She took two early wickets and made 26 unbeaten losses as the visitors claimed a seven-wicket win
English women 99 for 3 (Wyatt 33, Sciver 26 *, Kasperek 2-24) beat New Zealand Women 96 (Martin 36, Glenn 2-11, Brunt 2-13, Ecclestone 2-18, Sciver 2-28) with seven wikis
Natalie Sciver made a convincing victory with a ball and a bat at each end of a seven-wicket win that led England 1-0 in their T20I three-game series against New Zealand. This show expanded on the impressive form of Sciver from the ODI series, in which she was England’s top catcher as well as receiving 63 game-winners in the second ODI in Dunedin.
Choosing a bowling first at Westpac Stadium, England got off to a brilliant start, with Sciver eliminating Sophie Devine and Amy Satterthwaite within the space of her first two appearances as New Zealand slipped to 10 for 2. No there was a real cure after that, despite a 32-ball 36 from Katey Martin, as the England bowlers regularly went on strike to take the guests out for 96 in 19.4 overs. Sciver, her new teammate Katherine Brunt, and spinners Sophie Ecclestone and Sarah Glenn finished with two wickets each.
There was no doubt in the chase of England, once Tammy Beaumont and Danni Wyatt scored 59 for the first wicket in 8.3 overs. A move came shortly afterwards when the famous actress Leigh Kasperek eliminated two openers in a row before Heather Knight ran out for a duck. But Sciver made sure there was no more panic, scoring 26 unbeaten from 25 balls and seeing England at home in the company of Amy Jones, with whom she sent 32 unbeaten for the fourth wicket. Sciver hit the winning boundary, off Devine, where the last ball of the 16th over.
The second and third T20Is will be played in Wellington on Friday and Sunday.