England women thrash New Zealand in first T20

England batter Charlotte Edwards hit 32 as England chased down the target with 8.2 overs to spare

England women bowled New Zealand out for 60 as they won the first of three Twenty20 matches by eight wickets with 50 balls left in Whangarei.

Spinner Heather Knight (3-10) took three wickets for two runs to reduce New Zealand to 10-4 after five overs.

Anya Shrubsole later took 3-6 as New Zealand collapsed to their lowest T20 international score.

England captain Charlotte Edwards made an unbeaten 32 as England reached their victory target after just 11.4 overs.

At 18-6 New Zealand looked strong candidates to record the lowest ever women's T20I score, beating Sri Lanka's 57 all out against Bangladesh in 2012.

Katie Perkins and Erin Bermingham saw New Zealand through the next few overs, but the introduction of Anya Shrubsole accounted for Perkins and then Tahuhu.

Bermingham, the only Kiwi to reach double figures, had taken her score to 20 and the New Zealand total to 55 before she too played across the line and was lbw to Laura Marsh.

At 55-9 New Zealand still needed three runs to make it past Sri Lanka's previous low and they limped to 60, before Shrubsole wrapped up the innings.

England lost Lauren Winfield for one with the score on five, but Charlotte Edwards looked in confident mood and steered her side to an emphatic victory.

Victory was a measure of revenge for England after they lost the one-day series 2-1.

The second Twenty20 international is to be played at the same venue on Friday.