Australia close in on Women's Ashes after first T20I victory
Once again standing up for the tourists was Beth Mooney, whose unbeaten 61* from 47 balls helped seal a four-wicket win off the penultimate ball of the match.
Mooney was calm in spite of a mini collapse at the other end, with the Aussies at one stage losing 3/10 in the space of 11 deliveries at the back-end of the chase.
Annabel Sutherland helped Mooney edge Australia closer through the 19th and 20th over, before Georgia Wareham finished the job, nudging a single off Sophie Ecclestone's delivery to chase down the target of 154.
With four Women's Ashes series points after Test victory at Trent Bridge and the two points from the first T20I, the Aussies need just one more victory across the two remaining T20Is and three ODIs to retain the series by virtue of being the current holders.
Match highlights as Meg Lanning’s Australia beat South Africa in an entertaining final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 in Cape Town.
Earlier, three-wicket hauls for Jess Jonassen (3/25) and Megan Schutt (2/33) stifled England's aggressive line-up, though Amy Jones' 40* from 21 balls ensured the hosts posted a competitive score.
Jones hit 29 of England's 31 runs in the final two overs of their innings, building on the rebuild effort of Sophia Dunkley's 56 (49) and Heather Knight's 29 (22)
The tourists lost skipper Alyssa Healy early (5), though Mooney and Tahlia McGrath (40 off 29 balls) pushed Australia forward.
McGrath fell to the left-arm orthodox of Ecclestone (2/24), though Ash Gardner (31 off 23 balls) helped the tourists' case.
Fellow spinner Sarah Glenn (2/33 off four overs) gave England hope, though it was Mooney's maturity with the lower order that ensured victory.
Batting highlights of Australia’s Beth Mooney as the opener scored a superb half-century against South Africa in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final.
Australia and England now move to London for the second and third T20Is at The Oval and Lord's respectively.