Report Ecclestone, Capsey star as England hold off New Zealand for 3-0 lead Experimental side captained by Nat Sciver-Brunt made to work before getting home in final over Valkerie Baynes 11-Jul-2024 • 1 hr ago Nat Sciver-Brunt and Sophie Ecclestone combined to dismiss Suzie Bates • Getty Images England 142 for 4 (Capsey 67*, Dunkley 35) beat New Zealand 141 for 8 (Devine 58*, Bates 38, Ecclestone 4-25) by six wickets England mixed it up, put it in a test tube, found themselves under pressure and still came out with a win and an unassailable 3-0 lead in their T20I series against New Zealand. Sophie Ecclestone 's four-wicket haul smothered Sophie Devine 's defiance before Alice Capsey 's T20I career-best of 67 not out saw the hosts win by six wickets with four balls to spare in Canterbury. With two matches left, the hosts could well continue their experimental approach which saw Sophia Dunkley take her chance with a 26-ball 35 returning to the top of the order and sharing a 66-run partnership with Capsey to put England in control.
Two quick wickets to Fran Jonas preserved the hope that Devine had given New Zealand but Capsey's 60-ball innings, and an cool cameo by Freya Kemp of 16 not out from eight balls saw England home as the White Ferns were left to rue a rash of missed chances in the field. Devine intervention From Suzie Bates ' stunning straight drive for four off the first ball of the match - bringing up her 10,000th international run - to her 52-run partnership with.