Melbourne, Mar 2 (PTI) Defending champions Australia advanced to the ICC Women's T20 World Cup semifinals after knocking out New Zealand with a four-run win in their must-win final Group A match here on Monday.

Beth Mooney's brilliant half-century proved the difference as four-time champions Australia halted New Zealand in a chase of 155 four runs short. Mooney hit 60 off 50 balls in the must-win match.

Leg-spinner Georgia Wareham's three for 17 sent the top-order into collapse and ensured a semi-final berth for the hosts, who will face either South Africa or England in Sydney.

Mooney's 60 runs from 50 balls, including six fours and two sixes, helped Australia to 155 for five with the White Ferns requiring the highest successful chase of the tournament to win at Junction Oval.

New Zealand, who have made the semi-finals once since 2012, fell agonisingly short as their top-order struggled in Melbourne for the third successive game.

Megan Schutt took three for 22 but Wareham was the pick of the bowlers after taking the crucial wickets of Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine and Maddy Green to set Australia on their way.

It was far from the start the hosts would have wanted as star opener Alyssa Healy fell cheaply when she hit in-form Hayley Jensen straight to Amelia Kerr at mid-wicket.

But the second-wicket partnership between Mooney and Meg Lanning quickly put them back into control, the pair hitting five boundaries between them to end the Powerplay at 38 for one.

The skipper was in no mood to settle for singles as she hit back-to-back fours off Anna Peterson's first two balls but her actions proved over-ambitious as her top-edged sweep was caught by Lea Tahuhu at short fine leg for 21.

With Healy and Lanning gone, Mooney was left to steer the ship and she did so in remarkable fashion, blasting two sixes over mid-on followed by hitting successive boundaries in the 13th to grab her half-century.

The Australian celebrations were short-lived, however, as Leigh Kasperek bowled Ashleigh Gardner for 20.

Mooney then fell in the 18th over when Bates took an excellent tumbling catch at long-on off Peterson to end her stay in the middle.

Ellyse Perry made 21 before being stumped by Rachel Priest on the penultimate ball while 19 from Rachael Haynes helped the hosts set a high chase.

Priest powered New Zealand into a promising start, hitting three boundaries in the first three overs but the opener was sent packing in the fourth when Jess Jonassen trapped her lbw for 17.

It was a steady start from Devine and Bates but a misfield allowed Bates to bring needed momentum to the chase with two boundaries in the seventh.

But Bates once again fell short of her well-known potential as she was dismissed lbw by Wareham for 14 in the next over.

The hosts did well to restrict their opponents but were dealt with a blow when Perry was forced off the field after sustaining a hamstring injury.

Wareham dismissed Devine for 31 thanks to Healy's quick reaction with the gloves, leaving New Zealand's middle-order under pressure.

Two sixes from Green helped to lower the required run rate but she was the next to fall victim to Wareham's canny bowling when Healy stumped her for 28.

Brief Scores:

Australia 155-5, 20 overs (Beth Mooney 60, Ellyse Perry 21; Anna Peterson 2-31) beat New Zealand 151-7, 20 overs (Katey Martin 37 not out, Georgia Wareham 3-17, Megan Schutt 3-28).

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