Billy Stanlake and Andrew Tye did the damage with the ball as Australia thrashed New Zealand in the Twenty20 tri-nations opener.

England, the other side involved in the series, will have taken heed of a clinical Australia performance at the SCG on Saturday as the hosts eased to victory by seven wickets.

Stanlake (3-15) and Tye (4-23) did the damage with the ball – none of New Zealand’s top four reaching double figures in a total of 117-9 which was only boosted by Colin de Grandhomme thumping three maximums in an unbeaten 38 from 24 balls.

Rain at the interval reduced Australia’s target to 95 off 15 overs under the Duckworth/Lewis system and, despite two early losses, a successful chase was never in serious doubt.

Lynn (44 off 33) and Maxwell (40no off 24) made sure of that, the pair adding 77 in less than nine overs as Australia got their campaign off to a winning start ahead of facing England in Hobart on Wednesday.

Stanlake enjoyed an impressive Big Bash campaign and he had an immediate impact here by picking up wickets from his first two balls as Colin Munro top-edged a pull before Martin Guptill was cleaned up by a beauty.

His figures read 3-4 as Tom Bruce holed out to long-leg and Tye got in on the act by inducing a leading edge from Kane Williamson that was well held by David Warner.

After Tom Blundell (14) and Ross Taylor (24) rebuilt slowly, De Grandhomme provided some belated fireworks but, left with the tail, he could only inflict limited damage as Tye returned to pick up three more victims with his clever variations.

D’Arcy Short’s international debut lasted just four balls as he fell to Tim Southee and Warner holed out from Trent Boult in the next over to give the Black Caps a glimmer of hope.

That proved short-lived, however, as Lynn struck four boundaries from the next 11 deliveries and Maxwell launched De Grandhomme down the ground for a maximum.

Lynn joined in the fun by slog-sweeping Mitchell Santner over the square-leg fence and although he perished to Boult with victory in sight, Maxwell crashed Southee for a pair of boundaries to get home with 21 balls to spare.