Update: Sarah Glenn only bowled one over in the innings, leaving the field after landing awkwardly when shelling a catch at mid off. She has now failed a concussion test and so Holly Armitage has been confirmed as a concussion replacement. Armitage will make her T20 debut with the bat in hand.
The women’s T20I series between New Zealand and England has a pulse after a stunning ending to the third clash – catch up on the match report:
New Zealand get one back in incredible fashion
And just like that that the tv coverage flits onto something else entirely, New Zealand’s smash and grab is complete. Heather Knight will know that her side should have the series wrapped up after dominating that game until the last few overs. Her young charges showed some nerves and inexperience at the end and no one put their hand up to see England home despite Maia Bouchier doing the brunt of the work with the bat.
Hats off to New Zealand, they pulled off quite the heist at the end there and capitalised on the chaos in the England batting card, Sophie Devine led with gusto and the series is well set up as the teams head to Wellington. Thanks for joining us, goodnight!
What a finish! Two wickets for just 4 runs from the final over by @suziebates keeps the T20I series alive! Catch up on all scores | https://t.co/gkoLbbFK40 📲#CricketNation #NZvENG pic.twitter.com/9OzVhi3Hr2
— WHITE FERNS (@WHITE_FERNS) March 24, 2024
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England totally lost their heads there. OK it probably won’t matter in the context of this series, but it WOULD matter in a World Cup. Bit worrying really #NZvENG
— Raf Nicholson (@RafNicholson) March 24, 2024
What a comeback by NZ!!!! Awesome win to keep the series alive.
— Maddy (@maddyoby) March 24, 2024
England needed 30 off 30 with only 2 out… and somehow lose it!!!
Brilliant death bowling by Bates.
So so thrilled for NZ.#NZvENG https://t.co/UqD3Pj5w0A
Real show of inexperience from the England middle/lower order there. Just had to knock it about & cruise. Good show from the NZ women though & positive that the series is alive for the viewing public in NZ. #NZvENG
— Rob B (@RobB22888) March 24, 2024
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NEW ZEALAND WIN BY 3 RUNS!
What a finish! Suzie Bates takes two wickets in the over to win it for New Zealand! Charlie Dean is stumped off the last ball trying to swipe the four runs needed. Bates bowled one over in the innings and it was the crucial one.
Absolute carnage in the last 30 minutes. England needed 30 runs off 30 balls with eight wickets in hand. How did they lose that match? Great fighting spirit from New Zealand, the series is alive!
Entrusted with the final over, Suzie Bates closes out the game, as England collapse from 127/2 with 29 off 29 required to 152/8 (20.0).
— hypocaust (@_hypocaust) March 24, 2024
New Zealand keep the series alive with a thrilling 3 run win.#NZvENGhttps://t.co/SIuPO4ExCT
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WICKET! Armitage b Bates 1 (England 148-7)
Bowled! England in all sorts. Five balls left, eight runs needed…
Suzie Bates! The perfect start to the final over in Nelson LIVE and free in NZ on TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+ #NZvENG pic.twitter.com/DmvInvmUMk
— WHITE FERNS (@WHITE_FERNS) March 24, 2024
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19th over: England 148-6 (Gisbon 7, Armitage 1) Right then, England have lost 4 wickets for 21 runs in 23 balls. A collapse alright. Eight runs needed now off six balls, time for the final over. Buckle up.
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WICKET! Heath c Green b Devine 3 (England 147-6)
England lose another! Gulp.
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18th over: England 145-4 (Heath 2, Gisbon 6) Bess Heath and Danielle Gibson are the two new batters at the crease, can they see England home? Kerr finishes her spell and England need 11 from 12 balls.
WICKET! Amy Jones b Kerr 6 (England 142-5)
Bowled her! Kerr scuds one through Jones’ defence! New Zealand really believe now!
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17th over: England 139-4 (Jones 6, Gisbon 2) Brass tacks time. 17 runs needed from 18 balls.
WICKET! Knight run out (Kerr) 10 (England 134-4)
Knight is gone! Run out by a bullet direct hit from Kerr swooping in from the deep. A wobble, a wobble I tell you!
16th over: England 131-3 (Knight 7, Jones 3) Amy Jones joins her Captain at the crease. An aerial drive brings her two down the ground. 25 runs needed from 24 balls.
WICKET! Bouchier c Rowe b Devine 71 (England 127-3)
Gone! Devine gets the big wicket! Pace off the ball, Bouchier goes down the ground once more but doesn’t middle it. She is well caught on the long leg fence.
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15th over: England 126-2 (Bouchier 71, Knight 6) Just three runs off Fran Joseph’s final over, Knight is a tad becalmed. Devine is bringing herself on for a bowl with 33 needed from 36 balls.
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14th over: England 123-2 (Bouchier 69, Knight 5) Bouchier gets the reverse out and picks up four more. She’s getting England over the line in some style here. Amelia Kerr is worked over for eight runs off the over.
13th over: England 115-2 (Bouchier 63, Knight 3) Mair misses her yorker and a full ball is dispatched by Bouchier into the crowd! SIX! Another full ball is timed away in style by Bouchier. She’s been in sumptuous form today. England need 41 runs from 42 balls.
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12th over: England 102-2 (Bouchier 52, Knight 2) Heather Knight is the new batter and she’s off the mark from her first ball. Bouchier unfurls another drive for four and goes to a very well made FIFTY. England aren’t taking their foot off the gas.
WICKET! Beaumont c Devine b Rowe 37 (England 94-2)
A slower ball from Rowe is guided into the hands of the New Zealand skipper at mid off. Beaumont’s entertaining knock comes to an end.
11th over: England 94-1 (Beaumont 37, Bouchier 47) Lea Tahuhu is given her second over and she nearly picks up Beaumont! A spliced pull just falls short of the fielder at mid on. Shot! Bouchier drives down the ground with power, the ball clattering the hoardings. England canter on. A reminder: this will be a record run chase on New Zealand soil if England can pull it off. Not such a big If at the moment, the home side need wickets, pronto.
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10th over: England 87-1 (Beaumont 35, Bouchier 42) England need 69 off ten overs as they reach the half way stage with no alarms and no surprises. Well, apart from the Dunkley run out… but it has been plain sailing since then.
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9th over: England 75-1 (Beaumont 30, Bouchier 40) Fran Jonas with her left arm spin, she finds some slow turn off the surface. A short ball is pounced on by Beaumont and flayed away square for four. Eight off the over, England looking in command.
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8th over: England 64-1 (Beaumont 23, Bouchier 36) Righto, we seem to be back in business in south London vis a vis internet. I was scrabbling there, trying to tether, frantically searching for a dongle and tearing my hair out as England peppered the boundaries. Nothing like a bit of dead air panic in the wee small hours to get the ticker going.
Amelia Kerr is into the attack with her wily spinners, she trundles in with her collar popped like Cantona. Just three singles off it as New Zealand peg England back a little in the post PowerPlay overs.
Updated
Tammy Beaumont gets in on the act as she works Sophie Devine away off her pads for four and then clips for another boundary next ball. A single brings Bouchier on strike… lovely batting. She stands tall and plays a late dab down past point for four. England are 60-1 after six overs, that’s the PowerPlay done, the visitors on top and looking dangereuse.
Updated
Apologies, my internet has chosen to go completely kaput so I’m struggling to get updates up on the site. Hopefully it sorts itself out. I have tried turning it off and on again. Maia Bouchier is the new batter and she has started wonderfully, striking two boundaries in quick succession after Dunkley’s departure. She’s just hit four boundaries in a row off Mair to take England to 45-1 in the fifth over.
WICKET! Sophie Dunkley run out (Mair) 0 (England 1-1)
Direct hit from Mair at mid off and Dunkley has to go!
1st over: Great start from Mair as England can only manage a single off the first.
Sophia Dunkley and Tammy Beaumont are out in the middle, Let’s play!
New Zealand 155-3 (England need 156 runs to win)
That’s the highest score for New Zealand v England in a T20 International. Heather Knight’s side will need to go at 7.8 runs an over to haul this target in and take the series.
Just 4 runs and a wicket form Gibson's final over, but New Zealand's 155/3 (20.0) is still their highest total in the format against England.
— hypocaust (@_hypocaust) March 24, 2024
Devine 60 (37)
Kerr 44* (35)
Gibson 2-22
Glenn 1-8#NZvENG https://t.co/SIuPO4ExCT
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WICKET! Devine c Knight b Gibson (New Zealand 154-3)
Danielle Gibson to bowl the final over. She executes two wide yorkers excellently to restrict Kerr and Devine to singles. Kerr lofts down the ground for a single. Gone! Devine comes down the track but cloths the full toss to Heather Knight at mid off. They have a look to see if it was a no-ball but there’s no such luck for Devine, she has to depart with one ball left in the innings.
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19th over: New Zealand 151-2 (Kerr 42, Devine 59) Bell to bowl her final over. She finds the blockhole but Kerr digs it out and times it superbly down the ground for four! A slower ball follows which is worked for one to bring Devine on strike. Four! Swatted down the ground. Two off the last ball brings up the 150 for New Zealand.
18th over: New Zealand 139-2 (Kerr 37, Devine 52) Charlie Dean back on. Kerr misses out on a drag down, just a single off it. SIX! Sophie Devine dances down the track and lofts high and handsome down the ground. That’s 50 for Devine off 31 balls. Eleven off the over.
17th over: New Zealand 128-2 (Kerr 35, Devine 43) Sophie Devine slots the first ball of the over down the ground for four… and follows up with a monster of a SIX over midwicket. Linsey Smith serves up a full toss and gets away with it, Devine finding the boundary rider but coming back for two. Three singles follow as Smith wrestles back a bit of control after the expensive start to the over. New Zealand eyeing up a score of over 150 now.
Updated
16th over: New Zealand 113-2 (Kerr 34, Devine 29) Lauren Bell back into the attack. Lissom limbs pumping away on the approach to the crease. A short ball is clubbed to the boundary by Kerr, the pace on the ball clearly suits the Kiwi batters, twelve runs pocketed off the over.
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15th over: New Zealand 100-2 (Kerr 25, Devine 26) Gibson back into the attack to replace Dean. Kerr gets low in her crease and ramps a full ball over Amy Jones and away fine for a couple. Gibson finds the blue line with a full yorker and narrowly avoids a wide by the barest of margins. Pace off and full, Kerr drives onto the off side twice but the sweepers do their job. A decent platform set for then home side but you feel they need to go gangbusters in the final five to set a competitive total.
14th over: New Zealand 92-2 (Kerr 18, Devine 26) Heather Knight continues and stitches together another tidy over. Five singles off it, New Zealand can’t find the fence.
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13th over: New Zealand 87-2 (Kerr 15, Devine 24) Charlie Dean is worked into the leg side and the batters sprint back for two well judged runs. Shot! Devine opens the shoulders and drives down the ground for four. New Zealand looking to press on with wickets in hand.
12th over: New Zealand 77-2 (Kerr 15, Devine 14) Heather Knight has the ball in hand. ‘If you need a job doing…’. Six more to the total but only six, Kerr and Devine like to strike the ball and find the boundaries but they are being tied down by England at the moment.
11th over: New Zealand 71-2 (Kerr 13, Devine 10) Linsey Smith back into the attack and each ball is picked off for a single. Both sides sizing each other up, something’s gotta/gonna give.
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10th over: New Zealand 65-2 (Kerr 10, Devine 7) Halfway stage in the innings, Devine drives for four through cover and Kerr is content to work into the gaps and pick off singles. Honours even after ten.
WICKET! Bezuidenhout c Heath b Gibson 34 (New Zealand 55-2)
Pace off from Gibson and Bezuidenhout plinks a simple catch to mid off. England have both openers back in the hutch.
9th over: New Zealand 57-2 (Kerr 8, Devine 1) Skipper Devine is the new batter with her side suffering a slight wobble after a decent start. She’s off the mark from her first ball.
8th over: New Zealand 54-1 (Bezuidenhout 34, Kerr 6) Six singles worked off Linsey Smith and the fifty up for New Zealand. I’m a bit behind and Coogan’s done sammink something’s happened!
7th over: New Zealand 48-1 (Bezuidenhout 30, Kerr 4) So, Sarah Glenn atones for the drop in the previous over by picking up the first wicket for England. Amelia Kerr is the new batter and she swats her first ball through square leg for four!
WICKET! Suzie Bates st A Jones b Glenn 14 (New Zealand 44-1)
First scalp for England! Suzie Bates trots down the crease to Sarah Glenn but swipes at fresh air whilst out of her ground. Amy Jones collects and whips off the bails.
6th over: New Zealand 40-0 (Bezuidenhout 29, Bates 11) Drop! Charlie Dean darts one in, Bezuidenhout chips to Glenn at mid off and the catch is spilled! Above head height but a simple enough chance. Glenn seemed to hit her head awkwardly on the turf as she landed too. The batters scamper through for a bonus run. A let off for New Zealand and slowish start from England. End of the Powerplay, spoils to the home side, so far.
Updated
5th over: New Zealand 35-0 (Bezuidenhout 26, Bates 9) Linsey Smith given the nod by Knight but she struggles with her line and length. Bezuidenhout isn’t going to miss out and whips a full ball away for four before bunting through cover for another boundary. White Ferns Rising.
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#StatChat | 50 up!
— WHITE FERNS (@WHITE_FERNS) March 23, 2024
Sophie Devine will captain the team for the 50th time in T20 internationals today. She is just the second WHITE FERNS player to reach the feat, following Suzie Bates who has led the team in 65 T20 internationals 🏏#NZvENG #CricketNation pic.twitter.com/3CBkhCk9gT
4th over: New Zealand 23-0 (Bezuidenhout 11, Bates 3) Charlie Dean into the attack and her first over is neat as you like – just a single swept off it by Bezuidenhout as Bates blocks out the rest.
3rd over: New Zealand 22-0 (Bezuidenhout 15, Bates 7) Shot! Suzie Bates skips down the pitch and scythes away behind point for four runs. Good intent and tidy footwork from the opener. Dots and boundaries the order of the day so far in Nelson.
2nd over: New Zealand 13-0 (Bezuidenhout 10, Bates 3) Danielle Gibson to share the new ball. Bezuidenhout faces three dots before whipping away for four more. A gentle ripple goes around the ground. Watching cricket in New Zealand really does look very civilised. Seven off the over, tidy start from the home side.
1st over: New Zealand 6-0 (Bezuidenhout 5, Bates 1) Lauren Bell starts with the new white ball for England. Suzie Bates gets off the mark first ball to bring Bernadine Bezuidenhout on to strike… and that’s the first four, a full ball timed away to the fence. A single makes it six off the first.
Apologies for the delays to the updates. *Factors*.
The players head out into bright sunshine in Nelson. First ball coming up…
A toss win for Sophie Devine in her 50th T20 international as captain and were batting first in Nelson. One change to the XI as Hannah Rowe comes in for Jess Kerr. Follow play LIVE and free in NZ on TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+ 📺 or @senz_radio 📻 #NZvENG pic.twitter.com/MGVn22vkFJ
— WHITE FERNS (@WHITE_FERNS) March 23, 2024
*You can use your own exotic imaginations, I definitely wasn’t stuck on a train on the way back from the pub…
Updated
New Zealand win the toss and will bat!
Hello and welcome to the third T20 international between New Zealand and England from the Saxton Oval in picturesque Nelson.
Heather Knight’s side lead the five match series by two to diddly after securing 15 and 27 run wins in the first couple of matches, they’ll take the series with another win here today.
White Ferns captain Sophie Devine’s spoke really well before the series in an honest conversation with ESPNcricinfo’s Powerplay podcast about where women’s cricket in New Zealand is at after a mixed bag couple of years for the national side and the ever present juggle of franchise versus international opportunities and scheduling.
“It’s certainly a selling point when I talk to female athletes coming through... Cricket is such an attractive option as a career because we don’t necessarily have big numbers of it in New Zealand. There’s a very big picture that’s going on behind the scenes, but there’s got to be, I guess, a bit of realism and a bit of perspective that it’s going to take time. As long as we can keep chipping away at the likes of the Australia or England, I think we can certainly be out there with the best.”
Her side need to chip away today and get on the board with a win to keep the series alive.
Join us from 12am GMT/1pm local time for the action and a tiddly before that for the teams and toss. I’ll be right here with a vat of midnight oil to ignite and maybe even something stronger to slurp. As ever, drop us a line if you are tuning in, I can’t sail this thing by myself. Well I can but you knowwhaohforget it.
