Source: ECB

England end tour with second Series win

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England Women End Tour with their Second Series Win [New Zealand Tour – Final T20I, Wellington (Sky – formerly Westpac Stadium) on 7 March 2021]

As seen on BT Sports TV and streamed live on website Live Cricket Australia & the ICC match centre, the final women’s twenty overs match was played before cricket spectators. Between matches, White Ferns skipper Sophie Devine had told TV that she applauded her fellow Ferns for ‘using their feet’ to avoid getting ‘bogged down’ by England. Facing defeat in all but one match throughout both series, for Ferns, Devine said: ‘It had always been ‘back to the drawing board.’

*White Ferns skipper Sophie Devine put acting skipper Natalie Sciver’s England in to bat. Devine was Ferns’ most successful bowler, taking three wickets (3/24) including Tammy Beaumont (14 runs off 17 balls). Skipper Natalie Sciver (9) was ‘run-out’ by Kate Ebrahim (off Leigh Kasperek.) *Living dangerously, Sophia Dunkley spooned a dolly to Mid-Off (Amy Satterthwaite dropping the catch); and survived a ‘leg before’ appeal. *Good fortune continued as batters Sophia Dunkley (26 from 29 balls); Amy Jones (15 runs from 13 balls); and Fran Wilson (31* from 22) all reached double figures – at a collective strike rate of around one-run-per ball. Ferns Keeper (Katey Martin) stumped both Katherine Brunt (7) and Sophie Ecclestone (8). Ferns narrowly failed to bowl England out within twenty overs.

*Disaster struck White Ferns’ reply when both openers who were dismissed ‘leg before’ were presented with ducks during Katherine Brunt’s (2/19) first over. *Brunt received POTM, possibly out of disbelief for dismissing Sophie Devine (0) for a second ball duck. Hayley Jensen (0) took a golden (first ball) duck. *No further wickets fell until the ‘Spin Twins’ Sarah Glenn (1/21) and Sophie Ecclestone (2/19) each took one wicket just before the half-way point. *After ten overs, Ferns appeared to be on equal footing (55/5 vs 57/3 at 10 overs). *Once newbie pacer Freya Davies (1/7) bowled Brooke Halliday (7), any thoughts of Ferns staging a tail-end revival (as had happened previously in ODI) seemed unlikely.

*At the Hundred ball benchmark (16.4 overs) Ferns were trailing on 87/9 (England were 104/7). Wickets had fallen like dominoes either side of the half-way point, including two same-over ducks presented by Mady Villiers (3/10). *Ferns were faced with doubling their score with only 31 balls remaining – and that seemed quite impossible without losing another wicket. *Maddy Green (20 from 23) and Rosemary Mair (13*) did well to lift Ferns score by 33 runs, closing on 96 when Maddy Green was caught at extra cover by Sophie Ecclestone. Skipper Natalie Sciver as bowler, was eventually handed the final Ferns wicket to wrap-up England’s second series win – ending the tour on a high.

Result: England Women 128-9 (20 overs) beat NZ Women 96 (18 overs) by 32 runs

England 128-9 (20 overs) Fran Wilson 31*, Sophia Dunkley 26; Sophie Devine 3/30, Brooke Halliday 1/11, Rosemary Mair 1/17, Leigh Kasperek 1/24, Amelia Kerr 1/28; Fow 12,24,34,70,77,84,104,114,125

New Zealand (96 all out in 18 Overs) Amy Satterthwaite 25, Maddy Green 20. Amelia Kerr 18; Mady Villiers 3/10, Katherine Brunt 2/19, Sophie Ecclestone 2/19, Freya Davies 1/7, Natalie Sciver 1/20, Sarah Glenn 1/21; Fow 0,1,37,45,48,58,59,60,63,96

Highlights and Scorecard

Footnote:

Tour conditions affected by ‘bio bubble’ lifestyle restrictions to safeguard Players from the pandemic virus (‘covid-19’) As the virus struck Auckland (NZ North Island), the entire T20I three match series was played at Wellington