Australia 180 for 4 (Voll 75) beat New Zealand 172 for 8 (A Kerr 66, Green 62, Sutherland 4-35) by eight runs

Australia withstood a thrilling onslaught from Maddy Green to secure a 3-0 whitewash over T20I world champions New Zealand in Wellington with the home side left to rue a woeful fielding display in which they dropped Georgia Voll six times.

When Sophie Devine fell in the ninth over, New Zealand were a long way adrift in their chase of 181 on 54 for 4 - which included Megan Schutt becoming the first women's player to 150 T20I wickets - but Green turned the game on its head with a 29-ball fifty, her first in T20Is, and in all struck five sixes while adding a New Zealand-record 99 for the fifth wicket with Amelia Kerr.

That brought the requirement down to 28 from 15 balls when Green fell to a brilliant piece of fielding by Georgia Wareham who produced a direct hit from deep midwicket the over after she had missed a return catch from Amelia Kerr on 55.

Annabel Sutherland then claimed three wickets in four balls in the 19th over with Wareham again to the fore with an excellent catch to remove Jess Kerr and a simpler one to end Amelia Kerr's innings. That all-but ensured Australia would get home with New Zealand needing 20 off the last and Brooke Halliday unable to bat due to an injury sustained in the field.

The eventual narrow margin highlighted what could have been for New Zealand had they taken any of the chances offered by Voll as she made her second half-century of the series and she was honest enough to admit her fortune. "Think I'm going to head to the Lotto store and buy one after this game," she told the broadcast at the change of innings.

Voll added 64 for the first wicket with Beth Mooney and 54 for the second with Phoebe Litchfield. Australia's innings was then given a strong finish by Ellyse Perry who made an unbeaten 32 off 19 deliveries and captain Tahlia McGrath with 14 from five balls. In all, 109 came from the second ten overs after Australia had been a steady if unspectacular 71 for 1 at the midway point.

After the home side opted to bowl first, the tone for their horror catching display was set in the first over when Jess Kerr was unable to hold a firm return chance, high to her right, offered by Voll two balls after she had cleared deep square leg for six from the third ball of the contest.

Two much simpler opportunities were shelled by Green at mid-on (when Voll was 13) and Rosemary Mair at long-off with the latter allowing Voll to bring up her fifty from 44 balls.

Voll was never entirely fluent and at times appeared frustrated, particularly during the powerplay when Mair and Devine managed to build some pressure with dot balls. However, Mooney was able to keep the scoreboard moving as Australia finished the fielding restrictions on 43 without loss.

After reaching fifty, Voll was starting to move through the gears, using the crease to good effect, while being given further lives on 62 and 63 before finally falling to Suzie Bates when she walked across her stumps.

Amid all the dropped chances, Mair managed to cling onto a swirling chance to remove Sutherland but Australia produced a powerful finish with 15 off the last over when New Zealand were penalized for a slow over-rate and were forced to have an extra fielder inside the ring.

New Zealand's chase began in bizarre fashion when Schutt's first delivery slipped out of her hand, bounced by her feet and bobbled up the pitch for a no-ball that brought some wry smiles. But it was soon normal service for Schutt when she removed Bates to join Tim Southee and Rashid Khan as the only players in the T20I 150-club.

Schutt struck again in her second over to remove Georgia Plimmer and Bella James' debut innings was ended with a spliced pull against Sutherland. Amelia Kerr started brightly but Devine couldn't hit her stride and picked out deep midwicket against Wareham for 1 off 9 balls.

At that point, New Zealand needed a daunting 127 off 71 balls. But Green cleared the rope for the first time from her 17th delivery, clubbing McGrath over the leg side, and then took four more sixes in the space of seven deliveries to suddenly give the home side belief before Australia, as so often, found a way to come out on top.