An injured Frankie Mackay produced a player of the match performance as the White Ferns scored a rare win over Australia.
White Fern Frankie Mackay Photo: Photosport Ltd 2021 www.photosport.nz
New Zealand levelled the T20 series with a four wicket victory in game two in Napier.
Allrounder Mackay wasn't expecting to play after she suffered a calf injury in the first game, but she got a last minute call-up and made the most of it.
Playing without a sick captain Sophie Devine, McKay was the star as she picked up two wickets for 20 runs from her four overs as Australia made 129 for four.
Opening the innings the Cantabrian then scored 46 as New Zealand scored the winning runs off the last ball.
Vice-captain Amy Satterthwaite praised Mackay's contribution as a replacement for Devine.
"Potentially not playing today but with the change of situation she came in and obviously had to open the batting and open the bowling and took it with both hands and was exceptional and she showed us what you can do and I think it was a brilliant performance from her."
The White Ferns produced one of their best bowling and fielding performances of the summer to record just their second win over Australia in recent years.
Hayley Jensen and Satterthwaite both went cheaply, but 36 from 33 balls from Amelia Kerr kept the homeside in the game.
Frankie McKay Photo: PHOTOSPORT
New Zealand needed 29 runs off the last three overs and three off the final ball of their innings to sneak victory - and Maddy Green delivered with a French cut to the boundary.
Earlier an unbeaten 61 from Beth Maloney got the tourists through to 129 for four.... McKay took two wickets, while Jess Kerr took the key wicket of Alyssa Healy and helped in the run out of Meg Lanning.
Satterthwaite says the last-ball victory is a sign of the team's growing confidence.
"Just really proud of the way everyone stepped up and played their role."
"I said to the group beforehand that if everyone fulfilled their role then we'd be in a really good place and it proved to be in the end."
Mackay picked up the player of the match award, but her availability for the last game of the T20 series is on Thursday in Auckland is in doubt due to her calf injury.
Captain Sophie Devine's availability is uncertain.
Look back at how the match unfolded here.
