Power hitting from Ashleigh Gardner has dug Australia out of a hole in international cricket's return to Brisbane on Saturday.
The allrounder smashed three sixes on her way to 61 off 41 balls, pulling the hosts to 6-138 in the first of three Twenty20 internationals against New Zealand at Allan Border Field.
Sent in on a two-paced wicket, the Australians struggled to find their range and did not learn from early mistakes.
Openers Beth Mooney and Alyssa Healy both fell trying to drive on the up, before Rachael Haynes (23 from 18) and Sophie Molineux were guilty of the same.
Meg Lanning (24 from 28) departed just as she was hitting her straps and it could have been 6-83 when Nicola Carey survived what appeared to be an edge behind from the first ball she faced.
They rode their luck, Gardner fuelling their final overs with three well-struck sixes over midwicket.
The big-hitter showed her finer side too, waiting nicely on an off-drive that sailed over the infield to bring up 50 off 37 balls.
New Zealand's Sophie Devine mixed her pace nicely, going for 10 in her final over to finish with 3-18 from four overs.
The clash is the team's first since March's World Cup, when more than 80,000 fans watched Australia claim the title at the MCG before the coronavirus pandemic forced sport to a halt.
The hosts named the same side that won that game, allrounder Ellyse Perry (hamstring) still recovering from the injury that ended that campaign prematurely.
Former New Zealand captain Amy Satterthwaite returned to the side for her 100th T20 appearance following maternity leave.
Both teams are wearing black armbands and shared a minute's silence pre-game, dedicated to the late Dean Jones.
