Brilliant England crush New Zealand in opening T20

First T20, Southampton

England 197-3 (20 overs): Wyatt 76 (51); Tahuhu 2-33

New Zealand 138-9 (20 overs): Bates 43 (33); Glenn 3-16

England won by 59 runs

Scorecard

England continued their power complete New Zealand pinch a crushing 59-run triumph successful nan opening T20 astatine Southampton.

Having won nan preceding one-day world bid 3-0, nan hosts started nan shorter format successful style by smashing a ruthless 197-3.

It would person been New Zealand's highest-ever tally pursuit successful nan format, and they started confidently earlier a immense illness from 63-1 to 67-6.

From there, only Jess Kerr's sprightly 38 from 25 balls saved nan White Ferns from full capitulation arsenic they limped their measurement to 138-9 from 20 overs.

Leg-spinner Sarah Glenn changed nan crippled pinch 3 wickets successful nan 10th over, including nan cardinal scalps of Suzie Bates connected 43 and skipper Sophie Devine for a duck.

England boldly selected 4 spinners arsenic an research for nan upcoming T20 World Cup successful Bangladesh successful October, adding left-armer Linsey Smith to nan onslaught pinch Glenn, Sophie Ecclestone and Charlie Dean.

Glenn starred pinch 3-16, Dean took 2-28 while Smith and Ecclestone claimed a wicket each arsenic New Zealand suffered their biggest T20 conclusion to England successful position of separator of runs.

England's total, besides their highest successful T20s against New Zealand, was group up by Danni Wyatt's entertaining 76 from 51 balls and Nat Sciver-Brunt's 47 from 23 arsenic nan brace added 82 for nan 2nd wicket.

Freya Kemp's unbeaten 26 from 17 balls past propelled England to conscionable awkward of 200 arsenic New Zealand's bowlers wilted connected a bully batting pitch.

The five-match bid continues astatine Hove connected Tuesday.

After nan ODI cleanable sweep, New Zealand would person been eyeing nan shorter format arsenic a chance to reset and adjacent nan spread connected England.

But England were relentless, peculiarly pinch nan bat, arsenic Wyatt and Maia Bouchier group a beardown level of 61, which allowed England to juggle their batting bid and beforehand nan outstanding Sciver-Brunt.

The White Ferns could not build immoderate sustained unit which allowed nan knowledgeable duo to people each astir nan ground, pinch Wyatt striking 11 fours and a six, and Sciver-Brunt manipulating nan section expertly disconnected nan spinners earlier some yet holed retired to nan leg-side boundary.

The experiments continued pinch left-handed Kemp's promotion to number four, suggesting that England will beryllium tactically open-minded successful that World Cup successful nan autumn.

With specified an imposing full to defend, it allowed Knight and her bowlers to attack, pinch Sciver-Brunt and Kemp arsenic her only seam options.

Bates and Amelia Kerr took an attacking attack aft opener Georgia Plimmer was calamitously tally retired for nan 3rd clip successful 4 innings.

They kept up pinch nan run-rate for astir of nan powerplay but Amelia Kerr's dismissal successful nan ninth complete again amplified nan side's over-reliance connected her, Bates and Devine.

That brace fell alongside Izzy Gaze successful nan adjacent complete to bring New Zealand's slim chance of triumph to an abrupt end.

England did suffer their subject towards nan extremity of nan innings pinch respective dropped chances successful Jess Kerr's cameo, but it was nan only blemish successful yet different one-sided brushwood arsenic nan gulf betwixt nan sides continues to grow.

England skipper Heather Knight: "It was astir apt up location successful position of completeness, a fewer dropped catches aside. We really wanted to onslaught nan crippled and commencement nan T20 bid precisely really we did successful nan one-day series.

“We tried thing different pinch 4 spinners but it's awesome to person truthful galore options, pinch players connected nan chair arsenic well. We are starting to build really bully options we tin usage astatine different times.”

New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine: "I thought England put a really competitory people connected nan committee and it was conscionable excessively overmuch for america today.

“We're showing glimpses but we request accordant performances playing against a broadside for illustration England."

Player of nan lucifer Danni Wyatt: "I americium conscionable trying to enactment calm astatine each times and backmost myself. That's what T20 cricket is each about. I was supported good by Maia Bouchier astatine nan apical and Nat Sciver-Brunt came successful and does what she does."