When play got under way after a two-hour delay due to the rain, Maia Bouchier (23) Alice Capsey (28) starred with the bat as they scored quickfire runs to help England to 89-6 in their reduced allocation of nine overs.

Lauren Bell (1-6), Nat Sciver-Brunt (1-10) and the impressive Charlie Dean (2-3) then got to work quickly to put New Zealand on the back foot in their run chase and when rain stopped play again with New Zealand needing 48 runs from their final 14 balls, England were given the victory by 23 runs using the DLS method.

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Danielle Gibson and Bell came into Heather Knight's side in place of Freya Kemp and spinner Linsey Smith, with England entering the contest on the back of a huge 59-run win in the first T20I, their four spinners in that contest, plus a fine 76 from Danni Wyatt, comfortably seeing them to victory.

With three T20Is remaining, attention now turns to Thursday when England face the White Ferns in the third T20I at Canterbury when they will hope to extend their 2-0 lead and clinch the series.

Capsey and Bouchier show urgency with the bat

The rain was falling in Hove ahead of the game, and, despite periods of clear skies, it returned with a vengeance throughout the evening.

The covers came off for the third time at 7.50pm and finally at 8.30pm play got under way in a nine-overs-per-side encounter.

New Zealand won the toss and elected to bowl and, in the beginning, fielded well, sending Danni Wyatt (0) walking for a duck in the second over and putting England on 15-1.

However, Capsey came to the crease and made the difference alongside a firing Bouchier, adding a couple of boundaries to bring England to 24-1 at the end of the powerplay.

Despite Bouchier then falling after sending one to long-on, Capsey continued to combine with Nat Sciver-Brunt (11) and skipper Knight (15), the captain reaching over 2,000 T20I runs in her innings.

Heading into the final over of nine, England were 78-4 after Lea Tahuhu (2-20) sent Capsey walking following a rapid 28, the home outfit looking solid with the bat in the tough conditions despite wickets falling.

Amelia Kerr (2-21) removed Gibson for a duck and sent Knight walking with a great catch of her own in the final over, but the moment of the innings went to Sophie Ecclestone (6) who showed the aggressive attacking nature of this England side as she sent the final ball, and the only delivery she faced, out of the ground for six to help England to 89-6 at the end of their innings.

England nullify New Zealand's run chase before rain reappears

England were quick to work when they returned to the field and it was Bell and Sciver-Brunt who struck early to remove Sophie Devine (9) and Amelia Kerr (1), Capsey doing well to take both catches and reduce New Zealand to 12-2 as they looked to chase hard.

It was then Dean's turn to get in on the action as she struck twice in the same over, sending Brooke Halliday (14) and Suzie Bates (4) walking and leaving New Zealand floundering further on 31-4.

With New Zealand's required run-rate over 15 runs an over, life got more difficult for them as Ecclestone's (1-17) delivery was sent to a waiting Knight by Jess Kerr (0), rain then stopping play as they sat on 42-5 with 6.4 overs bowled.

A target of 48 runs from 14 balls was a steep task and one New Zealand then never got to try and complete as the rain fell hard once again, the DLS method giving England a 23-run victory and a 2-0 lead in the five-match T20I series.

What they said: A good practice of pressure and chaos

England captain Heather Knight...

"It's practice of being under pressure and having a bit of chaos, because you have to sort of stay calm and make decisions quite quick. I thought we did that brilliantly.

"We can have a tendency to try and go too hard, but I think we got the tempo right. Managed to punch out a score and then those wickets that we started with killed the game."

On the way England scored, she added: "I think it's something we're incredibly good at, hitting boundaries and taking it on and doing the middle stuff has been a bit of a work on.

"Trying to get back for those twos, hitting in pockets is going to be key in Bangladesh. Thought we did that really well and kept the scoreboard moving around those boundaries."

Charlie Dean, player of the match:

"I think that was a bit of a burglary, player of the match, but I'll take it!

"I thought Capsey and Bouchier really laid the platform with the bat and Heather at the back end too.

"And the girls who bowled in the powerplay and took really key wickets and made it easier for me at the back end."

What's next?

England and New Zealand now head to The Spitfire Ground in Canterbury on Thursday July 11 for the third T20I. You can watch that live on Sky Sports Main Event or Sky Sports Cricket from 6pm, with first ball at 6.30pm.

Watch the third T20I between England and New Zealand on Thursday July 11, live on Sky Sports from 6.15pm (first ball 6.30pm). Stream the series contract-free with NOW.