Headline punsters everywhere rubbed their hands in glee as New Zealand bore the brunt of Katherine Brunt and were bowled out for a miserable 85 in the World Twenty20 final at Lord's. The seamer's career-best 3 for 6 derailed New Zealand, who made things worse with some ridiculous shot selection of their own.
At the toss England captain Charlotte Edwards said she chose to bowl in order to exploit the favourable conditions. She opened with offspinner Laura Marsh and Brunt, like she had against India and Australia in the semi-final.
Brunt got the best out of the pitch through her full and inswinging deliveries which she mixed with shorter balls that lifted awkwardly on to Lucy Doolan. Two of Brunt's wickets were a result of poor shot selection - Doolan bizarrely went for a tentative scoop and popped a catch to the wicketkeeper, and Rachel Priest tried to hook a shorter delivery only to offer Brunt a return catch.
But she can certainly take all the credit for her first dismissal, that of New Zealand's top run-getter Aimee Watkins. Offspinner Laura Marsh had beaten Watkins two balls before. Brunt came in for her second over and pitched the first ball on middle and off and it straightened to take the off stump as Watkins missed the line and went for a drive. With New Zealand's in-form batsman out, Brunt proceeded to put the pressure on the new batsman Amy Satterthwaite, with yorker-length deliveries. She kept up the pressure in her next over that Satterthwaite was forced to play out as a maiden.
Nicki Shaw picked up from where Brunt left off - not only in the bowling department but also in the wicket-celebration one. She swung it into the left-hander as well and mixed it up with slower deliveries. But she got her wicket when she angled it into the right-hander Nicola Browne, who was bowled after trying to hit across the line. At the end of the Powerplays, New Zealand were 18 for 2. Five overs later they were 35 for 5.
Left-arm spinner Holly Colvin eased the pressure on New Zealand by conceding three wides in her first over. She gave the ball flight and kept it full after that and was very unlucky to have to catches dropped off her bowling, though one was by her.
By the end of the 16th over, New Zealand's batsmen had faced 59 dot balls. In the last five overs they managed only 32 runs and lost the final four wickets. England, at times, were sloppy on the field but it won't matter in the end with such a small total to chase. New Zealand's seamers had really troubled India in the semi-final but it's unlikely they will be able to defend 85 against an in-form England.
Nice
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