England Women Defeat New Zealand by Five Wickets in T20 World Cup Warm Up Match

England Women showcased a strong all-round performance to claim a five-wicket victory over New Zealand Women in their ICC Women's T20 World Cup warm-up match at the ICC Academy Ground No. 2 in Dubai. Lauren Bell and Sarah Glenn were instrumental in restricting New Zealand to 127, and England's top-order contributions ensured they chased down the target with three overs to spare.

New Zealand's Struggle with the Bat

New Zealand, after opting to bat first, struggled against a disciplined England bowling attack. Opener Suzie Bates was the first to depart, dismissed by Lauren Bell for just 3 runs. Bell bowled a tight spell, conceding only 13 runs in her three overs, putting early pressure on the White Ferns.

Amelia Kerr held one end firm for New Zealand, playing a crucial innings of 64 not out. However, the lack of support from the rest of the batting line-up made it challenging for the team to build any significant momentum. New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine managed to contribute 24 before being caught behind off Sarah Glenn, who bowled economically, giving away just 16 runs in her full quota of four overs.

Izzy Gaze added an important unbeaten 26 towards the end, partnering with Kerr to push New Zealand's total to 127/4 in their 20 overs. Despite Kerr's valiant effort, New Zealand's inability to accelerate in the middle overs left them with a below-par target for England.

England's Steady Chase

Chasing 128 for victory, England looked comfortable throughout the innings, despite losing wickets at regular intervals. Danni Wyatt-Hodge provided a strong start, scoring 35 runs, and she was well-supported by Nat Sciver-Brunt, who added 31 to the tally.

Lea Tahuhu and Rosemary Mair tried to keep New Zealand in the game, taking two wickets each and maintaining some pressure on the England batters. However, England's experience and depth in the batting order ensured they never lost control of the chase.

After Sciver-Brunt's dismissal, Dani Gibson played a confident cameo, scoring 24 not out, and guided England to victory in the 17th over, sealing a five-wicket win with three overs to spare.

Scorecard Summary

New Zealand Innings: 127/4 in 20 overs

• Amelia Kerr: 64* (52 balls)
• Izzy Gaze: 26* (20 balls)
• Lauren Bell: 1/13 (3 overs)
• Sarah Glenn: 1/16 (4 overs)

England Innings: 131/5 in 17 overs

• Danni Wyatt-Hodge: 35 (28 balls)
• Nat Sciver-Brunt: 31 (26 balls)
• Dani Gibson: 24* (19 balls)
• Lea Tahuhu: 2/14 (3 overs)
• Rosemary Mair: 2/22 (3 overs)

Result: England won by five wickets.

Key Takeaways

England Women showcased their depth and control in both bowling and batting to secure a comfortable win against New Zealand. Lauren Bell and Sarah Glenn were standout performers with the ball, restricting New Zealand to a manageable total. Amelia Kerr's unbeaten 64 was the highlight for New Zealand, but the lack of support from other batters ultimately cost them the game.

England will take plenty of positives from this performance as they move into the main tournament, demonstrating that they have both the bowling strength and batting depth required for success. New Zealand, meanwhile, will look to improve their middle-order contributions and overall scoring rate in their upcoming matches