A blazing 84 from vice-captain Ashleigh Gardner has propelled Australia to a competitive 6-167 against New Zealand in the second of three Twenty20 Internationals.
Gardner dominated an otherwise stuttering Australian batting performance on Tuesday night, facing just 45 balls with 10 fours and four sixes on the compact North Sydney Oval.
Beth Mooney looked good for the second time in the series without pressing on, well caught by a diving Maddy Green at long on for 39 from 28 deliveries, skying a slower ball from Jess Kerr.
The left-hander survived a couple of chances, most tellingly in the third over when Mooney was dropped on the backward square leg boundary when she was just four.
Ellyse Perry was a major part of Australia’s recovery in the opening game but on Tuesday night she was part of the collapse, holing out to long on for 11 as Australia stumbled to 3-41.
Georgia Voll made her second duck in as many games, skying a hook shot just four balls into the match to be caught and bowled by Bree Illing. In the opening game last Sunday Voll lasted just two balls, falling leg before wicket to the same bowler.
The double failure comes little more than a week after Voll hammered a career best 131 not out in the second of three one-day matches against Bangladesh at Allan Border Field.
Phoebe Litchfield returned to Australia's side after missing the opening match with a minor hip complaint and slotted into her usual place at number three, but managed just seven.
Replacing Tahlia McGrath in the only change to the team, Litchfield mistimed a pull to mid-off.
New Zealand named an unchanged team after giving Australia a fright in the opening game, when the home side scrambled to victory by just two wickets in a tense finish after a dreadful collapse.
