New Zealand Women claim victory in Canterbury to set up series decider

New Zealand Women 170-5 beat England Women 156-6 by 14 runs

England Women will get the chance to try and win a decider in the Vitality IT20 series on Bank Holiday Monday after ending up on the wrong side of the result at Canterbury.

On a roasting hot day in Kent, a sell-out crowd were treated to a bumper day of entertainment with almost 330 runs scored and the home team coming close to pulling off what would have been a series win.

And when they had New Zealand 11-4 in the early skirmishes, that is exactly what most of the fans would have been expecting, until Sophie Devine and Maddy Green changed the course of the contest.

Linsey Smith dismissed both Georgia Plimmer and Melie Kerr first ball to get England off to a flying start as part of her figures of 3-25 from four overs.

But a destructive partnership of 159, a record for New Zealand's fifth wicket, made those early inroads a distant memory as player of the match Devine connected with six sixes in her 87 and Green grabbed a couple in her 56 not out.

It meant England had a stiff target to chase, but with conditions remaining true, Sophia Dunkley's 26 and Alice Capsey's 22 gave them a fast start that Maia Bouchier and Heather Knight could build on.

Their partnership of 43 put England into position to launch towards the back end of the innings, but Knight's run out for 25 and Bouchier's dismissal for 38, caught at long on, stalled the momentum and the team never quite recovered.

With the weather set fair across the weekend, it means another hot contest is in store on Monday with the winner taking all the spoils.

England Women v New Zealand Women Vitality IT20 Series

Wednesday May 20: 1st Vitality IT20, England Women won by seven wickets - County Ground, Derby

Saturday May 23: 2nd Vitality IT20, England Women lost to New Zealand Women by 14 runs, St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury

Monday May 25: 3rd Vitality IT20, England Women v New Zealand Women, The County Ground, Hove