Cricket May 26, 2026

England roll New Zealand for 80 in third T20 at Hove as Charlie Dean's side secure 2-1 series win with T20 World Cup looming

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By Admin
Sports Journalist
England roll New Zealand for 80 in third T20 at Hove as Charlie Dean's side secure 2-1 series win with T20 World Cup looming

England eased to a T20 series win over New Zealand with a seven-wicket victory in Monday's Hove decider after a ruthless bowling display rolled their opponents for 80.

New Zealand were demolished in 19.1 overs after electing to bat - losing five wickets for four runs in 20 balls from 29-1 in the sixth over - as stand-in England skipper Charlie Dean (3-13) and Dani Gibson (3-14) shared six wickets.

Seam-bowling all-rounder Gibson accounted for Kiwi captain Melie Kerr (5) and the dangerous Sophie Devine (0) in the same over en route to career-best T20 international figures.

All five of the bowlers England used played their part, though, including left-arm spinners Linsey Smith (2-15) and Sophie Ecclestone (1-11) and pacer Issy Wong (1-20).

Ecclestone, who did not play in Saturday's 14-run loss at Canterbury and registered painful figures of 0-34 in the first T20 at Derby which her side won by seven wickets, bowled Izzy Sharp with a beauty in a timely return to form ahead of next month's home T20 World Cup.

England lost Alice Capsey (3) lbw, Sophia Dunkley (22) caught at mid-on, and Heather Knight (18) pouched on the reverse sweep in a fairly sedate chase that they completed in 13.5 overs, with Maia Bouchier (19no off 29) - not in her side's T20 World Cup squad - struggling to up the run-rate before Freya Kemp (7no off 5) hit the winning single.

The hosts will now take on India in a three-match T20 series, starting at Chelmsford on Thursday, before turning full attention to the World Cup, which is live on Your Site from June 12-July 5.

England will hope to have usual captain Nat Sciver-Brunt (calf injury) fit and firing for the big event, with the all-rounder having sat out the fixtures with New Zealand and also to miss the India matches.

New Zealand had rallied from 11-4 inside four overs while levelling the series in Kent at the weekend - Devine (87) and Maddy Green (56) slamming 159 from 98 balls for the fifth wicket - but there would be no dramatic comeback in Sussex.

Devine was fourth out at Hove, chipping Gibson tamely to mid-off in the sixth over, four balls after Melie Kerr pulled the same bowler to mid-on, during a remarkable collapse to 33-6.

Off-spinner Dean started the flurry of wickets by cleaning up a reverse-sweeping Izzy Gaze (17 off 13), while she also trapped Brooke Halliday (2) lbw on review before Ecclestone castled Sharp with an arm ball after cramping the batter for room.

Green (14) and top-scorer Jess Kerr (20) joined Gaze in double figures, but then saw their innings ended by a superb running catch from Bouchier at deep midwicket and a cracking back-of-the hand slower ball from Wong respectively.

Bouchier's excellent grab, off Gibson's bowling, was part of a strong fielding display.

Smith bagged the first scalp of the day - Suzie Bates (3) caught on the reverse sweep at backward point in the third over after being promoted to open on her return to the side - and also the eighth, when the diminutive Nensi Patel (2) was trapped lbw.

Dean polished off the innings by nicking off Bree Illing (3) and New Zealand's double-digit total was never realistically going to be sufficient, allowing England to pootle along in the chase.

England captain Charlie Dean (3-13 in 3.1 overs):

"That was a brilliant win from the girls. It made my job easier when we pick up wickets, early wickets. I guess we learnt from the Canterbury game to really be ruthless when we were on top, and we were.

"A bit of a loss for us today [without the rested Lauren Bell], but the girls stood up. We had a different formula in that powerplay and we were brilliant. That's a credit to the squad and the girls who didn't get on. We're more than ready when we get the chance."

New Zealand captain Melie Kerr:

"It's a disappointing finish to this series. I thought we've played some really good cricket throughout the series. Today was really disappointing but I guess it's better to do it now than come the World Cup.

"We need to work on losing wickets early and losing wickets in clumps. You want to set the tone and get off to a good start. We bat deep, which is exciting, but we've got to give ourselves a chance and try to have a better power play."

Player of the series, Linsey Smith:

"Just backing my strengths. Something that's worked for me throughout the series is just being really clinical in that powerplay. Try not to leave the stumps too much and apply a lot of pressure.

"We had a really impressive series in the field. That's something we've talked about a lot. It's really important, especially in T20s, controlling our inputs and our energy and really trusting each other. Hopefully that carries on."

Hosts England kick off the tournament on opening night with a game versus Sri Lanka at Edgbaston (6.30pm start).

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