Lynn and Maxwell combine to power Australia to T20 win over New Zealand

A 77-run stand led the hosts to a seven-wicket win at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Chris Lynn hit 44 runs from 30 balls to steer Australia's response against New Zealand on Saturday. Craig Golding / EPA

Power hitters Chris Lynn and Glenn Maxwell propelled Australia to a convincing seven-wicket victory over New Zealand in the first tri-series Twenty20 match at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday.

Lynn hit 44 runs from 33 balls and Maxwell 40 not out from 24 balls to share in a scorching 77-run stand to steer Australia to the rain-reduced total of 95 from 15 overs with 21 balls to spare.

Despite a top-order wobble, in which captain David Warner and the debutant D'Arcy Short fell inside the first three overs, the belligerent power of Lynn and Maxwell swamped the New Zealand bowling attack.

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Australia's victory was earlier set up by towering paceman Billy Stanlake whose fierce pace justified Warner's decision to bowl first after winning the toss, as he wrecked New Zealand's top order with three wickets in the space of his first eight balls.

Stanlake startled Colin Munro with his high bounce for debutant wicketkeeper Alex Carey to race out to point to complete the catch. Martin Guptill was then flummoxed next ball by a perfect-length seamer that flicked the top of off stump. Stanlake narrowly missed his hat-trick as Tom Bruce clipped an attempted yorker through the leg side for three.

Andrew Tye claimed four wickets as Australia restricted New Zealand to a below-par 117-9 off their 20 overs. Tye mopped up the Kiwi tail to finish with 4-23, while towering paceman Stanlake claimed three wickets inside the powerplay to dismantle the New Zealand top order.

Australia had New Zealand at 60-5 before Colin de Grandhomme hit an unbeaten 38 from 24 balls with three sixes and a four. De Grandhomme launched two massive sixes off leg-spinner Adam Zampa with the Black Caps managing just four sixes in the entire innings.

Stanlake underlined why he is one of the hottest prospects in the country and has been locked up on a Cricket Australia central contract.

Tye's first wicket owed much to Warner's catch, running backwards to make the grab and remove Kiwi captain Kane Williamson for eight from 21 balls.

Australia play England in the second match of the tri-series in Hobart on Wednesday.