England eased to a T20 series win over New Zealand with a seven-wicket victory in Monday’s Hove decider after a ruthless bowling display routed their opponents for just 80.
New Zealand were demolished in 19.1 overs after electing to bat – losing five wickets for four runs in 20 balls from 29-1 in the sixth over – as stand-in England skipper Charlie Dean (3-13) and all-rounder Dani Gibson (3-14) shared six wickets.
Seamer Gibson accounted for Kiwi captain Melie Kerr (5) and the dangerous Sophie Devine (0) in the same over en route to career-best T20 international figures.
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Dani Gibson dismissed Sophie Devine, Melie Kerr and Maddy Green during an excellent performance at Hove
All five of the bowlers England used played their part, though, including left-arm spinners Linsey Smith (2-15) and Sophie Ecclestone (1-11).
Ecclestone, who did not play in Saturday’s 14-run loss at Canterbury and registered painful figures 0-34 in the first T20 at Derby which her side won by seven wickets, bowled Izzy Sharp with a beauty in a timely return to form ahead of next month’s home T20 World Cup.
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Watch how Sophie Ecclestone cleaned up New Zealand’s Izzy Sharp with delicious arm ball
England lost Alice Capsey (3) lbw, Sophia Dunkley (22) caught at mid-on, and Heather Knight (18) pouched on the reverse sweep in a fairly sedate chase that they completed in 13.5 overs, with Maia Bouchier (19no off 29) – not in her side’s T20 World Cup squad – struggling to up the run-rate before Freya Kemp’s (7no off 5) late cameo.
The hosts will now take on India in a three-match T20 series, starting at Chelmsford on Thursday, before turning full attention to the World Cup, which is live on Sky Sports from June 12-July 5.
England will hope to have usual captain Nat Sciver-Brunt (calf injury) fit and firing for the big event, with the all-rounder having sat out the fixtures with New Zealand and also to miss the India matches.
Nat Sciver-Brunt is facing a fight to be fit for the T20 World Cup
New Zealand skittled in Hove as England bowlers shine
New Zealand had rallied from 11-4 inside four overs en route to levelling the series in Kent at the weekend – Devine (87) and Maddy Green (56) slamming 159 from 98 balls for the fifth wicket – but there would be no dramatic comeback in Sussex.
Devine was fourth out at Hove, chipping Gibson tamely to mid-off in the sixth over, four balls after Melie Kerr pulled the same bowler to mid-on, during a remarkable collapse to 33-6..
Off-spinner Dean started the flurry of wickets by cleaning up a reverse-sweeping Izzy Gaze (17 off 13), while she also trapped Brooke Halliday (2) lbw on review before Ecclestone castled Sharp with an arm ball after cramping the batter for room.
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New Zealand openers Suzie Bates and Izzy Gaze both perished on the reverse sweep in the Hove T20
Green (14) and top-scorer Jess Kerr (20) joined Gaze in double figures, but then saw their innings ended by a superb running catch from Bouchier at deep midwicket and a cracking back-of-the hand slower ball from Issy Wong (1-20) respectively.
Bouchier’s excellent grab, off Gibson’s bowling, was part of a strong fielding display.
Smith bagged the first scalp of the day – Suzie Bates (3) caught on the reverse sweep at backward point in the third over after being promoted to open on her return to the side – and also the eighth, when the diminutive Nensi Patel (2) was trapped lbw.
Dean polished off the innings by nicking off Bree Illing (3) and New Zealand’s double-digit total was never realistically going to be sufficient, allowing England to pootle along in the chase.
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Watch the winning moment as England beat New Zealand by seven wickets in the series-deciding third T20 international
Dean salutes ‘ruthless’ England
England captain Charlie Dean (3-13 in 3.1 overs), at the presentation:
“That was a brilliant win from the girls. It made my job easier when we pick up wickets, early wickets. I guess we learnt from the Canterbury game to really be ruthless when we were on top, and we were.
“A bit of a loss for us today [without Lauren Bell], but the girls stood up. We had a different formula in that powerplay and we were brilliant. That’s a credit to the squad and the girls who didn’t get on. We’re more than ready when we get the chance.”
‘Better now than in the World Cup’
New Zealand captain Melie Kerr, at the presentation:
“It’s a disappointing finish to this series. I thought we’ve played some really good cricket throughout the series. Today was really disappointing but I guess it’s better to do it now than come the World Cup.
“We need to work on losing wickets early and losing wickets in clumps. You want to set the tone and get off to a good start. We bat deep, which is exciting, but we’ve got to give ourselves a chance and try to have a better power play.”
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Sky Sports’ Nasser Hussain thinks ‘spin will dominate’ at the T20 World Cup, and predicts which spinners will play for England.
The secrets to Smith’s success?
Player of the series – Linsey Smith (2-15 from four overs) – at the presentation:
“Just backing my strengths. Something that’s worked for me throughout the series is just being really clinical in that powerplay. Try not to leave the stumps too much and apply a lot of pressure.
“We had a really impressive series in the field. That’s something we’ve talked about a lot. It’s really important, especially in T20s, controlling our inputs and our energy and really trusting each other. Hopefully that carries on.”
Watch the Women’s T20 World Cup live in full on Sky Sports from June 12-July 5. Hosts England kick off the tournament on opening night with a game versus Sri Lanka at Edgbaston (6.30pm start).
