Milestone Mooney, valiant Voll blow away White Ferns in opener

Beth Mooney and Georgia Voll have powered Australia to a crushing victory over reigning T20 World Cup champions New Zealand in the opening T20I in Auckland, but an injury to Ashleigh Gardner put a dampener on an otherwise dominant day.

Mooney struck an unbeaten 75 off 42 in her 200th appearance for Australia while Voll (50 off 31) produced a career-best display in her fourth T20I as the tourists reeled in New Zealand's 2-137 in just 13.3 overs.

Voll and Phoebe Litchfield (2) were the only wickets to fall as Australia secured a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Earlier, Amelia Kerr (51no from 46) impressed in her return to the White Ferns XI following the Women's Premier League, sharing in an unbeaten 90-run stand with Sophie Devine, who struck a 36-ball 39no in her first match since January after taking time out of the game.

Gardner was taken for scans after she was struck on the right index figure while attempting to hang onto a powerfully struck return catch from Devine during the 17th over of New Zealand's innings.

She immediately left the field, with her involvement in the remainder of the series currently under a cloud.

Gardner's absence from Australia's batting line-up on Friday mattered little however, and Mooney and Voll put New Zealand's attack to the sword.

The pair hammered 14 boundaries between them as Australia raced to 0-77 from the Powerplay, already more than halfway to their target.

The end of the fielding restrictions brought little respite for the White Ferns, as Mooney brought up her fifty from 28 deliveries and Voll followed shortly after, raising the bat for the first time in the format with a 29-ball half-century.

Stand-in captain Tahlia McGrath had implored her team to be ruthless ahead of the series and Australia were exactly that; by the 10-over mark they needed just 25 more runs for victory.

Lea Tahuhu finally broke the 123-run opening stand when Voll holed out in the 11th over, then picked up a second when Litchfield was caught behind before Mooney fittingly iced a dominant win.

Earlier, Kerr led the way with an unbeaten half-century as New Zealand posted 2-137 after electing to bat first.

Suzie Bates got the home side's innings off to a flier when she struck three consecutive boundaries off Megan Schutt's first over.

Bates and Georgia Plimmer had New Zealand racing to 0-32 from the first four overs, before a clever review from Australia brought about the first breakthrough.

Darcie Brown and Mooney were adamant they heard a noise after Bates went after a delivery from the Australian speedster and after heading upstairs for a review, replays confirmed an edge off Bates' bat, with the interim White Ferns skipper on her way for 14.

Plimmer carried on the attack, finding the boundary four times, but as Australia started to peg back the hosts' strong start the pressure built.

McGrath introduced herself to the attack and got the desired result as Plimmer holed out for 27 off 24.

Kerr and Devine struggled to get going through the middle overs against the disciplined Australian attack but later capitalised on some uncharacteristic sloppiness in the field from the tourists at the death, putting on 35 runs from the final three overs of their unbeaten 90-run stand.

Australia and New Zealand will travel to Tauranga on Saturday, ahead of the second T20I at Bay Oval on Sunday.

New Zealand XI: Suzie Bates (c), Georgia Plimmer, Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine, Brooke Halliday, Maddy Green, Jess Kerr, Polly Inglis (wk), Lea Tahuhu, Rosemary Mair, Eden Carson

Australia XI: Beth Mooney (wk), Georgia Voll, Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner, Annabel Sutherland, Tahlia McGrath (c), Grace Harris, Georgia Wareham, Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown

CommBank T20I tour of New Zealand

Australia T20 squad: Tahlia McGrath (c), Ashleigh Gardner (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicole Faltum, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham

New Zealand T20 squad: Suzie Bates (c), Eden Carson, Sophie Devine, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Polly Inglis, Bella James, Fran Jonas, Jess Kerr, Melie Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Georgia Plimmer, Lea Tahuhu

First T20 | Australia win by eight wickets

Second T20 | March 23: Bay Oval, Tauranga

Third T20 | March 26: Sky Stadium, Wellington

All games start at 12.45pm AEDT, 2.45pm NZDT and will be broadcast live on Foxtel and Kayo Sports