England started the final phase of their World Cup preparations with a convincing seven-wicket win in the first T20I against New Zealand as Alice Capsey embraced her role at the top of the order with a fine half-century.

Batting in unfamiliar territory as an opener, Capsey took control in England’s pursuit of a modest target of 137 with a 51-ball 74 not out in which she cut, drove and at times muscled her way to three sixes and seven fours, seeing her side home with 16 balls to spare.

Playing their first T20I for 10 months and missing captain Nat Sciver-Brunt to a calf injury, England were sharper in the field and their bowlers were on top from the start, from Lauren Bell’s wicket with the first ball of the match to Linsey Smith’s excellent figures of 1 for 10 from four overs including 15 dot balls.

Freya Kemp bowled for the first time in nearly 16 months as she increases her workloads following a back injury ahead of the T20 World Cup, with two wicketless overs conceding 16 runs, and she later supported Capsey with an unbeaten 31 off 20 balls. Charlie Dean, standing in for Sciver-Brunt as captain, as she did during the drawn ODI series, also took two wickets.

Collectively they tied down the reigning T20 world champions, who apart from Sophie Devine’s 22-ball 45 and a late 36-run stand off 33 balls for the sixth wicket between Maddy Green and Izzy Sharp, couldn’t get going. Suzie Bates dropped to No. 9 as the White Ferns continue to plan for life beyond her retirement after the T20 World Cup. But she didn’t get a chance to bat as Jess Kerr was run out off the last ball of the innings with her side 136 for 7.

With Danni Wyatt-Hodge on leave for the birth of her first child, Capsey was promoted from No. 3 and it was regular opener Sophia Dunkley who fell first, looping a Jess Kerr delivery to Sharp at point. Capsey settled nicely, bookending a thumping six over long-on with fours off Jess Kerr’s third over.

Bree Illing flattened Maia Bouchier’s middle stump to put England at 39 for 2 at the end of the powerplay but Capsey was in fine touch. She picked the gaps perfectly and even when she didn’t her shots had enough on them to beat the fielders. She brought up England’s fifty with a backward cut through short third, where Illing was stationed but couldn’t stop it. She moved to 49 with an authoritative cut for four off Illing and brought up her half-century off 43 deliveries two balls later with a single smacked past the bowler. Fittingly, Capsey raised the winning runs with back-to-back fours.

Bell, the sole specialist seamer in England’s XI, struck first ball, nailing her length just outside off as Georgia Plimmer chopped onto middle stump. Left-arm spinner Smith had a typically strong start to the powerplay, with a maiden first up. Then, with the first ball of the next over, she picked up the big wicket of Melie Kerr, who tried to clear mid-off only to find the towering Bell stretching to take a sharp overhead catch.

Izzy Gaze had come in at the top of the order instead of Bates, as was the case during New Zealand’s home series with South Africa in March. But Dean put an end to that piece of future-proofing when she bowled Gaze for 12 off 19 trying to break the shackles by advancing down the pitch, the ball turning just enough to slide under the swing and clip the top of middle and leg.

<h2 Devine started her final tour of England in vintage style, reminding onlookers of what they will be missing when she retires after next month’s T20 World Cup. She spent the final over of the powerplay, Sophie Ecclestone’s first, smoking the ball for three sixes over the leg-side boundary, which had been brought in considerably but needn’t have been, such was Devine’s power and timing.</h2

Devine hit back-to-back fours off Kemp, bowling for the first time since the Ashes in January 2025. Devine was lucky to get away with the second, smashed down the ground, but while Dani Gibson did well to get a hand to it running round from deep midwicket, she couldn’t hold on. Another maximum for Devine, off Dean this time, had her on 40 off just 18 but Gibson bowled her soon after with one that stayed low and clipped the bails.

Brief scores:
England Women 140 for 3 in 17.2 overs (Alice Capsey 74*, Heather Knight 19, Freya Kemp 31*; Jess Kerr 1-46, Bree Illing 2-19) beat New Zealand Women 136 for 7 in 20 overs (Isabella Gaze 12, Sophie Devine 45, Brooke Halliday 14, Maddy Green 23, Izzy Sharp 26*; Lauren  Bell 2-23, Linsey Smith 1-10, Dani Gibson 1-21, Charlie Deen 2-29) by seven wickets

[Cricinfo]