England A Women are showing no signs of slowing down in their ongoing series against New Zealand A, registering yet another convincing victory this time by 6 wickets in a low-scoring one-day affair.
Batting first, New Zealand A struggled to find any momentum from the outset. The top order crumbled under pressure, with Georgia Plimmer dismissed for a duck and Emma McLeod managing 17 off 19. Skipper Bella James and Jess Watkin tried to revive the innings with a steady 23-run stand. Bella looked fluent with a 28-ball 29, while Watkin added a resilient 35 off 44 deliveries.
However, their efforts were undone by a dramatic middle-order collapse with Izzy Sharp and Hannah Rowe both dismissed without troubling the scorers. Polly Inglis added a quick-fire 30 off 23 to push the total past the 120-mark, but a late-order collapse meant New Zealand A were bundled out for just 129 in 27.2 overs.
The stars of the bowling show were England’s pace duo; Mahika Gaur, who bagged a sensational fifer claiming 5/27 in 8.5 overs and Tilly Corteen-Coleman, who chipped in with an impressive 3/30 in 3 overs.
In response, England A’s chase was calm, calculated and confident. Openers Seren Smale (62 off 83) and skipper Grace Scrivens (18 off 19) laid a solid foundation with a 49-run partnership. After Scrivens departed, Smale found support in Jodi Grewcock, with the duo adding 40 runs to steady the innings.
Contributions from Abi Norgrove (13), Grewcock (11), Freya Kemp (5* off 6) and Charis Pavely (6* off 5) ensured England A crossed the finish line comfortably, reaching the target of 130 in 25.4 overs.
On the bowling front for New Zealand A, Emma Black stood with 2/33 in 8 overs, and Jess Watkin picked 1/17 in 3 overs, but the target was too modest to defend.
With this win, England A Women have not not only swept the 3-match One Day series 3-0 but continue to build momentum and confidence ahead of the upcoming official T20 series against New Zealand A, starting July 4. With form, fitness and firepower on their side, England will look to carry their dominance into the shorter format.
