England 138 for 5 (Knight 35, Schiver-Brunt 31, A Kerr 3-30) New Zealand 136 for 6 (Gaz 51*, Ecclestone 3-30, Schiver-Brunt 2-24) by five wickets
England’s destructive duet
Syver-Brunt and Ecclestone returned to international duty in the fourth T20I after playing in the WPL. England won the match 3-1 and the duo made a huge impact in the fifth match. Sciver-Brunt took a fifth-ball wicket of the match and had two off seven balls when Bernadine Bezudenhout and Amelia Kerr were removed as the hosts stumbled to 2 for 10 inside three overs.
It wasn’t long before Charlie Dean, who finished as the series leading wicket-taker with seven, accounted for Suzy Bates. Ecclestone entered the attack to great effect for England immediately after the powerplay. Georgia Plimmer was caught by Daniel Gibson in his second delivery for 31 for 4 before taking a brilliant return catch to the left to remove Maddy Green as New Zealand began to breathe through a 38-run partnership between Green and Green. Holiday.
Star gauge-ing
A particularly effective lap shot and a pulled six in the 18th over helped Gage score 16 off Sciver-Brunt. In the final over, Halliday fell to a strong catch by Alice Capsey for 33 runs, who ran from long-on to give Ecclestone the third wicket. Ecclestone then dropped a sitter off his own bowling, then Jess Kerr looped one high in the air in the swirling Wellington breeze and Gage brought up his half-century with his next delivery. She reverse-swept Ecclestone for a boundary to walk out unbeaten, her innings giving New Zealand’s bowlers something to defend.
An easy win for England
In a bright start to New Zealand’s run chase, Rosemary Mair conceded just one run in the first over. Maia Bouchier, the star of the previous match, cleared mid-off with an innings of 91, sending Jess Kerr to the boundary in the third ball of the second over. But Leah Tahuhu struck in the next over as the ball swerved slightly and Gage collected behind the stumps to send Bouchier back for 6 runs.
Gaze missed a chance to get Jess Kerr off-stump moments later, and Amelia Kerr stood in for Devine as captain, progressing when Capsey hit her straight down the ground and 25 to Green. Amelia Kerr then lured Danny Watt onto the pitch before Gage batted her outside and England reeled off with 64 for 3.
But England still look comfortable with Siver-Brunt and Knight at the crease. And when Knight saved a run-out opportunity before hitting two points, the pair settled into a rhythm, building their fourth-wicket stand. They continued to capitalize on some wayward fielding until Amelia Kerr eased her team’s frustration with an excellent foul ‘un’ that reset off Siver-Brunt’s leg stump.
Knight then sliced Mair to Mair through the covers with five runs needed off the last nine balls of the match, but there was no panic in the England camp as Sophia Dunkley cut Mair to a boundary. The remaining ball.
Valkyrie Baines is the general editor of women’s cricket at ESPNcricinfo