Key events
Raf Nicholson
England got off to a winning start in their Twenty20 series against New Zealand after Alice Capsey struck an unbeaten 74 from 51 balls – her highest score for England, and her first T20i half-century since July 2024.
Capsey has generally batted at No 3 for England but on this occasion was promoted to open in place of Danni Wyatt-Hodge, missing this series due to the imminent birth of her first child. She made full use of the extra time available to her, smoking three sixes and seven fours as England chased down their 137-run target with three wickets and 16 balls to spare.
Charlie Dean’s verdict
It’s brilliant to start the series like that. To put in a fielding performance like that is something we can be really proud of.
[Freya Kemp] as a seam-bowling allrounder brings so much to our team. Hopefully this gives her so much confidence going forward.
[On having two allrounders in Kemp and Gibson] It’s a cool position to be in and it’ll be interesting to see how the dynamic changes as the series goes on.
Alice put in a fantastic performance today and it’s brilliant to have such competition for places.
Melie Kerr’s reaction
We’d have loved 150/160, but it looked hard to score in the middle phase after Sophie got out.
[On Suzie Bates] We’ve got a long batting order with someone like her batting at No9. But her experience with bat and ball is really important. It’s a role switch for her but she’s willing to take on whatever the group neds
Bree Illing is just a wicket-taker, she can get out any bowler in the world. It’s exciting to have someone like that in your squad.
The player of the match is Alice Capsey
It’s a completely new role. There’s such competition for places so whatever opportunity to get, it’s always nice to take it. I had some very good conversation wuth Dunks [Sophia Dunkley] in the last few days and she definitely settled the nerves.
[On her work in the last six months] I’ve worked on quite a few areas of my game. I feel really good at the crease, really calm. I’ve been amazingly supported by the staff here.
[On using a new bat for the first time tonight] Why the hell not? I think I’ll be using that for the rest of the series. Big up SG!
There was lots to like in that England performance, from the fielding to Linsey Smith’s spell to the partnership between Alice Capsey and Freya Kemp.
Sophia Ecclestone having a poor night won’t worry England. But Sophia Dunkley’s skittish innings, allied to Capsey’s mature performance, has made things interesting at the top of the order.
England win by seven wickets with 16 balls to spare
17.2 overs: England 140-3 (Capsey 74, Kemp 31) Capsey threads Mair for four to reach her highest T20I score, then cuts the next ball for four to complete an emphatic win over the world champions.
Two 21-year-olds made short of the work of the runchase, with Capsey hitting 74 from 51 balls and Kemp 31 from 20. Four hours ago Sophia Dunkley and Danni Wyatt-Hodge looked like England’s opening partnership at the World Cup; now I’m not so sure.
17th over: England 132-3 (Capsey 66, Kemp 31) Kemp lofts Melier Kee down the ground for another eye-catching boundary. Four singles in the over as well, so England need five to win.
16th over: England 124-3 (Capsey 64, Kemp 25) Kemp continues her classy cameo with two fours in three balls off devine. Both were fine shots, a steer behind square and a perfectly placed drive to between mid-off and extra cover.
Theer’s some rain falling at Derby but the umpires are keen to get the game done. England are only a few 13 runs away from victory.
15th over: England 113-3 (Capsey 63, Kemp 15) Kemp flashes a cut for four to bring up the England hundred. This kind of runchase, where you expect to win maybe eight times out of 10, is valuable experience for two 21-year-olds who are about to play the biggest tournament of their lives.
Capsey takes England closer with a devastating pick-up over midwicket for six. She enjoyed the experience sufficiently to play a very similar shot next ball. Six more!
14th over: England 94-3 (Capsey 50, Kemp 9) Illing goes around the wicket to Capsey, who crashes a brilliant square drive for four to move to 49. A single down the ground brings up a mature half-century from 43 balls, her fifth in T20 internationals. It ends a pretty poor run of 103 runs in 11 innings since Capsey’s last fifty two years ago.
Bree Illing bowled well, even if that last over wasn’t her best, and ends with figures of 4-0-19-2.
13th over: England 85-3 (Capsey 45, Kemp 6) Freya Kemp gets her first boundary – and England’s first since the eighth over – with a decisive sweep round the corner off Melie Kerr. Nicely played.
England need 52 from 42 balls.
12th over: England 78-3 (Capsey 43, Kemp 1)
Kemp is not out! In fact it was missing leg stump so New Zealand lose a review.
New Zealand review for LBW against Kemp!
This is an important moment. I suspect it’s umpire’s call and therefore not out.
WICKET! England 76-3 (Knight c Mair b Illing 19)
That’s the wicket New Zealand need! Knight edges the impressive Illing to short third and is well caught by Mair to end a boundaryless innings of 19 from 17 balls. Not too often you see a boundaryless innings with a strike rate of over 100.
11th over: England 75-2 (Capsey 41, Knight 19) Capsey survives a Spandex-tight run-out review after the bowler Mair collects a throw from the deep and underarms it into the stumps. Capsey would have been out had it been a cleaner throw from Halliday, but Mair had to reach for the ball and then change direction.
No boundaries agian for England, but they’re scoring off almost every delivery and remain on course for victory.
Drinks: England need 68 from 60 balls
10th over: England 69-2 (Capsey 39, Knight 15) Sophie Devine, the only batter to strike at more than 130 tonight, has a go with the ball. It’s a good over for England, who take 10 runs off the target without needing to find the boundary.
With England needing 68 from the last 10 overs, it’s time for drinks.
9th over: England 59-2 (Capsey 36, Knight 9) Six balls, six singles in Melie Kerr’s second over. Level-headed batting from Capsey and Knight.
8th over: England 53-2 (Capsey 33, Knight 6) The new bowler Rosemary Mair is slashed for four by Capsey. Illing got a touch at short third but the ball got through and ran to the boundary.
England need 84 from 72 balls.
7th over: England 44-2 (Capsey 27, Knight 3) With the Powerplay done, Melie Kerr brings herself on to bowl some legspin. England are content to take five low-risk singles from her first over.
6th over: England 39-2 (Capsey 24, Knight 1) Capsey guides a low full toss past backward point for four. She took a few deliveries to have a look but she’s playing superbly now: 4 from the first 9 deliveries, 20 from the next 9.
WICKET! England 33-2 (Bouchier b Illing 5)
Beautifully bowled! That’s a textbook left-armer’s dismissal from Bree Illing, a full-length inswinger that bowls Bouchier neck and crop.
5th over: England 33-1 (Capsey 20, Boucher 5) Capsey gets England moving by taking 16 from Jess Kerr’s third over. It includes three boundaries: a fleet-footed scoop for four, a meaty thump down the ground for six and a tickle to fine leg.
4th over: England 17-1 (Capsey 4, Boucher 5) Suzie Bates, who was surprisingly unused with the bat, comes on to bowl some offspin. Bouchier pulls a full toss to deep square leg, where the diving Plimmer does well to save two runs. New Zealand have started excellently in the field.
3rd over: England 13-1 (Capsey 4, Boucher 1) Maia Bouchier comes in at No3. There might be a bit of rain on the way in Derby.
WICKET! England 10-1 (Dunkley c Sharp b J Kerr 8)
That’s not a great shot from Sophia Dunkley. She got lucky when the previous ball teased two fielders before landing safely, but she went for another big shot and sliced it high to Izzy Sharp at point.
2nd over: England 8-0 (Dunkley 6, Capsey 2) The left-armer Bree Illing shares the new ball. Dunkley walks down the track to an inswinger and is relieved to see an inside-edge fly past leg stump. A good start from Illing, everything on the money.
1st over: England 6-0 (Dunkley 5, Capsey 1) Jess Kerr starts with some good-length inswingers to restrict England’s openers – but then her last ball is a wide half volley that Dunkley puts away for four.
It’s a quick turnaround and the players are back on the field. Jess Kerr will open the bowling to Sophia Dunkley.
England need 137 to win
20th over: New Zealand 136-7 (Sharp 26) That was a fine last over from Linsey Smith, who finishes with exceptional figures of 4-1-10-1. New Zealand’s total feels 20 or 30 under par.
WICKET! New Zealand 136-7 (J Kerr run out 5)
Jess Kerr is run out of the last ball of the innings.
19th over: New Zealand 131-6 (Sharp 25, J Kerr 1) Still no sign of Suzie Bates for some reason; Jess Kerr is the new batter.
Lauren Bell finishes another good spell with figures of 4-0-23-2.