Australia pulled off a stunning six-wicket win over New Zealand in the first T20I in Wellington on Wednesday, chasing down 216 with a four off the last ball by Tim David.
Mitchell Marsh was the hero for Australia, scoring 72 not out off 44 balls and taking 1-21 with the ball. He shared a 42-run stand with Glenn Maxwell (25) and a 44-run stand with David (31 not out) to guide Australia home.
New Zealand had posted 215-3, thanks to Rachin Ravindra’s 68 off 35 balls and Devon Conway’s 63 off 46 balls. Australia lost Travis Head (24) and David Warner (32) early, but Marsh and David kept their cool in the final overs.
New Zealand dropped two catches in the 12th over and conceded 19 runs in the 19th over, which proved costly. Australia needed 15 off the last over, and David hit a six and a four to seal the win.
The match was the first of a three-game series before the T20 World Cup in June. The second match will be played in Auckland on Friday.
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