NORTHAMPTON (Web Desk) - England secured a 65-run win over Pakistan in the second T20 at Northampton to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series with one match left to play.
Ecclestone, who has taken just 80 matches to overtake Katherine Sciver-Brunt’s record of 114 wickets, sealed the deal by taking Muneeba Ali caught-and-bowled in the sixth over, before wrapping up the innings with two wickets in the 16th as England bowled Pakistan out for just 79.
Opting to bat first, England had reached 144 for six thanks to some lusty final-over blows from Danielle Gibson, who followed up Saturday’s unbeaten 41 by slamming 18 not out from nine balls, including a huge six over long-on – the first maximum of the international summer.
Dar, who took over the Pakistan captaincy last month, had begun the 20th over by celebrating her own personal milestone – it was her 137th scalp in the format, and saw her overtake Australia’s Megan Schutt to become the leading wicket-taker in women’s T20 internationals. But her side’s batting never quite got going.
Lauren Bell picked up two wickets in the third over, and by the time Alice Capsey’s part-time off-spin was given an outing in the 13th, the end was nigh. Capsey ended up with two wickets, while Pakistan’s last five batters fell for eight runs.
Earlier, Nat Sciver-Brunt had celebrated her return to the England side with a quickfire 31. She has revealed that her absence from Saturday’s match was the result of recently having her eggs frozen, in the hopes of starting a family with her wife and former England, Katherine, after retirement.
Maia Bouchier and Capsey also chipped in with a 49-run partnership for the second wicket. Earlier, Danni Wyatt just about got the ball over the infield to get off the mark, smashed one boundary down the ground, then swung and missed at Waheeda Akhtar’s seventh ball, which took out her middle stump.
England’s innings then stalled after the drinks break, after Bouchier was run out by Diana Baig, who pulled off a great diving stop at extra cover, while nine balls later Capsey lost her head yet again, trying to go big to Dar and edging behind the stumps.
Heather Knight managed a strike rate of 50, with four from her eight balls before driving straight to long-off. A promising start could easily have fizzled out: instead, Gibson ensured England snatched the momentum, and the series.