England beat New Zealand by 20 runs for T20 series clean sweep


 Chasing a target of 156, the White Ferns' batting struggles persisted, as they fell short at 135-8. Lauren Bell spearheaded England’s bowling attack with impressive figures of 3-20. Seamers Freya Kemp and spinner Charlie Dean also made significant contributions, each taking two wickets in a comprehensive team effort.

This victory sealed a 5-0 clean sweep for England, building on their earlier 3-0 triumph in the one-day international series.

The White Ferns initially showed promise in the field, reducing England to 61-4. However, they couldn't maintain the momentum, as England's captain Heather Knight anchored the innings with an unbeaten 46, guiding her team to a defendable total.

Fran Jonas was the standout bowler for New Zealand, claiming 4-22. Her performance included the early dismissal of Danni Wyatt with the first ball of the innings and a spectacular caught and bowled to remove Nat Sciver-Brunt for 16. Fellow spinner Eden Carson also contributed with figures of 2-35. Despite these efforts, inconsistency from New Zealand's pace bowlers allowed England to post what turned out to be an insurmountable target.

Amelia Kerr top-scored for New Zealand with 43, but the batting lineup faltered as five middle-order wickets fell for just 27 runs. This batting collapse epitomized the lack of confidence that has plagued the team throughout the series.

This victory marks the first time England has won 13 matches in a home summer, surpassing their previous record of 12. They have comprehensively outplayed both Pakistan and New Zealand in white-ball formats.

Looking ahead, England will compete in The Hundred starting on 23 July before traveling to Ireland in September for three one-day internationals and three T20s. These matches will serve as crucial preparation for the World Cup in Bangladesh this autumn.