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England Women registered a convincing 20-run victory over New Zealand Women in the fifth and final T20I of the series at the historic Lord’s Cricket Ground. This win capped off a dominant series performance by England, whitewashing New Zealand in the shortest format.
England sets a competitive total
New Zealand captain Sophie Devine opted to field first after winning the toss. England openers Danielle Wyatt and Maia Bouchier failed to capitalize, falling cheaply. However, Alice Capsey (25 runs) and Heather Knight (46 not out) steadied the innings. Knight, the England captain, led from the front with a composed knock, including 4 fours and a towering six. Contributions from the lower middle order, particularly Charlotte Dean (24 runs) bolstered England’s total to a respectable 155/7 in their 20 overs.
New Zealand falters in chase despite Amelia Kerr’s heroics
Chasing a target of 156, New Zealand’s top order struggled to gain momentum. Openers Suzie Bates and Georgia Plimmer were dismissed early, putting the visitors on the back foot. Amelia Kerr (43 runs) emerged as the lone bright spark for New Zealand, playing a gritty knock with three fours and a six. Brooke Halliday‘s quickfire 25 runs offered some hope, but wickets fell at regular intervals, crippling the chase.
The England bowling attack, led by the impressive Lauren Bell (3 wickets for 21 runs), proved too strong for the New Zealand batters. Lauren Filer, Freya Kemp and Charlotte Dean all chipped in with two wickets apiece, effectively restricting the scoring rate and stifling any hope of a New Zealand comeback.
England defeated New Zealand by 20 runs in the 5th T20I 🏏
Scorecard: https://t.co/kWyRPuMZ5G#women #cricket #ENGvsNZ #englandcricket #CricketTwitter #WomenCricket pic.twitter.com/LOenWseyLv
— WomenCricket.com (@WomenCricketHQ) July 18, 2024
Also READ: ICC Women’s T20I Rankings – Harmanpreet Kaur, Shafali Verma move up; Beth Mooney remains on top
Player of the Match
Heather Knight’s batting performance and strong leadership earned her a well-deserved ‘Player of the Match’ award. This victory marked a successful series win for England, showcasing their depth and dominance in the T20I format.
