Dani Wyatt, Heather Knight and Amy Jones help England Women clinch the T20I series, defeating New Zealand Women in the third match by four wickets at Taunton on Thursday.
The English Women’s team is one of the best sides in the world, and they proved it again, winning the three-match T20I series against New Zealand by 2-1. The hosts won the series decider by four wickets to claim their second T20I series victory of the English summer, having defeated India by 2-1 in July.
The batting contributions from Dani Wyatt, Heather Knight, Amy Jones and Sophia Dunkley helped England Women chase down the target of 145 with one ball to spare.
As it happened, England won the toss and elected to field first, with the skipper Knight returning back after recovering from a hamstring injury. Suzie Bates got New Zealand off to a great start with 34 off 30 as she added 45 runs for the first wicket with Sophie Devine.
After Bates was dismissed, the NZ skipper took the reins in her hands, scoring 35 off 33. Amy Satterthwaite’s knock of 13 off 21 was a real dampener on the visitors’ chances of posting a big total. Maddy Green (16 off 14), Brooke Halliday (25* off 16) and Katey Martin (13* off 6) gave a late push to take NZ total to 144 for 4.
Chasing 145, England put 40 runs on the board with the loss of Tammy Beaumont (3 off 11). Dani Wyatt looked in glorious touch in her knock of 35 off 23. Leigh Kasperek pegged the hosts back with two back to back blows in the seventh over – dismissing Wyatt and Nat Sciver (2 off 5), reducing England to 3/42.
Amy Jones put England ahead with her outstanding quick-fire knock of 32 off just 19 balls. Knight played a good anchor’s innings of 42 off 36 added 40 runs for the fifth wicket with Dunkley (22* off 21).
The hosts lost Knight and Miai Bouchier in a span of three deliveries. With six needed off the last three balls, Dunkley finished it off with a double and boundary to take England over the line.
Knight has been named the PotM for her measured innings to anchor the chase. The two teams will now move on to the five-match ODI series, with the first game slated to take place at Bristol on September 16.
Brief Scores
New Zealand Women – 144/4 in 20 overs (Devine 35, Bates 34; Glenn 1/20, Sciver 1/29)
England Women – 145/6 in 19.5 overs (Knight 42, Wyatt 35; Kasperek 3/25, Kerr 1/27) won by 4 wickets.
