All-round Browne stars in narrow NZ Women win

New Zealand Women 128 for 8 (Perkins 31, Browne 29, Jonassen 2-22, Coyte 2-8) beat Australia Women 121 (Healy 41, Blackwell 31, Huddleston 2-23) by 7 runs
Scorecard

Australia Women suffered a spate of run-outs as New Zealand Women held their nerve to wrap up a seven-run win in Sylhet. Chasing 129, Australia needed 51 from 41 balls, with six wickets in hand, when Ellyse Perry was run out for 14. Australia lost Jess Jonassen in the next over, before Alex Blackwell, who had kept them in the hunt with an innings of 31, was run out with 24 required from 17 balls. The chase disintegrated after that, with three more wickets falling in the last two overs, including one more run-out.

New Zealand had dented Australia's chase early on, with Holly Huddleston striking twice in her first two overs to leave them 14 for 3. Blackwell then joined Alyssa Healy in a 45-run fourth-wicket stand, before Healy was lbw to medium-pacer Suzie Bates for a run-a-ball 41. Blackwell and Perry then added 20, before run-outs derailed Australia's hopes.

Sent in to bat, New Zealand lost two early wickets before Frances Mackay and Katie Perkins added 46 for the third wicket to push them along to 73 for 3 in the 13th over. From there, New Zealand lost wickets regularly, but Nicola Browne struck a 19-ball 29, with three fours and a six, to keep their momentum going and take their total to 128. Browne, who also took 1 for 11 in two overs of medium-pace, was adjudged player of the match.