Fran Jonas took career-best figures (4-22) against England at Lord's; England's Lauren Bell (3-21) took a three-for while spinner Charlie Dean took two wickets in three balls as the hosts wrapped up a 20-run victory at Lord's
Wednesday 17 July 2024 22:50, UK
England held off a spirited New Zealand to complete a brilliant series clean sweep marking their 200th T20I with a 20-run victory at Lord's.
England made a tentative start after New Zealand inserted them, losing opener Danni Wyatt (0) for a golden duck off the first ball of the match and Maia Bouchier (13) in the fifth over to post their worst powerplay against the tourists in this series.
New Zealand's Fran Jones (4-22) took career-best figures as she helped reduce England to 87-6 but captain Heather Knight (46no) and Charlie Dean (24) shared a seventh-wicket partnership worth 57 to help the hosts post a par total of 155-7 at the home of cricket.
In reply, New Zealand could only reach 132-8 with Brooke Halliday (24) and Amelia Kerr (43) sharing a vital 40-run stand but the tourists were unable to hunt down the runs with Lauren Bell (3-20) taking a three-for and spinner Charlie Dean (2-29) striking twice in three balls.
Freya Kemp (2-31) helped clean up New Zealand's tail as they collapsed from 111-5 to 129-8 at the end of 20 overs with Lauren Filer also picking up a wicket on a rare wicketless outing for Sophie Ecclestone, who prior to the meeting at Lord's had taken a wicket in 34 consecutive matches across all formats.
England wrapped up another ruthless and conclusive performance to take the five-match series having dominated in the ODI's preceding the T20I's while also finishing their international summer undefeated following earlier series wins against Pakistan.
For the first time in the five-match series, Heather Knight’s side found themselves in a strife after Wyatt fell early and fellow opener Bouchier chipped Jonas tamely to mid-on to leave England 40-2 after six overs.
Jonas completed a sensational one-handed catch in her follow-through while diving to her right to dismiss Nat Sciver-Brunt (16) in the ninth over after she whacked a full toss straight back to the bowler.
Eden Carson (2-35) struck with her first ball in the following over when Alice Capsey (25) shimmied down the wicket to hit a full toss outside off-stump, but missed and was stumped by Izzy Gaze.
Amy Jones (11) gifted Carson her second scalp after holing out to Maddy Green at the long-on rope, leaving the hosts 77-5.
Jonas knocked down Kemp’s middle stump to complete her career-best figures and leave England on 87-6. Jonas’ figures are the best in a women’s T20I cricket at Lord’s, beating Katherine Sciver-Brunt’s 3-6. The 20-year-old became the first New Zealand bowler to take four wickets in a women’s T20I for 12 years since Morna Neilsen in 2012.
The wickers ignited a spirited fightback from skipper Knight (46no) and Charlie Dean (24) who shared a 57-run stand to take England to three figures before Jess Kerr (1-25) struck in the penultimate over, the first seamer to take a wicket in New Zealand’s attack.
Dean dug out Kerr’s yorker straight back to her for the seventh wicket to fall, but was able to help England post a par total of 155-7.
New Zealand made a steady start to their reply as they looked to dent England’s whitewash hopes with openers Suzie Bates (16) and Georgia Plimmer (8) before pace bowler Lauren Bell and Lauren Filer had the tourists two down at the end of the powerplay.
Plimmer (8) gloved behind to Amy Jones to gift England their breakthrough as she attempted to scoop Bell’s back-of-a-length delivery but missed.
Bates smashed a low full toss from Filer for four through mid-wicket but fell in the following delivery in the sixth over with a short ball which was top-edged to Sciver-Brunt at mid-on.
Kerr (43) and Halliday’s (24) 40-run partnership helped to dent England’s dominance slightly as they dragged the Kiwi’s to 100-3 but their stand was broken with a length ball that was pitched very wide of the latter batter. Halliday played the line and edged behind to Jones.
Dean took two wickets in the 18th over to reveal the weaknesses of New Zealand’s lower order as she had Kerr stumped after missing a yorker and bowled Maddy Green (4) leaving them 113-6.
Wyatt managed to reprieve her golden duck after she caught Jess Kerr on at deep mid-wicket while Bell completed her three-for with a slower ball that disrupted Gaze’s off-stump and with New Zealand still requiring 26 runs from the final four balls, England had all but sealed the deal.
Player of the series Sarah Glenn:
"I am really enjoying it out there with the girls, we are playing really fearless cricket, and I think it is bringing the best out of me as well.
"We are just doing it with a smile on our face and being really resilient.
"I am always looking towards new variations and different plans. Just trying to keep growing really."
Player of the match and England captain Heather Knight (46no):
"It is a situation I have been in quite a few times.
"We want to be aggressive and sometimes we are going to leak wickets and be in those situations.
"Lord's can be a bit of a funny surface sometimes - we just tried to rebuild.
"It is just nice to contribute. I haven't had a huge amount of minutes in the middle because the girls have been so good.
"We have played exactly how we wanted to, we have kept going hard, and been really smart. It has been a big motivation for us to finish here on a high."
New Zealand captain Sophie Devine...
"I thought we played with a smile on our faces in the field and the way Fran Jonas bowled was outstanding - she might have snared five there and got herself up on the board.
"I think there was plenty of positives in the fielding but we probably leaked a few through the middle and the back end.
"Just disappointing to finish the way that we did.
"We have got a lot of things we need to go back home and work on. We need to look in the mirror and learn what we can do to win games."
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