England secured a dominant seven-wicket victory over New Zealand in the deciding T20 international in Hove, winning the series 2-1. The White Ferns, who won the toss and elected to bat, were bowled out for just 80 runs on a sweltering day.
All-rounder Dani Gibson was the star with the ball, taking career-best figures of 3 for 14, including the key wickets of captain Melie Kerr and Sophie Devine. England skipper Charlie Dean also claimed three wickets, while Linsey Smith took two for 15. Jess Kerr top-scored for New Zealand with 20, as only three batters reached double figures.
In reply, England chased down the target with 37 balls to spare. Sophia Dunkley made 22 off 21 balls, and Heather Knight fell for 18, but Maia Bouchier's unbeaten 19 and Freya Kemp's winning run sealed the victory.
Player of the match Gibson said: 'It feels great. I've had a bit of time out so to come back in and make an impact feels really nice. I want to be an all-rounder and perform in all three facets of the game for this team.'
England have now won seven consecutive T20 series against New Zealand, dating back to February 2012. The team will next face three T20 internationals against India before warm-up matches ahead of the T20 World Cup, which begins for England against Sri Lanka on June 12 at Edgbaston.
