The Cricketer looks at the main talking points from the fourth T20I between England and New Zealand at the Kia Oval
Sophie Ecclestone (2 for 16) was at her best again in the fourth T20I between England and Zealand at the Kia Oval but the highlight was her dismissal of Suzie Bates.
Bates navigated her way to 17 and appeared to be the key wicket as she looked to guide the visitors to a respectable score.
Ecclestone, bowling the ninth over, varied her pace before delivering a quicker ball that beat the defences of Bates.
It handed the left-arm spinner her first wicket of the day and ensured England had a firm grip on the contest after Sarah Glenn had taken two wickets in the previous over from that end.
The turning point in the New Zealand innings was Sarah Glenn's first over in which she took two wickets to remove Georgia Plimmer (17) and Amelia Kerr (0).
She bowled Plimmer before forcing Kerr to hit her delivery straight to Alice Capsey at midwicket.
Sarah Glenn celebrates her first wicket after she bowled Georgia Plimmer (David Rodgers/Getty Images)
The over could have been even better for Glenn and England as they also reviewed a tight lbw appeal against Suzie Bates which was turned down as it was adjudged as umpire's call.
England never looked back and continued to strike regularly as they restricted the visitors to just 103 off their 20 overs with Glenn ending with figures of 4 for 19.
Today marked the first game since England's Nat Sciver-Brunt was honoured with a gate named after her at the Kia Oval.
The Sciver-Brunt Gate was unveiled yesterday to commemorate the allrounder captaining the Surrey Stars to the 2018 Kia Super League title.
She took the new ball for England today and scored an unbeaten 17 at her home ground and was joined on the field by fellow Surrey academy graduate Alice Capsey and Sophia Dunkley, who was born in Lambeth.
The Surrey representation helped inspire England to a comfortable win over New Zealnd in the fourth T20I to ramin unbeaten in the series.
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