White Ferns fall well short
From the moment captain Sophie Devine picked out deep square leg off the seventh ball of the match, there was an ominous tone to this women’s Twenty20 cricket series opener for the White Ferns.
With their best player gone for two it didn’t improve much for New Zealand, at an empty Sky Stadium in Wellington, as England again showed their class in a seven-wicket victory chasing a mere 97 yesterday.
They got there with a full four overs to spare, in an eerily deserted stadium due to Covid-19 alert level 2 where nearly every peep from the centre could be heard.
Despite the White Ferns having salvaged a win over England in the dead rubber ODI in Dunedin, the gulf between the sides was again clear.
In 15 T20 internationals against New Zealand in the past decade, this was England’s 14th win. Last time they came to town in 2012 there were similar scenes, with the Ferns posting just 80-9.
On a fresh drop-in that will accommodate three women’s and three men’s T20 internationals in five days, winning the toss and bowling was a good start for England.
Still, the sluggish pitch was largely blameless in the New Zealand dismissals, more poor shot selection against excellent bowling and sometimes brilliant catching.
‘‘There were small glimpses there, but we’ve got to put it together for long periods. We were completely outplayed by an England side that is running red hot,’’ a clearly irked Devine told Spark Sport.
Coming off scores of 16, six and 15 in the ODIS, Devine needed to set the tone for the hosts, a year after she rattled up a world record six successive half-centuries in T20 internationals.
But the world’s top-ranked women’s T20 allrounder was nabbed by world No 2 Nat Sciver, and her first delivery. Devine took on the shorter side boundary with the breeze and Sophia Dunkley took a safe catch.
Fresh off an ODI century in Dunedin, Amy Satterthwaite (2) also lasted just six balls before hitting in the air off Sciver, and when
At a glance
White Ferns 96 off 19.4 overs (Katey Martin 36; Sarah Glenn 2-11, Katherine Brunt 2-13, Sophie Ecclestone 2-18, Nat Sciver 2-28) lost to England 99-3 off 16 overs (Danni Wyatt 33; Leigh Kasperek 2-24) by 7 wickets.
Mady Villiers took a super running, diving grab to remove Hayley Jensen it was 37-3.
In tandem, the spin of world No 1 T20 bowler Sophie Ecclestone and Sarah Glenn ramped up the pressure further.
Amelia Kerr (14) was fooled by one that turned and held up in the pitch and offered Ecclestone a return catch as the left-armer ended with 2-18, and legspinner Glenn the best figures of 2-11 to earn player of the match.
Katey Martin (36 off 32) showed her team-mates how it could be done, hitting five boundaries, but with little support it was an uphill battle.
Without their injured strike bowler Lea Tahuhu, New Zealand couldn’t break through early and England were always on track after openers Danni Wyatt and Tammy Beaumont rattled up 59 off 8.3 overs.
Offspinner Leigh Kasperek (2-24) was effective, albeit with minimal runs to play with, while Jess Kerr’s direct hit run out of Heather Knight second ball was a rare bright spot.
The White Ferns have only two days to turn it around and save another series defeat.