New Zealand hold nerve in thriller to seal T20I series

VIEW MATCH CENTRE

Bates' 62 off 52 balls had set her side on course to chase down India's under-par 135/6 at Eden Park on Friday, 8 February. However, a fightback at the death from the visitors meant it was a scramble to the finish for the middle order.

Arundhati Reddy took two wickets in the 18th over, including that of the well-set Bates, and with nine needed off the final over, Mansi Joshi bowled Katey Martin. Leigh Kasperek (4*) and Hannah Rowe (4*), though, made the most of some fielding fumbles to run hard and complete the chase off the last delivery.

Fortunately for the hosts, Bates and Amy Satterthwaite had done most of the heavy-lifting in a 61-run partnership for the third wicket, which extended across almost eight overs. It steadied the chase after Radha Yadav got Sophie Devine to chop on, ending the opening stand at 33 in 4.4 overs, and tied Katie Gurrey down before the pressure told on the batter.

It was Bates' 21st T20I half-century, and included five boundaries.

For India, it was a repeat of the poor batting that hurt them in the opening fixture. But for Smriti Mandhana and the impressive Jemimah Rodrigues, no batter got to double-figures.

Put in, they were again going great guns when Mandhana and Rodrigues were in the middle. The second-wicket pair raced away to 52/1 inside the Powerplay, recovering quickly from being 8/1 in 2.2 overs.

However, Mandhana's wicket in 10th over – Rosemary Mair (2/17) had her caught by Bates in the deep, playing a loose shot – for 36 off 27 balls, resulted in a flurry of wickets and a drastic dip in the scoring. India had just one boundary in the 10 overs after the Powerplay.

Rodrigues held her own, even as she lost partners. She took Amelia Kerr on for three boundaries in a row at the death, and played clever cricket all around the ground, before she was stumped while charging down the pitch. She had to depart after striking six fours and a six. Her 72 off 53 balls was more than half of India's runs.