NEW DELHI: New Zealand put an end to England's ambitions of a clean sweep in their Twenty20 International series with a commanding 74-run victory in the third match at Edgbaston on Sunday.
Finn Allen's brilliant 53-ball 83 powered the New Zealanders to a formidable total of 202/5, setting an imposing target for England in their quest to secure a 3-0 lead in the four-match series.
England's big-hitting lineup found itself stifled by disciplined New Zealand bowling, with only Jos Buttler managing to make any significant impact, scoring 40 off 21 balls. The world champion team struggled throughout the chase, ultimately getting dismissed with nine balls to spare, as they were always well behind the required run rate.
Fit-again pacer Kyle Jamieson delivered an impressive performance with figures of 3-23 in four overs, complemented by spinner Ish Sodhi, who claimed 3-33.
The fourth and final T20I of the series is scheduled to take place at Trent Bridge on Tuesday, followed by a four-match One-Day International (ODI) series as a warm-up for the 50-over ICC Cricket World Cup, set to commence next month.
England had previously won the first T20I by seven wickets on Wednesday and secured a dominant 95-run victory in the second match on Friday.
(With inputs from AP)
