Aaron Finch, T20 Tri-Series
Australia's Aaron Finch batting against India during their T20 cricket match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia January 29, 2016. Reuters / Hamish Blair

Skipper David Warner smashed 59 runs off just 24 balls as Australia completed the highest run-chase in Twenty20 cricket history in a dramatic five-wicket victory over New Zealand on Friday. Chasing a target of 244 runs in Game 5 of the Trans-Tasman Twenty20 Tri-Series, the Aussies won with seven balls to spare in front of a capacity crowd at Auckland's Eden Park.

Warner, named Australia's best limited-overs player of 2017, added 121 runs for the opening wicket with southpaw D'Arcy Short, who top-scored with 76 runs from just 44 balls. After Warner was dismissed by Kiwi leg-spinner Ish Sodhi, Short added 56 runs for the third-wicket with Glenn Maxwell (31 runs off 14 balls). Aaron Finch, arguably Australia's best T20 batsman, finished off the run-chase with an unbeaten knock of 36 runs from just 14 balls, including three massive sixes.

"Fantastic effort from the guys, you just have to take the scoreboard out of it. We brought it back slightly (with the ball), a fantastic knock by New Zealand as well. I said from day one to have a lot of energy, keep a smile on your face. Was a fantastic surface. 240 might not be enough in the final! We'll need to think about it. Early wickets are the key," Warner said during the post-match presentation ceremony, via ESPNCricinfo.

T20 Tri-Series: Martin Guptill century goes in vain

Earlier in the day, New Zealand openers Martin Guptill (105 runs off 54 balls) and Colin Munro (76 runs off 33 balls) added 132 runs in just 10.3 overs until the latter fell to Andrew Tye. At the stage, the Kiwis were on pace to score 300 runs, until a middle-order collapse derailed their momentum. Australian fast bowler Kane Richardson finished with a haul of 2/40 from 4 overs, claiming both his wickets in the 19th over.

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson showed sympathy on his bowlers and fielders. "It was a very good surface, small ground. We've sometimes seen scores on the lower side here. At the halfway point you feel you have a fairly good score on the board. It's a very tough one, Australia played very nicely. Hard to be too critical of the bowlers. Half hits would go 20 rows back."

New Zealand will now have to beat England on Sunday to secure a berth in the final against Australia on Wednesday. The Kiwis enter the game at Hamilton as the favourites after their 12-run victory over England last Tuesday. The ongoing Trans-Tasman Twenty20 Tri-Series is T20 cricket's first-ever three-nation tournament. It marks the end of a long summer of Australian cricket which began with the five-match Ashes Test series.