Cricket: Women see early batting as key to clash

White Ferns batsman Sara McGlashan. Photo / Supplied

The last time the New Zealand's women's cricket side faced Australia in a T20 international it came down to the last ball, and it was Australia left doing the celebrating.

It was the world final in Barbados and, despite having beaten Australia in their previous six meetings in the shortest form, they came up a boundary short in a low-scoring game.

It was the third big final New Zealand had contested within a year, and lost the lot, after the World Cup ODI final (by four wickets to England in Sydney) in March 2009, and the world T20 final at Lord's three months later (by six wickets, also against England).

So Barbados was a shattering experience, but, as Sara McGlashan put it, it's time to look ahead, starting today.

"They obviously won the big one that mattered but we can take a lot of confidence from those wins we have had against them," experienced batsman McGlashan said.

"The past doesn't really matter too much."

And if you believe that you're into tooth fairies and leprechauns.

So New Zealand - who have all 11 players from the Barbados final in their squad for the start of this series and have won eight of 14 T20s against the Aussies - won't lack incentive.

Both teams know each other's game, and individuals, pretty well by now. There won't be any surprises, and 28-year-old McGlashan, who has played 29 T20s in her eight years in the national team, reckons New Zealand's top order batting to be a key element.

"If we can get off to a really good start in our first six overs that's something we always look to do," she said.

"We know we have defended some low totals against them, but if everyone does what's required and sticks to their game plans, it should come out pretty tidy."

It will be a special day for McGlashan, who works as New Zealand Cricket's women's development officer, assuming she is in the NZ XI.

The game is the curtain-raiser for the second T20 between New Zealand and Pakistan, and her older brother (by three years) Peter McGlashan will be keeping in that game. That will be a first, and Sara is delighted.

Raised in Puketapu, just outside Napier, the pair had a backyard full of sibling cricket rivalry.

"It was pretty cool growing up and having him be successful with his cricket probably made me want to be the same and get stuck in."

The teams meet again in Nelson on Thursday, with three more T20s and three ODIs in February.

NZ v AUSTRALIA
Seddon Park, Hamilton, 2.45pm today

NEW ZEALAND Aimee Watkins (c), Suzy Bates, Sophie Devine, Sara McGlashan, Erin Bermingham, Amy Satterthwaite, Kate Broadmore, Katey Martin, Lucy Doolan, Nicola Browne, Sarah Tsukigawa, Natalie Dodd, Liz Perry, Sian Ruck.

AUSTRALIA Alex Blackwell (c), Shelley Nitschke, Jessica Cameron, Meg Lanning, Sarah Elliott, Rachael Haynes, Leah Poulton, Sarah Coyte, Alyssa Healy, Julie Hunter, Erin Osborne, Rene Farrell, Ellyse Perry, Lisa Sthalekar .