Alice Capsey’s unbeaten 74 guided England to a seven-wicket victory over New Zealand in their opening T20 clash in Derby.
The visitors were put in and suffered the worst possible start as Lauren Bell bowled Georgia Plimmer with the first ball of the match and they needed an aggressive 45 off 22 balls from Sophie Devine to get back on track.
Maddy Green and Izzy Sharp’s late partnership of 36 helped them up to 136 for seven, with Bell and Charlie Dean claiming two wickets apiece.
Capsey spearheaded England’s chase, hitting seven fours and three sixes in her 51-ball knock and added an unbroken 64 with Freya Kemp for the fourth wicket to ease England over the line with 16 balls to spare.
England got off to the ideal start when Bell struck with her first ball as Plimmer chopped onto her stumps.
Skipper Melie Kerr then chipped Linsey Smith to Bell at mid-off, but New Zealand looked to wrestle back some control as Devine started to apply pressure and smashed three sixes from a Sophie Ecclestone over.
However, England captain Dean halted momentum as she turned one past the bat of Isabella Gaze into middle and leg stumps.
Devine was then bowled by Dani Gibson with one that kept low.
The White Ferns were 77 for four at the halfway mark before Brooke Halliday was caught by Maia Bouchier at long-off off Dean.
Green added 23 before being caught by Ecclestone off Bell and Sharp finished unbeaten on 26 as the visitors closed on 136 for seven.
Sophia Dunkley fell for eight and Bouchier for five as England were reduced to 33 for two in the sixth over but Capsey took charge and was unfortunate not to be run out for 39 before Heather Knight (19) edged to Rosemary Mair to end a partnership of 43.
But Capsey and Kemp combined to ease England to victory.
