Confident New Zealand ready for England challenge in the decider, says Maddy Green

win against England in Hove to register their first win the format against the hosts since February 2015. Both sides will face each other again in the decider at the County Ground in Taunton on Thursday (September 10). Visitors will have an opportunity to win a T20I series against England for the first time since 2010. Allrounder Maddy Green says they will take the confidence from the win in the second T20I and hope to come up trumps in pressure situations in the final match.

“The ability to play games and to be put in the pressure situations is only going to help us in the deciding game,” Green said during a media interaction ahead of the series decider. “ we get in a similar situation, players know how to execute their roles under pressure against a quality team. We have been here for three-four weeks as a group and it’s great to be outside. I think it has been good for the group and we are taking a lot of confidence from our win in Brighton the other night.”

New Zealand played an intra-squad practice match on Monday (September 6). Green said this helped New Zealand players to replicate game situations having played only a limited number of practice matches. “On this tour, we have tried to replicate game situations and put ourselves in pressure situations. was a really close game. It has been good just to try and get some competitiveness going in the group.”

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After the three-match T20I series, teams will start the five-match ODI series in Bristol. This will be a vital series for both sides as a dress rehearsal for the upcoming Cricket World Cup 2022 in New Zealand in March next year. Green believes the momentum from the T20I series victory can be vital for her team.

“I think it will be fantastic if we win this last game and take that momentum to the One Day series. Obviously, it’s huge 12-18 months for us and women’s cricket in general with the World Cup and commonwealth games. So, the more cricket we can play, and more we can win as well and work out our winning formula is only going to help us as a group to keep improving and learning.”

England, who played the first two matches of the series without their regular captain Heather Knight were a little out of experience in the second match. Green expects them to come harder at New Zealand.

“England are a quality side and we know that they are not going down without a fight. As a team, we need to prepare that they are going to come back hard at us. We are really pleased with how we performed in Hove, but we also have to step up even more if we are going to beat them tomorrow night,” she concluded.