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Knight has resumed her role as captain and is very pleased with her team’s performance. Despite a rough start in the powerplay, the spinners were able to bring England back into the game and secure a win against NZ. She is particularly excited for Linsey Smith, who took a wicket on her first ball since 2018 in international cricket, as well as for Bell’s slower throws.

Sophie Devine believes that her team had opportunities to win, but could not maintain their momentum towards the end of England’s innings and in the middle of their own. She concedes that New Zealand will need to improve in order to defeat England. While a target of 140 was expected, they ended up giving away 20 or 30 more runs than they should have. As a batting group, they will need to have candid discussions on their approach to scoring. However, it is important to note that actions speak louder than words, and they must find a way to execute their plans effectively.

Heather Knight has once again been named player of the match, and she shared that it was a challenging innings for her as she struggled with the pace of the pitch. However, she never loses confidence in herself and is able to make a comeback towards the end of the innings. Despite the difficulty of scoring while guiding the lower order, she managed to do so successfully this time. Knight has been working on incorporating more shots down the ground, which she executed well today. She also utilized her strengths in the square of the wicket. Despite feeling more anxious as she gets older and having experienced the highs and lows of a professional sport, Knight was able to stay composed and perform well.

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The team from England received 20 or 30 runs more than they should have, but credit should also be given to the strong performances of Heather Knight, Danielle Gibson, Charlie Dean, and Sarah Glenn, who contributed 43 runs in just 32 balls. On the other hand, Suzie Bates and Amelia Kerr’s overly aggressive shots led to their own dismissals. If either of them had stayed at the crease for a few more overs, the match could have been a tight one.

At the end of the 20th over, New Zealand has a score of 134 runs for 8 wickets, with a target of 150. Smith is now bowling the final over and the first three balls result in two twos and a one, bringing England closer to victory with legitimate deliveries. Mair hits a single down the ground, followed by Tahuhu who backs away and crouches before hitting a powerful one-bounce four over extra, and then a chip shot for another single.

The 19th over sees New Zealand at 123-8, with a target of 150. In the commentary, Alex points out that New Zealand has been the stronger team for most of the match, but faltered towards the end. While I don’t completely agree, I do think England has been dominant for a while now. The final result was ultimately determined by the last five overs of the visitors’ innings. Returning to the field, Tahuhu hits a single and Mair and Jones both miss a slower ball, allowing four byes. A single follows and Bouchier makes a diving save on the deep square fence to limit the opponents to two runs on the following play. Tahuhu grabs another single on the last ball of the over, while Bell finishes with impressive figures of 2-24 in her four overs. New Zealand now needs 27 runs to win in six balls.

In the 18th over, New Zealand is currently at 114-8, with a target of 150 runs. Tahuhu has scored 3 runs and Mair has scored 5 runs so far. Mair steps back and hits her first ball towards the square leg boundary for a four. The following balls consist of two dots and two singles, with Dean’s deliveries being faster than Bell’s from the previous over. New Zealand has 12 balls left to score 36 runs.

Kerr retreats to create space for herself, but misses. Dean, on the first delivery of her new spell, strikes. This makes a total of five wickets for eight runs in just 15 balls!

In the seventeenth over, New Zealand’s score is 108-7 with a target of 150. The batswomen Kerr and Tahuhu are at the crease with 21 runs from Tahuhu’s bat. The bowler delivered six slower balls, resulting in two wickets and only five runs scored. This leaves New Zealand with the task of scoring 42 runs in the remaining 18 balls.

“And it’s yet another slower delivery, leading to another wicket. Gaze mistimes the shot and easily gives a catch to the fielder at long on. While England had a reliable and experienced batsman at this stage, New Zealand lacks that aspect; it would be quite surprising if they are not defeated by a large margin at this point.”

The end is rapidly approaching, as Green attempts to hit an outside off but ends up dragging it onto the stumps, fooled by a slower delivery.

In the 17th over, New Zealand’s score is 103-5, with a target of 150. Green and Gaze are currently at bat, with Green at 15 runs and Gaze at 1. Lauren Bell is back to bowl and gives up singles on her first two balls.

In the sixteenth over, New Zealand has a score of 101-5, still needing 150 runs to win. Commentator Alex Hartley believes that New Zealand often puts themselves in good positions but struggle to close out the game, but it may not be a mental issue. Instead, their lack of effective bowlers and strong middle-order batting may have been the reason for their loss. Captain Bates and Devine may reflect on their dismissals and wonder if they took the wrong approach, as their shots were more suitable for chasing a score of 170+ rather than 150. With 47 runs needed from 24 balls, New Zealand faces a challenging task.

Halliday attempts to hit the ball hard, but ends up catching it weakly. As a result, this game is slipping away quickly – especially with England having their WPL players yet to return.

In the 15th over, New Zealand has reached a score of 100-4, with a target of 150. Green is currently at 14 runs while Halliday has yet to score. The required rate for this over is around five runs. New Zealand requires 49 runs in the remaining 30 balls.

Melie, despite her hard work, ended up with a lackluster dismissal as she dropped the ramp over her shoulder for Bell to catch on the dive. She was aware of the fielder’s presence, but sometimes we make foolish mistakes that we know we shouldn’t because we can’t help it. And that was the case here.

In the 15th over, New Zealand has a score of 10-3 with a target of 150 runs. Amelia Kerr has scored 44 runs while Green has scored 14. New Zealand will likely try to increase their scoring towards the end, much like England did earlier. Kerr takes advantage of a straight ball from Gibson and hits it for a four to deep backward square.

In the 14th over, New Zealand’s current score is 96-3 with a target of 150. Amelia Kerr is leading with 40 runs, while Green has 14. Green confidently steps forward but hits directly to a fielder. At this point, at least one of the two batters needs to leave the pitch if New Zealand hopes to win. Their performance is declining and playing smart cricket will not be enough to secure a victory. Dean, who is now back in the attack, throws four consecutive balls that result in singles. The fifth ball appears to be the same, but a fielding error by Smith on the boundary allows the batters to steal two runs. New Zealand now needs 54 runs from 36 balls.

In the 13th over of the New Zealand innings, the score is 77-3 with Amelia Kerr on 27 and Green on 8. With a target of 150, New Zealand is in desperate need of scoring boundaries. Green manages to get a single, and then Kerr takes matters into her own hands by confidently hitting a one-bounce four over the bowler’s head. However, on the next ball, Knight dives to make a spectacular save at cover, preventing a boundary. New Zealand now requires 61 runs from 42 balls.

In the 12th over, New Zealand’s score is 77-3 with Amelia Kerr at 27 runs and Green at 8 runs. The target score for New Zealand is 150. Smith begins her over with three runs, followed by two scoreless balls. Green then hits a cut towards the point boundary for one more run, making it a good over for England. With 69 runs needed from 48 balls, New Zealand has a tough task ahead of them.

In the 11th over, New Zealand has scored 77 runs with 3 wickets down. Amelia Kerr, who has 27 runs, and Green, who has 8 runs, are currently batting. The target they need to reach is 150. After Kerr takes a single, Green hits a full toss for two runs by redirecting it to the corner. Green then scores one more run and continues to add singles and a three to their total. A boundary was not scored in this over, benefiting England as the required run rate for New Zealand is increasing. They now need to score 73 runs in 54 balls.

At the start of the 10th over, New Zealand’s score is 67-3 with Amelia Kerr at 25 runs and Green at 4 runs. Knight has been brought in to bowl, possibly to gain some easy overs while New Zealand recovers. However, Kerr is not willing to let that happen. After a single to Green, she manages to hit a four over the bowler’s head. The rest of the over consists of two singles and then a three as Kerr skillfully guides the ball towards the point boundary. It seems that the outcome of the match now depends on Kerr’s performance.

The 9th over saw New Zealand at 60-3 with Amelia Kerr scoring 16 and Green at 2. After Devine’s dismissal, Glenn’s quick and straight bowling was commendable. Smith came into the attack and Kerr hit a single towards the off side. Green’s shot was sent high into the air but landed wide of the bowler’s dive. With another single, the over yielded four runs, putting pressure on the tourists who are currently at an advantage.

In the eighth over, New Zealand’s score is 56-3 with Amelia Kerr scoring 14 runs and Green at 0. The team is now in need of a strong performance from a player, but with Bates and Devine already out, they don’t have many options. After the wicket, there are three consecutive dot balls, giving England control of the match.

Yes, three red cards, could this be the decisive strike?

Devine steps up, crouches on one knee and attempts to sweep across the field, but ends up hitting the ball with her pad instead. She challenges the ruling, but it seems clearly out to me.

In the 8th over, New Zealand’s score is 56-2 with Amelia Kerr scoring 14 and Devine scoring 17. In previous matches against England, New Zealand faced difficulties during this part of the game, making it a crucial period. Meanwhile, Devine hits a wide ball for a four, stretching to make the shot.

In the seventh over, the score for New Zealand is 52-2 with Amelia Kerr at 14 runs and Devine at 13 runs. Glenn, with her leg-spin, starts her attack with an uncommonly short run-up, which throws off the batters. Devine faces a single ball and two dot balls before pausing to adjust the sightscreen, as one of its squares is brighter than the rest. The next ball is a cut, heading towards the boundary where Smith dives to stop it, allowing them to score two runs before a single is added. This is a very close match.

In the sixth over, New Zealand has a score of 48-2 with Amelia Kerr scoring 13 and Devine scoring 10. Gibson comes back to bowl and Kerr fails to hit her shot outside off, but she manages to drive for one. Devine then pushes the ball to cover and they try for another run, but Heath picks up the ball and throws, just missing the stumps. Devine takes advantage of the final delivery of the over and hits to cover, where the ball bounces and avoids the diving fielder, resulting in a boundary.

At the end of the fifth over, New Zealand has a score of 41-2 with Amelia Kerr scoring 11 runs and Devine scoring 5 runs. Although it’s T20, Bates seems to be aiming for a high score. However, playing sensibly is key and it’s important for her to be there until the end. The over resulted in two singles and a two, with Devine finally getting on the scoreboard. With six runs scored, New Zealand is still in a favorable position.

England has made a significant advancement with Smith making her first delivery in international cricket since 2018! Bates attempts a slog-sweep but ends up top-edging the ball, and Bell makes an easy catch at short fine leg.

In the fourth over, New Zealand’s score is 35 for 1 with Bates at 19 runs and Amelia Kerr at 10 runs. Gibson is replaced by Dean who gives away singles on the first two deliveries. Bates confidently flicks the ball through square leg for four runs. The next two deliveries result in a single and Kerr hits a square swipe, causing Bouchier to dive over the ball for a boundary-four. At this point in the game, England had a score of 26 for 1.

At the third over mark, the score for New Zealand is 24 for 1, with Bates scoring 13 runs and Amelia Kerr scoring 5. After a no ball, Kerr quickly makes a short one and hits it for four runs over backward square. Jones then comes up to the stumps and a single and a bye finish off the scoring for the over. In my opinion, New Zealand has a slight advantage, but the game is still very evenly matched.

In the second over, New Zealand is at 17-1 with Bates scoring 13 and Amelia Kerr at 0. Gibson’s delivery is a bit off, allowing Bates to flick it off her toes for a boundary to deep backward. It seems like the outcome of the match is dependent on Bates’ performance – if she scores, her team will likely win, but if she doesn’t, they probably won’t. Upon replaying the wicket, it appears that Gibson obstructed Bezuidenhout’s path, but Bezuidenhout was able to make her ground by running around Gibson. In a humorous exchange, Gibson gives Bates a thumbs-up. Bates takes advantage of her form by hitting another four, this time over backward point.

This only requires one person to watch and it’s great work from Glenn, as well as the late-order batters, who showed smart batting skills that created pressure and led to the attempted single – although it’s puzzling why Bezuidenhout didn’t dive.

In the second over, New Zealand’s score is 8 runs with Bates at 5 and Bezuidenhout at 1. Danielle Gibson made a valuable contribution to their innings and is likely feeling confident. When Bezuidenhout attempts a powerful swing, the ball edges to mid off and they attempt to quickly take a single run. However, Glenn makes a direct hit and the decision is referred to the third umpire for review.

In the first over, New Zealand has scored eight runs with Bates at five and Bezuidenhout at one. Bell showed great movement with her first delivery, but Bates missed the first attempt around the corner. However, she made contact with the second attempt and scored four runs through the finest leg. After a single, there was a wide ball on the leg side, followed by another. The next two deliveries were much better, with the ball just outside off and moving in the air before jagging off the pitch. Bezuidenhout did well to defend these, and then scored one run by turning the ball to the on side.

The ball is currently possessed by Lauren Bell.

The NZ opening batsmen take the field.

On the other hand, England likely desired a higher score, but considering how their innings played out, they will be pleased with what they have and have confidence in their ability to protect it. I will return soon for the pursuit.

This seems like a setup, doesn’t it?! New Zealand had a great start but will be disappointed with how they allowed England to gain an advantage at the end. However, they will also acknowledge Knight as a skilled player in excellent form and believe they can successfully chase down the total which they likely would have agreed to at the beginning.

In the 20th over of the match, England’s score was 149-7 with Knight scoring 56 runs and Glenn scoring 13. Devine delivered a ball outside off, which Knight hit to the fence for a great start to the over. A no ball resulted in a free hit for England. Devine continued to deliver outside off, giving Glenn the opportunity to slice the ball over the infield. Kerr from the New Zealand team chased after the ball and made a diving attempt, but England still managed to score four runs. As the game progressed, England’s partnership grew stronger, with one run scored in the following delivery making it a total of 24 runs in 10 balls. However, Knight was caught by a fielder behind her in the next delivery, adding one more run to the total. Glenn, who has been playing well since she entered the game, managed to hit another boundary in the last delivery of the over. Overall, England has made a decent comeback after starting with a score of 77-6 in the 13th over. Knight deserves a special mention for her performance.

In the 19th over, England has scored 131-7 with Knight at 50 runs and Glenn at 2 runs. Can Glenn hit the ball to the boundary or get Knight to the other end? Mair starts off with a good yorker, but Knight makes sure she gets a single and is back on strike. She then faces a full toss and takes advantage, getting it to the deep backward square for a four and then scoring one more by hitting it down the ground. Knight’s performance has been crucial for her team, as she has been able to find the boundary when needed and is the main reason for their respectable total. A wide ball is then bowled, and Glenn bunts it back to Mair. Though she has the opportunity to hit the stumps, she chooses to underarm a throw and misses! This is a huge mistake, and Knight goes on to score her fifty with another single, which is a fantastic achievement.

Dean attempted a reverse-ramp shot but was unsuccessful, allowing Mair to take a hit. Mair now has a total of 2-16 off 3.1 and this could be a significant turning point.

England’s 18th over saw them at 122 for 6 with Knight at 42 and Dean at 16. Knight demonstrated her dominance by hitting a reverse shot for four, and she continues to lead her young team. Despite their efforts, England has not been able to put pressure on the absent players from WPL. After three singles, England hopes for another four but settles for a one and a two instead. Knight’s top-edge over the keeper results in no run, but the team still manages to score 10 runs in the over, bringing them closer to their target of 140.

ive

In the seventeenth over, England has a score of 112 for six wickets. Knight has scored 36 runs and Dean has scored 14 runs. One run is scored and then there is an error from Kerr that results in a four for Knight as she hits over the off side infield. A single is then added and Dean hits a four through square leg. The partnership between Knight and Dean is currently worth 31 runs off 22 balls. New Zealand is in need of a breakthrough.

At the sixteenth over mark, England has a score of 100-6 with Knight scoring 31 and Dean scoring 7. England needs to increase their pace, so Knight hits Jonas for a six and two singles, bringing their score to 100. They will aim for a total of 40 more runs to make it a competitive match.

At the 15th over, England has reached 90 runs with 6 wickets lost. Knight has scored 22 runs while Dean has scored 6 runs. Mair is back to bowl and her first three deliveries each resulted in one run. Knight then hits the ball towards wide long on, and Green makes a diving save to prevent a four. The batters run two and on the next ball, Knight hits it over the top for a good shot. However, Kerr chases and makes a well-timed dive, scooping the ball back as they run three. Dean tries again, this time aiming for midwicket, but Kerr is positioned on the fence and Gaze fumbles the return, allowing the batters to run two when there was a potential run-out. The over results in a total of ten runs for England.

In the 14th over, England is at 80 runs with 6 wickets down. Knight has reached 16 runs, while Dean has just started her innings with 2 runs. Knight must now focus on batting through and playing safe shots. A narrow inside-edge saves her as the ball misses the stumps, allowing them to score two runs towards mid on. This puts New Zealand in a strong position against England.

The ball was unexpectedly full and dipping, causing Heath to misjudge its trajectory and ultimately feather behind. The review was excellent, but it is surprising that the umpire did not catch this mistake as it was clearly visible during live play.