Sophia Dunkley sees out England's five-wicket win in final T20 against resilient New Zealand

England were victorious in their fifth T20 clash against New Zealand by five wickets, clinching a convincing 4-1 series win.

The visitors wrapped up the series on Thursday with a dominant 47-run triumph, returning to Wellington a day later for essentially a dead rubber.

It looked as if England were on track for another overwhelming victory when New Zealand slipped to 31-4 and 69-5 after deciding to bat first, but Izzy Gaze’s unbeaten 51 from 28 balls helped the hosts to 136-6.

England were left with 137 runs to chase, and they were moving steadily towards their target after a partnership between Nat Sciver-Brunt and Heather Knight racked up 57.

But New Zealand hit back, dismissing both Sciver-Brunt and Knight in quick succession.

England needed five from nine balls to win as Sophia Dunkley stepped up to bat. She remained composed under the pressure, sealing the win with a boundary off only her second delivery and ensuring England's triumph with seven balls to spare.

"I'm really pleased with how we started with the ball, we were aggressive and got those early wickets, so it was exciting to watch," England captain Knight told TNT Sports.

"We were pleased with the chase, to keep our heads level after the third T20, and are delighted to get a series win over the line."

New Zealand captain Amelia Kerr was full of praise for Gaze, describing her performance as "special".

"We were disappointed with our power play with the bat but Izzy Gaze was just outstanding, she stuck to her game and it was really special for her," Kerr told TNT Sports.

"Getting us to that score helped us add some scoreboard pressure. England are a quality side and we were in winning positions quite often but I can't fault our effort and commitment."

England now remain in New Zealand for three one-day internationals in Wellington, starting on Sunday, March 31, and shown live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

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