Schutt's three wickets and Healy, Villani fifties pave way for win as hosts go two-nil up

The result: New Zealand 8-145 (Bates 77, Satterthwaite 27; Schutt 3-14) lost to Australia 4-149 (Healy 57, Villani 50*; Devine 1-26) by six wickets with seven balls remaining at Allan Border Field

The match in a tweet: AUSSIES WIN! Outstanding performance from the hosts to wrap up the T20 series with a game to play!

The hero: Australia spearhead Megan Schutt lived up to her reputation as the world's top T20 bowler, taking 3-15 from her four overs. After Meg Lanning again sent the tourists in, it was Schutt who drew first blood when she enticed Sophie Devine into an expansive shot in the second over only for the dangerous allrounder to be caught on the rope by Ellyse Perry. She removed Kiwi No.3 Jess Watkin with her next over and then played a crucial role in Australia's fightback late in the innings, allowing just eight runs from her final two overs and picking up the scalp of Hayley Jensen.

The support acts: It's been a long time coming, but Alyssa Healy finally brought up her first T20I half-century on home soil with a brilliant 57 from 41 deliveries. Despite the early losses of opening partner Beth Mooney (0) and Ashleigh Gardner (16), Healy didn't shy away from taking on the New Zealand attack, bludgeoning 10 boundaries on her way to her first T20I fifty since 2012 and her first ever on home soil. The 28-year-old's innings set the tone for the Australians and when Healy departed, Elyse Villani (50no off 39) picked up the pace to finish things off with a flourish, emphatically sealing victory with a boundary and bringing up her half-century in the process.

The consolation effort: Suzie Bates was back to her barnstorming best at Allan Border Field, scoring a powerful 77 from 52 deliveries. Handed a life on 17, White Ferns opener Bates cashed in, hitting to all corners of the Brisbane ground. The veteran brought up her half-century from 35 deliveries and was just starting to up the ante even further when Healy's athletic catch brought to an end an entertaining 52-ball knock that featured 11 boundaries and two sixes.

The controversy: For the second game running, a third umpire controversy again reared its head. On Saturday, it was the New Zealanders on the wrong end of a tight decision when third umpire Shawn Craig ruled that Australian fielder Beth Mooney had cleanly taken a catch to dismiss Kiwi star Sophie Devine. This time it was the Australians may consider themselves unlucky after Ashleigh Gardner was adjudged to have been run out by third umpire Sam Nogajski in the fifth over. Gardner had raced to 16 when she had a disastrous mix-up with non-striker Alyssa Healy and the allrounder was a long way short of her crease when White Ferns ‘keeper Katey Martin took the ball. However, replays suggested it was Martin's hip, not her glove, which first dislodged the bail.

The drought breaker: Australia have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-game series, sealing their first T20I win over New Zealand since 2012.

The stat: With her knock of 57, Healy became the fourth Australian woman, and the eighth Australian overall to pass 1000 T20I runs.

The next stop: Australia and New Zealand will fly to Canberra on Tuesday, where they'll have two full days to train and prepare for the third and final match of the series at Manuka Oval on Friday at 7.20pm.

Australia XI: Alyssa Healy (wk), Beth Mooney, Ashleigh Gardner, Meg Lanning (c), Elyse Villani, Rachael Haynes, Ellyse Perry, Sophie Molineux, Delissa Kimmince, Georgia Wareham, Megan Schutt

New Zealand XI: Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine, Jess Watkin, Amy Satterthwaite (c), Katey Martin (wk), Maddy Green, Bernadine Bezuidenhout, Hayley Jensen, Amelia Kerr, Leigh Kasperek, Lea Tahuhu