A clinical bowling display spearheaded by Dani Gibson helped England beat New Zealand by seven wickets in the third T20 international to secure a 2-1 series victory. The Kiwis were bundled out for just 80 after winning the toss and choosing to make first use of a favourable pitch on a sizzling day in Hove, with all-rounder Gibson ripping through the middle order with a career-best 3-14.
She was backed up by England’s impressive spin attack, who stifled New Zealand’s ability to rotate the strike which curtailed the scoring and prompted some loose shots in search of boundaries.
Jess Kerr top-scored for the White Ferns with 20 as only three players made double figures in their eighth-lowest total in T20s.
England made relatively light work of the chase after Sophia Dunkley’s breezy 22 had got them off to a positive start.
Heather Knight fell for 18 – caught at backward point reverse sweeping Melie Kerr – but Maia Bouchier’s unbeaten 19 put them within striking distance. Freya Kemp hit the winning run off Bree Illing as got England over the line with 37 balls, to spare to wrap up their seventh successive T20 bilateral series victory against the White Ferns.
Charlotte Edwards’ side will now play three T20 internationals against India, followed by warm-up matches against Australia and India before the T20 World Cup. England start the home World Cup against Sri Lanka at Edgbaston on 12 June.
England had threatened to blow away New Zealand in the second T20 when they reduced the tourists to 11-4.
On that occasion, Sophie Devine and Maddy Green diligently weathered the storm before they took the game to England’s bowlers in a fifth-wicket stand of 159 which laid the platform for a 14-run victory.
This time around England were ruthless when they got themselves into a strong position, their spinners building dot-ball pressure and the lack of scoring opportunities scrambling the minds of the Kiwi batters.
The key New Zealand wicket was Devine, and when she tamely chipped Gibson to mid-off for a five-ball duck England’s joy was obvious. Devine was the fourth wicket to fall as the White Ferns’ middle order melted quicker than an ice cream in the 27C heat, collapsing from 29-1 to 33-6. For a while New Zealand’s lowest total in T20 internationals – 60 all out against England in Whangarei in February 2015 – looked under threat.
Jess Kerr ensured that batting nadir was avoided before she was snared by Issy Wong, but in truth it was England’s spinners who appear key for what is to come later this summer. According to CricViz, 47% of deliveries bowled by their spinners were hitting the stumps as their 11.1 overs claimed six wickets for 39 runs. Linsey Smith was particularly difficult to get away at the start en route to 2-15 while Dean took 3-13 and Sophie Ecclestone snared 1-11. There are sterner tests to come for this attack, but this was encouraging.