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New Zealand have managed to defend a paltry 91 against Bangladesh in their women's Twenty20 World Cup game, setting up a sudden-death showdown with Australia.

New Zealand have escaped with a 17-run win from their women's Twenty20 World Cup clash with Bangladesh after being given an almighty scare.

The White Ferns managed to defend a paltry 91 after batting first at Melbourne's Junction Oval, restricting the Lady Tigers to 74.

But the Kiwis will have to seriously improve on Monday for their sudden-death showdown against Australia, with the winner moving onto the semi-finals.

Bangladesh's chase wasn't helped by key batter Nigar Sultana retiring hurt after she top-edged a shot into her helmet.

Sultana appeared to be in severe pain around her neck and was taken from the field on a motorised cart, but later returned to the crease.

The Lady Tigers were in the game at 2-31, but lost 7-27 after Sultana went down and were bowled out in the final over.

All of the White Ferns bowlers performed strongly, but Hayley Jensen was the pick of them with an accurate spell of 3-11.

"We didn't really bat too well there, but we know we're Kiwis and we scrap to the last ball so it was a really good bowling performance," Jensen said.

"I just kept it really simple, just hit the seam and bowl stump-to-stump.

"We know that we've done all the work so we'll just go into training and come out confident for the next match."

During New Zealand's innings, star batters Sophie Devine and Rachel Priest put on a 36-run opening stand, but the Kiwis then suffered an extraordinary collapse of 8-36 to be all-out in the 19th over.

Playing in her first World Cup match, Bangladesh's Ritu Moni destroyed the Kiwis with figures of 4-18.