New Zealand women v England women – 1st Twenty20 International, Cobham Oval, Whangarei
New Zealand women won the toss and elected to bat
New Zealand women – 60 (Erin Bermingham 20, Anya Shrubsole 3-6, Heather Knight 3-10)
19.4 overs
England women – 61-2 (Charlotte Edwards 32*, Sarah Taylor 16, Erin Bermingham 1-12, Georgia Guy 1-21)
11.4 overs
Full Scorecard
England won by 8 wickets
England came out firing on all cylinders as they bowled New Zealand out for 60 as they won the first of three Twenty20 matches by eight wickets with more than 8 overs left in Whangarei. They set out their stall in the second over when Katherine Brunt took the wicket of the dangerous Suzie Bates (caught by Danielle Hazel). Rachel Priest followed swiftly for a duck and the White Ferns were on 3-2 and reeling.
Spinner Heather Knight (3-10) took three wickets for two runs to reduce New Zealand to 10-4 after five overs.
Anya Shrubsole later took 3-6 as New Zealand collapsed to their lowest T20 international score.
England captain Charlotte Edwards made an unbeaten 32 as England reached their victory target after just 11.4 overs.
At 18-6 New Zealand looked strong candidates to record the lowest ever women’s T20I score, beating Sri Lanka’s 57 all out against Bangladesh in 2012.
Katie Perkins and Erin Bermingham saw New Zealand through the next few overs, but the introduction of Anya Shrubsole accounted for Perkins and then Tahuhu.
Bermingham, the only White Fern to reach double figures, had taken her score to 20 and the New Zealand total to 55 before she too played across the line and was lbw to Laura Marsh.
At 55-9 New Zealand still needed three runs to make it past Sri Lanka’s previous low and they limped to 60, before Shrubsole wrapped up the innings.
England lost Lauren Winfield for one with the score on five, but Charlotte Edwards looked in confident mood and steered her side to an emphatic victory.
Victory was a measure of revenge for England after they lost the one-day series 2-1.
The second Twenty20 international is to be played at the same venue on Friday.
The photo above is Heather Knight from the last ODI – England wear orange for the T20s.
