- Knight scores 63, leads victory
- New Zealand limited to 160/4
- England’s spinners secure win
England captain Heather Knight led her team to a 27-run victory over New Zealand in the opening Twenty20 international by paving the way. Before dismissing New Zealand to 160 for four in Dunedin, Knight amassed 63 runs off 39 deliveries as the visiting attack halted the hosts’ response. Knight bowled two tight overs in total.
Before Tammy Beaumont, who was participating in her 100th Twenty20 international, was dismissed for 15, a strong foundation was established by Sophia Dunkley and Maia Bouchier. Knight’s arrival accelerated the scoring after Dunkley was caught behind for 32 runs; with Bouchier, they added 91 runs for the third wicket. Ultimately, Knight was bowled out eight balls by Jess Kerr, while Bouchier maintained his unblemished record on 43 runs off 40 deliveries.
Izzy Gaze was dismissed without scoring to begin the New Zealand response, and the spinners of England prevented them from reaching the required run rate.
Before becoming Lauren Bell’s second wicket, stand-in captain Suzie Bates scored 61, her first fifty against England in fourteen years. Sarah Glenn dismissed Georgia Plimmer for 21 amid four closeovers. With 27 runs off 23 deliveries, Brooke Halliday offered New Zealand some late resistance, but the visitors fell far short with 133 for five.
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Bell stated, “Everyone is ecstatic; it’s great to get a victory on the board in the first game of the series.
We expressed great satisfaction with our bowling attack. We endeavoured to exert pressure on them as a group during that middle period; we have two phenomenal spinners, and we attempted to do so today. Our strategy paid off.”
