An incredible display of hitting by Tim David has led Australia to a thrilling final-ball victory over New Zealand in the first T20 in Wellington on Wednesday evening.
David clobbered 31 off just 10 balls and hit Tim Southee for a boundary off the final ball to seal a nail-biting win in the capital, Australia chasing down New Zealand's total of 215 with six wickets in hand.
Coming in to bat with his side needing 44 off just 19 balls, David smoked Adam Milne for three consecutive boundaries, including two sixes, in the penultimate over, before hitting another six and four off Southee to win the game for his side.
At the other end, captain Mitchell Marsh anchored the innings, finishing unbeaten on 72 off 44 deliveries.
David Warner and Travis Head opened the batting for the first time in T20I cricket, putting on 29 before Head was dismissed for 24 by an excellent catch by Tim Southee running back from mid on.
Warner crashed three sixes before he too skied one to be caught on the rope by Glenn Phillips off the bowling of Mitchell Santner for 32. As he departed the field, the Australian received a chorus of boos by the Wellington crowd, and responded by blowing them a kiss.
While removing both openers was positive for New Zealand, Australia's star-studded batting line-up only meant Glenn Maxwell came to the crease, blasting an 11-ball 25 before being clean bowled by Lockie Ferguson.
Marsh proved to be key in the chase as wickets fell at regular intervals, and was able to watch on as David got his side home.
Earlier, Rachin Ravindra's flurry of sixes and Devon Conway's long-awaited return to form helped the Black Caps set Australia a huge total.
New Zealand scored 215/3 from their 20 overs, after winning the toss and choosing to bat on a green wicket at Sky Stadium.
Ravindra (68 off 35) and Conway (63 off 46) led the way, the Wellington locals combining for a partnership of 113, with Ravindra slamming six sixes on his way to his first T20I half-century.
Finn Allen got the Black Caps off to the perfect start, slamming Josh Hazlewood for a huge six over midwicket and following it up with a four over cover, before hitting Glenn Maxwell for consecutive sixes the following over as New Zealand raced to 36 off the first three overs.
Conway got in on the action, taking Pat Cummins for 15 to see the Black Caps cross 50 in just 23 balls.
Australia found a way back into the game, with Allen shanking Mitchell Starc to David Warner at midwicket for 32 off 17.
Ravindra joined Conway and for a brief period the pair were put under pressure, unable to find the boundary for the next four overs.
But both men got their eye in, and at the halfway stage of the innings put their foot on the gas.
Ravindra deposited Adam Zampa over the midwicket boundary in the 11th over, kickstarting the 24-year-old into an absolute rampage. Three more sixes followed as Ravindra raced to a 29-ball 50, before he launched Zampa for two more consecutive sixes, taking the 15th over for 24. Conway meanwhile, brought up his 10th T20I half-century, a much-needed knock after a dismal run of form this summer.
Ravindra fell the next over for 68, caught on the square leg boundary by Starc off the bowling of Cummins. Starc caught Conway the first ball of the 17th over off Marsh, with the Black Caps opener slicing to short third man to depart for 63.
Losing both set batsmen slowed the momentum at a crucial stage, with Glenn Phillips and Mark Chapman struggling to find the rope from the get-go.
But they finished strongly, both men launching Starc for six in the penultimate over to take New Zealand past 200, and taking Cummins for 15 off the last over to finish the innings 215/3.
Phillips finished unbeaten on 19 off 10 and Chapman finished not out on 18 from 13.
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