[Sport] England Women cruise to seven-wicket win over New Zealand in first T20.

[S9OUL.]

England Women cruised to a seven-wicket victory against New Zealand in Wellington on Wednesday to take a 1-0 lead in their three-match Twenty20 series.

 

Sent in to bat, New Zealand were dismissed for 96 off 19.4 overs, with the tourists achieving victory at 99 for three with four overs to spare.

 

England wasted no time in seizing control of the match with Nat Sciver having New Zealand’s captain, Sophie Devine, caught for two. Sciver picked up her second wicket almost immediately when Amy Satterthwaite was caught by Freya Davies, also for two.

Following that shaky start, New Zealand looked to have settled as Hayley Jensen and Amelia Kerr began to build momentum. But they were eventually dismissed in quick succession, leaving the hosts on 38 for four. The wickets continued to fall at a fast pace, with four England bowlers each claiming two scalps to restrict the home side to their modest total.

 

Tammy Beaumont and Danni Wyatt shared an opening stand of 59 for England before Wyatt fell to Leigh Kasperek. That platform proved enough for the visitors to easily chase down New Zealand’s target off 16 overs despite the captain, Heather Knight, being run out for a duck.

 

The second match is scheduled for Friday.

Meanwhile Jonathan Batty has been appointed Surrey Women head coach. The former wicketkeeper-batsman, who played for the men’s side at the Oval between 1997 and 2009, will combine his Surrey role with the head coach position at Oval Invincibles in the inaugural Women’s Hundred.

 

A full-time geography teacher and head of cricket at Caterham School, the 46-year-old Batty has worked as a coach with Surrey Women over the past two seasons.

 

He told Surrey’s website said: “It’s really exciting. In the last couple of years I’ve been involved with various different roles so now to be head coach has sort of completed a full circle really.”