Image: England faces New Zealand in an exciting T20I series decider at Hove, aiming to leverage their strong recent record for a series win / © Cricket Times
As the England Women versus New Zealand Women T20I series moves towards its final match, both teams will be looking to finish on a strong note at Hove on 25 May. The series became more interesting after New Zealand Women won the second T20I by 14 runs and levelled things before the decider.
England Women would be disappointed with the previous result because they had the chance to take an unassailable lead in the series. Still, the home side has enough positives going into the final game. England has dominated this rivalry in recent years and has won 4 of the last 5 matches against New Zealand Women. Playing in familiar conditions should also help them.
Alice Capsey has been one of England’s best players in the series. She has scored 96 runs in 2 innings and looked comfortable while attacking the bowlers. Linsey Smith has also made an impact with the ball after taking 4 wickets at an average of 8.75. Lauren Bell has continued her steady performances, while Heather Knight and Freya Kemp have chipped in with useful runs.
The New Zealand Women finally looked more settled in the second match after struggling in the opening game. Sophie Devine has once again led from the front, scoring 132 runs in the series so far. Amelia Kerr remains an important player because of her all-around ability, and Jess Kerr has also bowled well in key moments. Bree Illing has managed to trouble England batters and picked up important wickets.
The County Ground in Hove has usually suited teams batting first. Out of the 10 T20Is played at the venue, 7 matches were won by the side setting the target. The average first-innings total is around 126, while chasing teams have often struggled later in the game.
Weather conditions are expected to remain clear, with sunshine throughout the day and temperatures between 18 and 27 degrees Celsius. With the series level and both teams carrying confidence into the final game, fans can expect a competitive contest between two strong sides at Hove.