Tammy Beaumont produced a masterclass of stroke making as she caressed 97 sumptuous runs in England’s comprehensive 46 run win over New Zealand in the first of three T20s in Chelmsford.
Beaumont hit 14 fours and one six and needed just 65 balls to reach her score. She’d fall three runs short of her second international T20 hundred on the final ball of the innings as she looked to reverse-scoop Hayley Jenson over short third.
“It felt really good,” Beaumont told the BBC after the match. “We knew that New Zealand were going to come really hard at us but it was just a case of assessing the conditions and sticking to our strengths. It was more the timing to take [Kasperek] down.
“It wasn’t necessarily a predetermined plan but on the night that was working. I’ve probably been under pressure for my spot over the last few years so I really wanted to put in a good performance. I’ve been wanting to do this for a while. You look at Emma Lamb who has been brilliant for a number of years and you have so much pressure on you but that’s a challenge to push yourself and continually improve.”
Amy Jones chipped in with a breezy 31 from 1 5 deliveries and Sophia Dunkley finished unbeaten on 23 off 17.
Before this tour, New Zealand hadn’t played together since early April. In that time England’s players have competed against a well drilled Indian outfit and gained invaluable match sharpness at the Hundred. The gulf was evident as New Zealand shelled multiple catches and looked scrappy in the field in general.
England’s score of 184/4 always felt as if it would be too much for their guests and the task required became a lot more difficult when Tash Farrant (1 for 24 from 4 overs) had New Zealand’s captain Sophie Devine trapped lbw for 2 in the second over.
Four balls later Katherin Brunt (2 for 9 from 3 overs) bowled the other opener Suzie Bates for 1 and New Zealand were in a hole hole at 6/2.
Amy Satterwaite’s 43 from 31 balls offered some resistance but the loss of regular wickets curtailed the innings. Two wickets each for Sarah Glenn and Sophie Ecclestone, and apiece for Nat Sciver and Mady Villiers meant that all six bowlers used picked up something across a dominant display.
