It's a long way from hitting a ball around the garden with Dad to sharing in a bit of cricket history in the glare of the Hove floodlights and media spotlight.

Rosalie Birch did just that last night and it almost brought England's women victory over the world champions.

Instead, they were pipped by nine runs as they took on New Zealand in the world's first ever Twenty20 international.

That despite figures of 4-27 in her four overs from Birch, the spinner from Lewes who, like skipper Clare Connor, helped Sussex to their second successive county title recently.

Despite defeat, it was an evening of celebration for the women's game and its enthusiastic supporters in a crowd of about 700.

The serious business gets underway at the County Ground today (11am) when the teams begin a series of five one-dayers.

Birch has trained at Hove many times but this was only her third game at the ground.

She admitted: "It was brilliant fun. I was really nervous beforehand because it's such a momentous occasion, especially at my home ground.

"It meant so much to me and I'm so glad we put on a really good show.

"Bowlers who can take the pace off the ball and vary it a little bit are more successful in Twenty20 so I did that and they hit it down the fielders' throats."

Top scoring Kiwi and player-of-the-match Rebecca Rolls did just that, picking out Claire Taylor at long-on after a knock of 39 off 32 balls.

Rolls, a veteran of 70 one-day internationals, had an array of shots, including a rather original late pull which tended to find the gap between wicketkeeper and fine leg.

Birch made Nicola Brown and Haidee Tiffen look a bit silly in one over and Connor, after taking some stick in her two overs, claimed a simple catch at mid-on as the White Ferns reached what looked an inadequate 131-8.

Both Connor and opposite skipper Maia Lewis had admitted they had little idea what a par score would be and, as it turned out, the visitors had done just enough.

The lack of any sixes and the fielding techniques were the main differences between this game and a men's Twenty20 contest.

Although Jenny Gunn had a great arm and did the hard work to run out the dangerous Lewis, New Zealand had the edge in the field.

Taylor's eyecatching strokeplay took her to 43 off 33 balls in reply, Charlotte Edwards offered great support and Birch blazed away at the end but the game was up when the Sussex player lofted a catch to mid-on with 11 needed off three balls. So England lost, yet possibly gained long term.

Birch said: "I played with my dad and brothers in the garden. My dad made me a bat when I was about three.

"To see lots of girls here enjoying it and seeing how much fun the game is has got to be a great advert for cricket."