Mooney in lead again as Aussies scale the Mount for series win

Beth Mooney's sizzling form with the bat has continued as Australia crushed New Zealand by 82 runs in the second T20I to secure an unassailable 2-0 series lead.

Mooney's 40-ball 70, backed up by handy contributions from Georgia Voll (36 from 20) and Ellyse Perry (29no from 15) led Australia to 3-204 at Mount Maunganui's Bay Oval, the highest total in women's T20Is in New Zealand.

Reeling in that mammoth target was never going to be a simple task for the White Ferns and after Suzie Bates (12) and Sophie Devine (0) departed cheaply, it became even tougher.

Annabel Sutherland (4-8 from 2.1 overs) and the newly recalled Alana King (3-27 from four) ran through the hosts, with Amelia Kerr's hard-fought 40 from 36 deliveries the only significant contribution as New Zealand were bowled out for 122 in 16.1 overs.

It meant Australia ticked off a surprising piece of history, given their rich success in the shortest format: their first ever T20I series win in New Zealand, with their five previous campaigns resulting in three wins to the White Ferns and two draws.

On a sunny day at the picturesque beachside ground, which sits in shadows of 'the Mount' – a summit Mooney had climbed at sunrise earlier in the day – the Australian wicketkeeper-batter picked up where she left off in Friday's opening game, where she had led her team to victory with an unbeaten 75.

Her 70 from 40 deliveries featured 11 boundaries, and continued a purple patch in T20Is that started during January's Ashes, where Mooney hit 94no in the third game in Adelaide.

The left-hander had scored 239 runs without being dismissed in the format, until she was finally caught off the bowling of Amelia Kerr in the 17th over on Sunday.

Mooney is now just 46 runs away from passing Meg Lanning as Australia's all-time leading run scorer in T20Is.

Kerr was the sole White Fern to tie the Australians down, finishing with 1-27 from her four overs.

After Tahlia McGrath won the toss and opted to set New Zealand a target, Mooney and Voll again dominated the Powerplay, with Voll the primary aggressor as the Australians put on 67 runs from the first six overs.

Voll, fresh off her maiden international fifty in the format, hit seven boundaries before she was caught behind off the bowling of Devine for 36 in the final over of the Powerplay.

The umpire was initially unmoved after the Queenslander swiped above her head at a short-pitched delivery, but the hosts reviewed, with replays showing a faint edge through to wicketkeeper Polly Inglis.

Phoebe Litchfield joined Mooney and was solid without ever releasing the shackles in her 29-ball 32, and after both departed, Perry became the primary destructor at the death.

The allrounder arrived in New Zealand off the back of excellent form in the Women's Premier League, with her rapid 29no from 15 balls – alongside Sutherland's cameo of 23no from 15 – steering the Australian total above 200.

Needing to pull off the second-highest successful run chase in the history of women's T20Is, Suzie Bates looked threatening with two boundaries from Kim Garth's first over.

But she was on her way back to the sheds shortly after, bowled by the recalled Alana King who struck second ball.

Sutherland then played the role of destroyer as she took 3-3 from her first seven legal deliveries: she bowled Georgia Plimmer (14), had Devine caught behind for a first-ball duck before Brooke Halliday (1) holed out to McGrath at mid-on.

New Zealand were teetering at 4-45 in the seventh over and while Amelia Kerr dug in, the pressure continued to mount alongside the required run rate despite cameos from Maddy Green (22 from 18) and Jess Kerr (14 from 7).

When Amelia was caught for 40 in the 14th over, the White Ferns still needed 91 from the final six overs and the only remaining question was the margin by which Australia would seal a series win.

Sutherland, fittingly, put the final stamp on a New Zealand's heaviest defeat on home soil when she uprooted Eden Carson's off stump. 

The trans-Tasman rivals now travel to Wellington ahead of the third and final T20I at Sky Stadium on Wednesday.

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 | Australia win by 82 runs

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