England vs New Zealand, second T20: Sophie Devine and Maddy Green star with the bat as White Ferns rally to level T20 series at 1-1
England took four wickets in the first four overs to reduce New Zealand to 11-4; White Ferns rallied to 170-5; England could only muster 156-6 in reply; Third and final T20 takes place on Monday 25 May at Hove (2.30pm)
Saturday 23 May 2026 18:18, UK
Sophie Devine (87) and Maddy Green (56) put together the second highest fifth-wicket partnership of all time in T20I cricket as New Zealand secured a 14-run victory over England to level the series at 1-1.
Their 159 runs were made even more remarkable by the fact their partnership began with their side in deep trouble at 11-4 before getting them to 170-5, Devine falling on the final ball of the innings.
England fell short in reply on 156-6 as they struggled to keep up with the required run rate. It ends an eight-game losing streak for New Zealand against England and the series will be decided at Hove on Bank Holiday Monday, live on Sky Sports (2.30pm start).
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England's strongest batting partnership came between Maia Bouchier (38) and Heather Knight (25) but as the pair fell to back-to-back deliveries from Nensi Patel (2-25) via a run out then catch, their hopes faded of battling back.
They will also rue how their bowling attack slowly disintegrated, with no wickets coming from the 22nd delivery until the 120th and last.
England are playing the White Ferns and then India in three T20s each before beginning their World Cup campaign against Sri Lanka at Edgbaston on June 12, live on Sky Sports.
Devine and Green put together sublime stand
New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat but it looked like the afternoon was all going to go England's way as the match got under way when they were reduced to 11-4 inside the first four overs.
Lauren Bell (1-22) was the first to strike when she removed Isabella Gaze (4) with the final ball of the first over, Linsey Smith (3-25) delivering just one ball later to send fellow opener Georgia Plimmer (0) walking for a first-ball duck.
Smith was on fire and made it count with a second in the same over, removing the key wicket of skipper Melie Kerr (0) before she was allowed to have any impact via lbw. That had reduced New Zealand to 5-3 after nine deliveries.
Brooke Halliday (3) was then the next to fall in the fourth over as her chip over the top was easily taken by Maia Bouchier to give Smith her third wicket. With the visitors floundering at 11-4, England were in control.
However, after skipper Charlie Dean (0-14) opted to take Smith out of the attack after her two overs, England's fortunes changed while New Zealand pulled off the almighty rebuild thanks to Devine and Green.
The fifth-wicket partnership settled into the game, Devine the driving force, as the likes of Dani Gibson (0-34), Freya Kemp (0-34), and Issy Wong (0-24) struggled to make an impact.
By the halfway point the pair had got their side to 67-4 with their own personal milestones following.
Devine brought up her 24th T20I half-century from 39 deliveries in the 16th over, with Green's coming from 41 deliveries in the 17th.
Indeed, England had got sloppy and it showed in their missed fielding chances when Smith overthrew for a run out in the 14th over, Dean then missing a run-out chance too in the 18th.
No breakthrough came for the home side as, even when Smith return to the bowling attack at the death, she did not have the same impact.
With Devine ran out on the final ball of the innings, New Zealand walked off at 170-5 and a fifth-wicket partnership for the history books.
England fail to find key partnership
England came in chasing 171 and needing what would have been their third-highest run chase and biggest in eight years. Ultimately, they could not get it over the line.
They started positively and while Sophia Dunkley (31) fell in the fourth over, England got to the end of the powerplay at 49-1 and looking pretty strong.
Danni Wyatt-Hodge's absence following the birth of her first child on Friday presented Alice Capsey (22) with a continued chance to open but the 21-year-old could not quire carry on from her fantastic display in the opening T20 when she scored a sparkling unbeaten half-century.
She was the next to go at the hands of New Zealand skipper Melie Kerr (1-28), giving Maia Bouchier (38) and Heather Knight (25) a big task.
England were 76-2 at the halfway point, needing 95 from 60 balls, then passed 100 in the 14th over but then the key moment arrived.
In the 16th over, Knight and Bouchier fell to back-to-back deliveries from Patel, a poor run out at the hands of Devine then a catch from Plimmer leaving England rudderless at 119-4.
That saw Gibson (12) and Kemp (14) try to go on the attack needing 51 from 24 balls but with the former castled by Bree Illing (1-27), Amy Jones (1 no) and Kemp worked to make it that England went into the final over needing 24 runs.
That saw Lea Tahuhu (1-32) show her class with some death bowling and when Kemp was caught with three balls remaining, the 14-run defeat was confirmed.
Dean: Keeping Smith on was a toss up | Devine: Huge confidence builder for us
England captain Charlie Dean to Sky Sports...
"Losing from such a brilliant position always hurts.
"But credit to Sophie and Maddy and how they batted - it shows that having set batters in the last 10 and towards the death really matters.
"We didn't quite get there."
On not keeping Linsey Smith: "It's a big toss up. Obviously I kept [Lauren] Bell on at one end. I felt we really needed one more wicket and we could really be through.
"It's hard to bowl three straight in the powerplay for anyone - even for someone of Linsey's brilliant quality."
Player of the match Sophie Devine to Sky Sports:
"Really pleased. England bowled fantastically up front, to get us four down pretty quickly. But I thought that shows the growth of the group.
"The partnership with Maddie was outstanding. We absorbed pressure really well, and then to be able to throw it back at them at the back end, that's a massive confidence builder for us."
England vs New Zealand results and schedule
All times UK and Ireland; all games live on Sky Sports
- First ODI ( Durham) - England win by one wicket 🔵
- Second ODI (Northampton) - Match abandoned ☔
- Third ODI (Cardiff) - New Zealand win by 17 runs (DLS) ⚫
- First T20I (Derby) - England win by seven wickets 🔴 🔵
- Second T20I (Canterbury) - New Zealand win by 14 runs ⚫
- Third T20I (Hove) - Monday May 25 (2.30pm) 📅
Watch the Women's T20 World Cup live in full on Sky Sports from June 12-July 5. Hosts England kick off the tournament on opening night with a game versus Sri Lanka at Edgbaston (6.30pm start).
