The third and final T20I between England and New Zealand was played on Sunday at Wellington. Since England had already taken an unassailable lead of 2-0 in the three-match T20I series, the Sunday fixture was a dead rubber.
Winning the toss and electing to bowl first, New Zealand restricted England to a modest 128-9 in 20 overs. Skipper Sophie Devine was the pick of the bowlers for the hosts as she struck with 3-30 in her four overs. She received good support from Leigh Kasperek, Rosemary Mair, Amelia Kerr, and Brooke Halliday as the quartet accounted for one scalp apiece. For the visitors, middle-order bat Fran Wilson top-scored with an unbeaten 31 (23), which included a couple of boundaries. Sophia Dunkley (26), Amy Ellen Jones (15), and Tammy Beaumont (14) got off to starts but failed to capitalize.
In reply, the White Ferns were done and dusted for a paltry 96 in 18 overs losing the match by 32 runs. Katherine Brunt wreaked havoc with the ball in the very first over of New Zealand’s innings as she sent skipper Sophie Devine and her opening partner Hayley Jensen back to the hut. The duo went back without troubling the scorers. Amy Satterthwaite (25) and Amelia Kerr (18) looked to consolidate but the momentum had already shifted towards the visitors. Maddy Green chipped in with a 20 and Rosemary Mair struck an unbeaten 13 towards the end, but it was too late in the day. The English bowlers had a good day at the office as they managed to tame the New Zealand batters. Mady Villers was the highest wicket-taker with 3-10 in her two overs. Katherine Brunt and Sophie Ecclestone picked up two wickets each, while Natalie Sciver, Freya Davies, and Sarah Glenn walked away with one scalp apiece.
The England team that had a wonderful outing in New Zealand bid goodbye taking away all the laurels. Katherine Brunt bagged the Player of the Match for her stellar bowling performance. The right-arm quick picked up 2-19 in her four overs. The Player of the Series award also went to an English player. Tammy Beaumont won the accolade for her prolific batting performance. The right-hand opening bat amassed 102 runs in three innings at an average of 34 and a strike rate of 100.99. The 29-year old hit a dozen boundaries and a solitary six.
England Skipper Heather Knight has a message for all the fans
“Thank you for all your support.” ❤️
🔈 @Heatherknight55 pic.twitter.com/RU8Es15UgC
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) March 7, 2021
Brief Scores: England 128-9 in 20 overs (F Wilson 31 not out, S Dunkley 26; S Devine 3-30) beat New Zealand 96 all out in 18 overs (A Satterthwaite 25, M Green 20; M Villers 3-10) by 32 runs
I am a former cricketer having represented Mumbai University at All India University level. I was a part of MCA probables for the U-19 and U-23 age group. I have been an avid cricket writer for the last five years. Currently I am pursuing my Ph.D from IIT Bombay.
