in the 15th over. Nicola Carey was then run out for 3, and Australia had slumped to 145 for 7.
Skipper Sophie Molineux eased the pressure with 11 off 5 balls, but Rosemary Mair bowled her as she attempted a lap sweep, with four runs still needed. At 159 for 8, Australia had no room left for error — but Tahlia McGrath (6 not out) and Kim Garth (4 not out) held their nerve, and Garth stroked a beautiful square drive to the boundary to seal a two-wicket victory with seven balls to spare.
Key Performances
- Georgia Plimmer (85* off 68) — A career-best unbeaten knock that earned the Player of the Match award. Anchored New Zealand’s innings with ten fours and one six.
- Ellyse Perry (52 off 30) — The match-defining innings of the chase. Her 27-ball fifty took Australia from a shaky start to the brink of victory.
- Jess Kerr (3 for 25) — Led New Zealand’s late fightback with three big wickets, nearly turning the game on its head in the 15th over.
- Maddy Green (56* off 37) — Provided the late-innings acceleration with six fours and one six in her unbeaten fifty.
- Beth Mooney (38 off 25) — Set the tempo of the chase alongside Perry before a sharp run out ended her stay.
- Kim Garth (1 for 34 & 4* off 9) — Early breakthrough with the ball and the winning boundary at the end.
What It Means: Australia lead the series 1-0
This was Australia’s first T20I since winning the T20 World Cup, and it was an unconvincing return — sloppy dismissals and a mid-chase collapse of 4 for 18 nearly cost them. But their batting depth, the hallmark of this side, proved decisive. Ellyse Perry’s form is a massive positive, and Phoebe Litchfield — ruled out of this match with a hip injury — could strengthen the side further when she returns.
New Zealand, in a new era after the retirements of Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu, have plenty to be encouraged by. Plimmer and Green’s unbroken 129-run partnership showed the batting can compete, and Jess Kerr’s 3 for 25 proved their bowling has bite. The 2nd T20I is on Tuesday, 20 October, followed by the 3rd T20I on Thursday, 22 October — all at North Sydney Oval. The visitors will need to finish their innings stronger and hold their catches if they are to level the series.
Full Scorecard
New Zealand Women 162/2 (20 overs)
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Plimmer | not out | 85 | 68 | 10 | 1 | 125.00 |
| Flora Devonshire | b Garth | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 25.00 |
| Melie Kerr (c) | c Hamilton b Sutherland | 9 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 75.00 |
| Maddy Green | not out | 56 | 37 | 6 | 1 | 151.35 |
Extras: 11 (lb 4, nb 1, w 6)
Total: 162/2 in 20 overs
Did not bat: Izzy Sharp, Brooke Halliday, Jess Kerr, Polly Inglis (wk), Rosemary Mair, Nensi Patel, Bree Illing
Fall of wickets: 1-5 (Devonshire, 2.1 ov), 2-35 (Melie Kerr, 6.4 ov)
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kim Garth | 4 | 0 | 34 | 1 | 8.50 |
| Sophie Molineux (c) | 4 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 6.25 |
| Lucy Hamilton | 2 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 11.50 |
| Annabel Sutherland | 4 | 0 | 28 | 1 | 7.00 |
| Georgia Wareham | 4 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 6.25 |
| Ashleigh Gardner | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 12.00 |
| Nicola Carey | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 11.00 |
Australia Women 165/8 (18.5 overs)
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Voll | lbw b Illing | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Beth Mooney (wk) | run out (Devonshire) | 38 | 25 | 6 | 0 | 152.00 |
| Ellyse Perry | c Sharp b J Kerr | 52 | 30 | 9 | 0 | 173.33 |
| Ashleigh Gardner | lbw b J Kerr | 23 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 135.29 |
| Georgia Wareham | c Patel b A Kerr | 10 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 142.86 |
| Annabel Sutherland | c Sharp b J Kerr | 9 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 180.00 |
| Nicola Carey | run out (Patel / A Kerr) | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 75.00 |
| Tahlia McGrath | not out | 6 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 66.67 |
| Sophie Molineux (c) | b Mair | 11 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 220.00 |
| Kim Garth | not out | 4 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 44.44 |
Extras: 9
Total: 165/8 in 18.5 overs (target 163)
Did not bat: Lucy Hamilton
Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Voll, 0.2 ov), 2-86 (Mooney, 8.2 ov), 3-102 (Perry, 10.2 ov), 4-115 (Wareham, 11.6 ov), 5-141 (Gardner, 14.1 ov), 6-142 (Sutherland, 14.3 ov), 7-145 (Carey, 15.4 ov), 8-159 (Molineux, 16.6 ov)
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bree Illing | 3.5 | 0 | 33 | 1 | 8.61 |
| Jess Kerr | 4 | 0 | 25 | 3 | 6.25 |
| Nensi Patel | 3 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 6.00 |
| Rosemary Mair | 4 | 0 | 34 | 1 | 8.50 |
| Amelia Kerr (c) | 4 | 0 | 50 | 1 | 12.50 |
Toss: Australia Women won the toss and chose to bowl.
Result: Australia Women won by 2 wickets (with 7 balls remaining).
Player of the Match: Georgia Plimmer (85* off 68).
Series: Australia lead the three-match series 1-0.
FAQs
Who won the Australia Women vs New Zealand Women 1st T20I 2026?
Australia Women won the 1st T20I by 2 wickets at North Sydney Oval on 18 October 2026. Chasing 163, they reached 165 for 8 in 18.5 overs, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match Women’s T20 Series.
Who was the Player of the Match in AUS-W vs NZ-W 1st T20I?
Georgia Plimmer of New Zealand was named Player of the Match for her career-best unbeaten 85 off 68 balls, even though her team lost the match.
What was Ellyse Perry’s score in the 1st T20I against New Zealand?
Ellyse Perry scored a blistering 52 off 30 balls, including nine fours. She brought up her fifty off just 27 deliveries and it was the match-defining innings of Australia’s chase.
Who won the toss in the AUS-W vs NZ-W 1st T20I 2026?
Australia Women won the toss and captain Sophie Molineux chose to bowl first at North Sydney Oval.
When and where is the 2nd T20I of the series?
The 2nd T20I will be played on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, and the 3rd T20I on Thursday, 22 October 2026 — both at North Sydney Oval, Sydney, starting at 7:15 PM AEDT.
What was the final score of the 1st T20I?
New Zealand Women scored 162 for 2 in 20 overs (Plimmer 85*, Green 56*), and Australia Women replied with 165 for 8 in 18.5 overs (Perry 52, Mooney 38, Jess Kerr 3-25). Australia won by 2 wickets with 7 balls remaining.
Conclusion
The 1st T20I had everything — a career-best unbeaten 85 from Georgia Plimmer, a 27-ball fifty from Ellyse Perry, a late three-wicket burst from Jess Kerr, and a nervy finish decided by a Kim Garth square drive with seven balls to spare. Australia go 1-0 up, but they know it should never have been this close. New Zealand, meanwhile, leave Sydney with real encouragement from their young side — and a Player of the Match award to show for it. The 2nd T20I on Tuesday promises to be a cracker, and you can follow the official scorecard and updates via ESPNcricinfo’s match report.
