Familiar NZ batting collapse hands ENG third successive T20I whitewash

It was the same old story at the Westpac Stadium on Sunday (March 7) as another batting failure for New Zealand saw them go down against England by 32 runs, thereby getting whitewashed 3-0 at home for the first-time in T20Is. This was England’s third clean sweep in the format on the trot.



England, who were led by Natalie Sciver after Heather Knight was ruled out due to a minor hamstring injury, were put in to bat and lost Danielle Wyatt for three in the third over. Before the power play ended, Sophie Devine managed to see the back of Tammy Beaumont (14), getting her caught at mid-wicket. Two for 24 soon became three for 34 as Sciver was run out after a mix-up with Sophia Dunkley.



Dunkley and Amy Jones then held fort for a while, adding 36 together, before Jones (15) managed to offer Devine a caught and bowled chance, which the Kiwi skipper gleefully accepted. An over later, Dunkley holed out to long on off Amelia Kerr for 26.



At five for 77, the hosts seemed well and truly on top.



Fran Wilson, replacing Knight in the XI, then proceeded to play an innings that would take the momentum away from New Zealand. She got going quickly with some good running between the wickets and a couple of fours off Amelia Kerr and Rosemary Mair. She ended up unbeaten on 31 off just 23 balls and helped England post nine for 128, a total that looked far when they were five down.



Devine was the pick of the bowlers, returning with three wickets for 30 runs in her four overs.



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In reply, New Zealand continued with Devine and Hayley Jensen as their openers and both of them were trapped for ducks in front of the stumps by Katherine Brunt in the very first over. Ever since, the hosts were on the back foot.



With Amy Satterthwaite and Kerr in the middle, the hosts were hopeful of yet another match-saving partnership. The southpaw looked in good touch, smashing Sophie Ecclestone for successive boundaries in her first over. She then proceeded to hit Brunt and Sciver in the next couple of overs as New Zealand finished the power play on two for 33.



But soon, disaster struck as Satterthwaite charged down for an ungainly slog off Sarah Glenn, only to miss it and get stumped for 25, ending the 37-run partnership with Kerr. That and Kerr’s wicket in the next over with the score on 45, getting stumped off Ecclestone for 18, triggered a batting collapse.



New Zealand then lost their next six wickets for just 18 runs to be reduced to nine for 63. A last wicket partnership of 33 between Maddy Green (20) and Rosemary Mair (13 not out) helped them reduce the margin of defeat.







Mady Villiers, picking three wickets for 10 with her off spin, was the pick of the English bowlers. Brunt and Ecclestone also returned with identical figures of two for 19.



Brief Scores: England 128/9 in 20 overs (Fran Wilson 31*, Sophia Dunkley 26; Sophie Devine 3/30) beat New Zealand 96 all out in 18 overs (Amy Satterthwaite 25; Mady Villiers 3/10) by 32 runs. POTM: Katherine Brunt