It is all to play for when England Women and New Zealand Women travel down south to the seaside town of Hove for the third and final T20I on Monday, May 25. The series is locked level at 1-1, after the White Ferns secured a 14-run victory at the sunny Canterbury.
England had the Kiwis 11 for 4 in the first inning before Sophie Devine and Maddy Green changed the game. The pair forged a 159-run partnership for the fifth wicket, with Devine and Green scoring 87 and 56, respectively.
The hosts fell short
in the run chase, with Maia Bouchier’s 38 being their highest score. England lost wickets at regular intervals, with the New Zealand bowlers keeping a check on the scoring rate. Nensi Patel took two wickets while conceding just 25 runs.
ENG W vs NZ W: Match Details
| Match | England Women vs New Zealand Women, 3rd T20I, England Women vs New Zealand Women, 2026 |
| Date and Time (IST) | Monday, May 25, 2026, 7:00 PM (IST) |
| Venue | County Ground, Hove |
| Broadcast and Live-Streaming | Sony Sports (TV), SonyLIV (Streaming - App and Website) |
County Ground, Hove: Pitch Report
With the sun forecast to beat down at Hove on Monday, expect the conditions to favour the batters. However, with the ground being close to the English Channel, the fast bowler can expect some swing with the new ball thanks to the sea breeze.
Englandand New Zealand played at this venue back in 2024, with the Lionesses winning by 23 runs in a rain-affected game. The bowlers, however, did dominate in the last international game on this ground when England bundled West Indies for just 81 in 2025.
ENG W vs NZ W: Head-to-Head T20I Record
| Matches Played | 42 |
| Won by ENG W | 33 |
| Won by NZ W | 09 |
| Tied / No Results | 0 |
| First Meeting | 05 August 2004 (NZ W won) |
| Last Meeting | 23 May, 2026 (NZ W won) |
ENG W vs NZ W: Predicted Playing XIs
England Women:
Sophia Dunkley, Alice Capsey, Maia Bouchier, Heather Knight, Freya Kemp, Dani Gibson, Amy Jones (WK), Charlie Dean (C), Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell, Issy Wong
New Zealand Women:
Georgia Plimmer, Isabella Gaze (WK), Melie Kerr (C), Sophie Devine, Brooke Halliday, Maddy Green, Izzy Sharp, Jess Kerr, Bree Illing, Lea Tahuhu, Nensi Patel
ENG W vs NZ W: Probable Best Performer of the Match
Probable Best Batter: Sophie Devine
New Zealand veteran Sophie Devine once again showed her class in the second T20I, by hitting 87 off 57 balls when her team needed her the most. This comes after scoring 45 in the first game of the series. The 36-year-old is looking in great form ahead of the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup, having previously scored back-to-back half-centuries against South Africa back in March.
Probable Best Batter: Linsey Smith
Linsey Smith took three wickets in the second game of the three-match series. The 31-year-old is an excellent option for captain Charlie Dean to use in the powerplay to bowl alongside Lauren Bell. The spin bowler also took five wickets for Hampshire during the Metro Bank One Day Cup before the start of the T20I series against New Zealand.
