Tammy Beaumont masterclass steals headlines in first T20I against New Zealand

After being put in to bat by Sophie Devine, England openers Beaumont and Danielle Wyatt did not waste any time to get the innings going. Beaumont whipped Jess Kerr through mid-wicket and followed it up with a cover drive in the first over. Wyatt, at the other end, smashed three consecutive boundaries off Leigh Kasperek, playing with the field on either side of the wicket. England had raced to 31 for nil in 2.4 overs.

However, the off-spinner had the last laugh as she deceived Wyatt with the flight and dip in the air and got her stumped. In the absence of Heather Knight, stand in skipper Natalie Sciver joined Beaumont in the middle. Together, they took some time to settle before Sciver welcomed Jensen with a loft down the ground for a six. The allrounder came back strongly, bowling Sciver for a 16-ball 14.

Coming in at number four, Amy Jones reverse-swept Kasperek behind third-man for a boundary. She followed it up with four boundaries off Amy Satterthwaite, scoring 18 runs in the over. Beaumont, too, joined the party hitting four consecutive boundaries in the next over from Kasperek, bringing up her tenth T20I half-century.

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When it seemed like England were running away with the game, Satterthwaite broke the partnership by dismissing Jones for 31 runs from 15 balls. Beaumont kept the innings going with Sophia Dunkley, picking up the crucial boundaries. Dropping catches in the field did not help New Zealand's cause.

Beaumont put on a batting masterclass, piercing the fields and placing the balls in the gaps. She fell three runs short of a well deserved century in the final over of the innings. Dunkley finished with 17-ball 23, taking England to 184 for four.

Chasing nine runs per over, New Zealand's experienced duo Suzie Bates and Devine did not get any free deliveries in the power play. Coming back after a sabbatical, they struggled to put bat-on-ball early in the innings. Natasha Farrant trapped Devine on the pads, and Katherine Brunt deceived Bates with an off-cutter, sending both the openers back to the pavilion.

New Zealand were down to six for two after three overs. Satterthwaite, joined by Maddy Green, took the attack to England. She lofted Farrant twice, one over mid-on and another over mid-off, and followed it with a flick off the pads, scoring 13 runs off the over. She hit Sciver for a couple of boundaries, taking New Zealand to 35 for two by the end of the power play.

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Along with Green, she added 48 runs before Ecclestone dismissed the former for an 18-ball 19. Sarah Glenn and Mady Villiers picked up a wicket each, leaving Satterthwaite to fight a lone battle. The southpaw eventually fell to Brunt after making 43 runs from 31 balls. Hayley Jensen and Hannah Rowe hit some occasional boundaries but the England bowlers kept pegging away with wickets. New Zealand were eventually all out for 138. Brunt was the pick of the bowlers for England, taking two for nine in her three overs.

Brief Scores: England 184/4 in 20 overs (Tammy Beaumont 97; Hayley Jensen 2/26) beat New Zealand 138 all out in 18.5 overs (Amy Satterthwaite 43; Katherine Brunt 2/9) by 46 runs