India 136/6 in 20 overs (Vanitha 41, Kaur 30, Veda Krishnamurthy 29; Devine 2-31) lost to the New Zealand WHITE FERNS 139/4 in 17.5 overs (Priest 60; Goswami 2-29) by six wickets at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium Bengaluru. New Zealand WHITE FERNS lead the three-match Series 2-0.
The New Zealand WHITE FERNS have won their maiden Twenty20 International Series in India with a match to spare after defeating their hosts by six wickets at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru today.
Opening bat Rachel Priest led the chase, blasting her maiden Twenty20 International half-century off 22 balls — which just three days earlier would have equalled the women’s world record, but for teammate Sophie Devine’s record 18-ball blitzkrieg in the opening game on Saturday. Fifty-two of her runs came in boundaries: 10 fours and two sixes.
"Both from my own point of view and I know Soph's, we just decided to go out there and express ourselves and go hard at the ball," said Priest. "The pitches have been great, it was another good one today and you could trust the bounce."
Priest’s effort stands as the world’s second equal fastest T20 half-century in women’s cricket, alongside West Indian Deandra Dottin.
Chasing India’s 136, Priest undertook the role of aggressor today, marching to a career-best, 34-ball 60, including 10 fours and two sixes and sweeping the WHITE FERNS into a comfortable position at 92/4 by the time she was caught off Poonam Yadav in the 11th over.
Sophie Devine continued on as captain for the Twenty20s despite the return of regular captain Suzie Bates from illness and had put India in after winning the toss. Bates made a key breakthrough when she ran out Indian skipper Mithali Raj with a direct hit in the first over — fielding again proving a glaring difference between the two sides.
Opener Vanitha Vellaswamy top-scored for the hosts with a solid 41: the best innings of her fledging career.
However, good pressure from Leigh Kasperek and Kate Broadmore through the middle put the brakes on India’s run rate after tall, 18-year-old pace bowler Hannah Rowe, on Twenty20 International debut, had picked up the handy wicket of the experienced Harmanpreet Kaur, who was caught by Sophie Devine after a threatening 30.
Having restricted India to 136/6, calm and experience prevailed in the WHITE FERNS camp. Katie Perkins (below) struck the winning boundary in the 18th over to finish unbeaten on a run-a-ball 23, partner Amy Satterthwaite (24* off 22) having steadied the ship at five.
The WHITE FERNS had survived the loss of Bates, who was caught for no score off the second ball of the chase after slashing the ball straight to silly mid on, then the massive wicket of Devine who blasted 14 runs, including three boundaries, off a hapless Shubh Lakshmi in the second over before being caught and bowled the following over by India’s senior pace bowler Jhulan Goswami, top-edging the first ball.
The final Twenty20 International in the Series is on Wednesday.
