England ensured a 59-run victory against New Zealand at the Utilita Bowl in Southampton. New Zealand won the toss and chose to bowl in the first Vitality IT20 of a five-match series. Batting first, England scored 197/3, Danni Wyatt’s comfortable 76 from 51 and Nat Sciver-Brunt’s rapid 47 from 23 proved match winning.
Sarah Glenn’s 3/16 – all three wickets taken in her second over – was instrumental in strangling the Kiwis’ batting order and causing a consolidating collapse. Suzie Bates’ 43 from 33 were in vain as England secured their first win of the IT20 series.
A T20 World Cup in Bangladesh was clearly in the peripheral vision of England Head Coach, Jon Lewis who opted to play a bowling attack of four spinners. 29-year-old Linsey Smith was the surprise inclusion to the XI having only represented England on a handful of occasions.
The tone of the game was set imminently as Danni Wyatt opened the batting innings with an indicative boundary. England’s mantra to ‘inspire and entertain’ was delivered as they directed an assured powerplay of 52/0, punishing the Kiwis.
New Zealand had to wait for their first moment of success until the eighth over. Lea Tahuhu, who missed the ODI series, joining the team following the birth of her second child, made the breakthrough with the ball. Maia Bouchier was dismissed for 32, the catch going straight into the hands of Georgia Plimmer on the boundary.
Melie Kerr and Tahuhu’s variation attempted to decrease the intensity of England’s batting, England reaching 82/1 at the halfway stage. However, even the drinks break failed to quell the momentum, Nat Sciver-Brunt and Danni Wyatt accelerating, pushing to the next gear.
Wyatt’s half century came up from 36 balls, the 33-year-old earning the accolade of scoring the most half centuries by an English woman in T20 internationals – a statistic courtesy of Hypocaust.
England’s confidence and ruthlessness in the middle made the side look like a more exciting outfit ahead of the T20 World Cup in October, a team who will want to rectify past errors in tournament cricket.
Reinforcing this, Sciver-Brunt kept her strike rate above 200 throughout her innings. Ultimately, the all-rounder fell short of reaching the half century milestone, scoring 47 from 23 balls before her feats were ended by Eden Carson.
In the final overs of England’s innings, Freya Kemp and Heather Knight were slightly restricted by New Zealand. Kemp’s persistent swing and slashes with the bat did not prove lucrative and caused England’s run rate to dip.
Knight’s decision to bring herself to the middle rather than a more explosive batter such as Alice Capsey could be questioned given her brief, lacklustre run a ball performance.
New Zealand’s initial response with the bat was reflective of the 198 target they were chasing. Opener, Georgia Plimmer, was run out in the second over, the Kiwis desperate to take any run they could.
19-year-old Freya Kemp was back bowling in an England shirt after battling reoccurring back stress fractures. While her bowling has taken a backseat, her batting, including her powerful striking of the ball, has flourished.
A Suzie Bates-led powerplay left New Zealand 45/1 after six overs, a score with promise and potential.
However, Charlie Dean, after going for 12 from her first over, came back into the attack and dismissed Melie Kerr who skied the ball up and into the hands of Maia Bouchier.
Spin was the answer as England sent the Kiwis three wickets down, Sarah Glenn bowling her classic stock ball, finding off stump and forcing Bates to depart. The spin bowling department of England’s squad has acquired immense depth and quality, Glenn emphasising this with a trio of wickets in her second over to hold New Zealand 64/5 at the halfway stage.
Three consecutive boundaries by Jess Kerr came too late in the innings for New Zealand. Their earlier collapse of 5/4 dictated the result prematurely, despite Kerr’s attempts to rectify in the middle.
Fielding was a weakness for both teams, England dropping four catches in the 18th over, the fifth opportunity being taken – unimportant in this match scenario but an unwanted habit.
The Kiwis batted out the overs, Kemp’s final ball taking the wicket of Tahuhu, England sealing a 59-run victory. England will next face New Zealand in the 2nd IT20 in Hove on Tuesday 9th July.
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