Tammy Beaumont stars as England Women secure series victory in New Zealand

ELIZABETH BOTCHERBY looks back on the key moments as England ease to a series victory against New Zealand with one match to spare

Beaumont boundary-fest tees up England’s 10th successive victory

Tammy Beaumont continued her excellent white-ball form in the second T20 against New Zealand, striking seven fours and one six on her way to 63 (53 balls) to put England on course for the series win.

Chasing 124, Rosemary Mair dismissed Danni Wyatt and Nat Sciver inside the power play as England slipped to 30/2. However, Beaumont and captain Heather Knight put on an 83-run third-wicket stand to not so much steady the ship as put it into cruise control.

After scoring her eighth T20 half-century, Beaumont was dismissed with England 11 shy of victory and was quickly followed back to the pavilion by Knight, leaving Amy Jones to hit the winning runs.

Striking the perfect balance between measured striking and brutal boundaries, Beaumont’s innings was typical of what we have come to expect from her and a huge a statement of her intent to be England’s go-to opener in both limited overs formats.

However, it was a different story for New Zealand who once again struggled to read England’s bowlers.

Another day, another 5⃣0⃣!

What a tour @Tammy_Beaumont is having 🙌🔥

Scorecard: https://t.co/6kHEN6Qev8#NZvENG pic.twitter.com/2qtR61eYKA

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) March 5, 2021

Losing Sophie Devine and Hayley Jensen early in proceedings, veteran number three Amy Satterthwaite put on a brave performance, almost single-handedly lifting the White Ferns from 28/2 to 98/4. Unfortunately, just as she began to threaten a big total, the 34-year old was dismissed by a Freya Davies inswinger for 49 – her wait for a second T20 50 continues.

Halliday battled on with the tailenders, hitting two fours of her own on her way to an unbeaten 16 (20 deliveries), but the damage was already done.

England have now won 10 T20s on the bounce (excluding the abandoned T20 World Cup semi-final against India which didn’t see a ball bowled) and are gathering momentum ahead of a big year for white-ball cricket in 2022.

Farrant and Davies demonstrate depth of England’s bowling attack

On Wednesday (March 3), Sarah Glenn was England’s star bowler, taking 2-11 from her four overs of spin to earn the player of the match gong. In the second T20, it was Tash Farrant and Freya Davies who stepped up to support the ever-impressive Sophie Ecclestone and Nat Sciver.

Brought in to replace Katherine Brunt (illness), Farrant bowled exceptionally in the power play, conceding just seven runs in 14 balls, and finished with figures of 0-17.

Davies, meanwhile, took a pummelling in her first over, conceding two boundaries in her first five balls before dismissing Hayley Jensen thanks to some astute field placement from captain Knight.

Adjusting her length for her remaining overs, the 25-year old seamer took 3-12 off her next 18 deliveries, including the crucial wickets of Amy Satterthwaite and Maddy Green in the 15th over. Career best figures for a deserved player of the match winner.

Amy Jones excels with the gloves

Speaking to The Cricketer in 2020, England’s fielding and wicketkeeping coach, Michael Bates, described Amy Jones as "technically, the best in the world in the women’s game." And, after years in Sarah Taylor’s shadow and a couple of shaky performances against West Indies, Jones is proving him right.

In the first T20, she was good, successfully stumping Katey Martin and Halliday before adding 12 not out with the bat. But in the second, she was well and truly world class.

Playing for England was surreal for too long, but now Amy Jones feels at home

In the 12th over, the 27-year old stumped Amelia Kerr, expertly reading the New Zealander’s tactic of advancing down the pitch to break both the bails and a partnership which had scored 56 runs at a worrying pace. Two balls later, she dismissed Martin in similar fashion, reducing England’s hosts to 84/4 in the blink of an eye.

Unwilling to be out of the action for too long, Jones caught Maddy Green for a duck off Davies’ bowling, another nail in New Zealand's coffin. And where was she at the end of the match? Hitting the winning runs of course, ushering in the celebrations with a delightful two to finish on seven not out.

Rarely do wicketkeepers receive the adulation and limelight thrust upon bowlers but Jones is proving hard to ignore with the gloves.

^{Amy Jones keeps her eyes on the prize in the second T20}

Devine’s run drought continues

Just over 12 months ago, New Zealand captain Sophie Devine was on top of the world after hitting a record sixth consecutive T20 half-century. Punishing the Indian, South African and Sri Lankan bowlers, the 31-year old amassed 444 runs in six matches – including 372 in February 2020 alone – and scored her first T20I century.  However, in her next six innings her highest knock was 31, scored against Australia in Melbourne.

The ICC number one-ranked batter returned to form in this season’s Super Smash, dominating the batting standings and scoring the fastest century in women’s T20 cricket (36 balls) against Otago Sparks.

But, unfortunately for the White Ferns, she hasn’t been able to translate that dominance onto the international stage. After being dismissed for two in the first T20, Devine missed a full toss from Sophie Ecclestone and was correctly given out lbw for just eight runs.

Now eight matches without a 50+ score, it’s her longest drought since November 2017 when she endured a 10-match lean spell stretching back two years. Devine ended that run with a 44-ball 70 against Pakistan and she, and her teammates, will be desperate for something similar during Sunday's (March 7) final T20.

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