That’s us done, England polished that off in fine style which means I can do the nursery run. We’ll be back on Sunday for the second match of the series in Worcester, do join us for that. Ta-ra!
Updated
England Captain Heather Knight:
It was really pleasing. The way we attacked the game was brilliant, we pushed for wickets and bowled them out for a low score on a good pitch.That was a batting masterclass by our openers, they took smart options.
We’ve got brilliant players, on the bench as well, we’re building great depth in this squad now and we want to keep getting better. We’ve talked about being smarter as a group and I think we showed that today.”
New Zealand Captain Sophie Devine:
We’re really disappointed with that. We got a really good start with the bat but England came back extremely well. We need to put this behind us and come back harder. We’ve got to identify areas we need to improve but also look at positives. We know we’ll have to score 250-260, we were on course for that but lost wickets.”
A bashful Charlie Dean is Player of the Match:
It was a great team performance. I’ve been working on my consistency, I know my best ball is pretty good so it’s just about trying to deliver that as much as possible while changing things around. The bowlers ahead of me set things up today. Tammy and Maia set the blueprint of how to go about a chase in ODIs.”
England win by nine wickets!
With 172 balls remaining. An absolute drubbing for New Zealand in Durham. Beaumont ends on a wonderful 76* and Knight has the satisfaction of securing the win with a classy drive down the ground.
Her side take a 1-0 lead in the three match ODI series.
21st over: England 153-1 (Beaumont 76, Knight 5) England just one boundary away now. "New Zealand have been absolutely pulverized’ says Butcher.
20th over: England 147-1 (Beaumont 72, Knight 3) A couple of singles nudged off Halliday. ‘To say England have been dominant would be an understatement’ says Mark Butcher on the tv commentary. They’ve certainly laid down a strong marker for the rest of the series. Barely anything has gone right for Sophie Devine and her team today. England have been imperious.
Highest opening partnership for England women in an ODI against New Zealand:
— hypocaust (@_hypocaust) June 26, 2024
152 Brittin & Southgate at Bristol, 1984
137 Beaumont & Bouchier at CLS, today
111 Beaumont & Jones at Headingley, 2018#ENGvNZ https://t.co/h4Ck94b3v3
19th over: England 145-1 (Beaumont 71, Knight 2) Two DRS reviews in the over but both go England’s way. Beaumont was adjudged LBW but the ball was sliding past the stumps. She celebrates her survival with a lovely dab fine for four. 12 needed for England. Get yourself a red-inker Tammy!
18th over: England 139-1 (Beaumont 66, Knight 1) England’s captain comes out for the final knockings. Heather Knight gets off the mark with a nudge to cover.
Updated
WICKET! Bouchier c Bates b Halliday 67 (England 137-1)
Hen’s teeth! A wicket! Not a great ball from Halliday in truth – a wide full toss is cloth’d to Bates in the ring. Bouchier on her way back for a well earned cold one.
17th over: England 136-0 (Beaumont 64, Bouchier 67) More strokes from Bouchier – a chip through midwicket and a tickle backward of point. This will do her confidence the world of good heading into a busy home summer. Eleven off the over. England have never beaten New Zealand by ten wickets in an ODI – can they pull it off here?
16th over: England 125-0 (Beaumont 63, Bouchier 57) Brooke Halliday into the attack. Bouchier greets her with a bunt over the top for four. Five more runs collected off the over with absolutely no jeopardy whatsoever. This is a real shellacking for New Zealand. Just 32 more needed for England now.
15th over: England 117-0 (Beaumont 60, Bouchier 52) Fran Jonas into the attack but she can’t stem the flow. Beaumont hoicks a four to cow corner and then reverse-sweeps tidily to collect four more. Ten off the over in total – England need just 40 more to win.
14th over: England 107-0 (Beaumont 51, Bouchier 51) SIX! Beaumont goes through to a 46-ball fifty with an imperious lofted drive down the ground off Amelia Kerr. HUNDRED up for England – Bouchier does the same – bunting off the back foot for SIX more. This really is impressive from England. Fifty for Bouchier too! Off just 38 balls, she shimmies down and drives over mid-on for four. 17 runs off the over.
Updated
13th over: England 90-0 (Beaumont 44, Bouchier 41) Six singles pocketed off Devine. England coasting.
12th over: England 84-0 (Beaumont 41, Bouchier 38) Amelia Kerr’s spin summoned for. She manages to put the breaks on the England charge, four singles knocked and nudged.
11th over: England 80-0 (Beaumont 39, Bouchier 36) If you want a job doing… Sophie Devine brings herself on. Bouchier scythes four more through point and then pulls another boundary into the leg side. England are motoring towards their target. The two openers have been very impressive, confident and aggressive – not missing out on anything and putting the pressure on all the kiwi bowlers as soon as they come into the attack.
10th over: England 68-0 (Beaumont 39, Bouchier 24) Beaumont is in great fettle out there in Durham! She smacks a Jess Kerr short ball to the leg side fence and then rocks back to crunch another four through point.
Updated
9th over: England 60-0 (Beaumont 31, Bouchier 24) I don’t want to brag, but my beloved has just delivered me a Magnum™. Bouchier and Beaumont may as well have a 99 with a flake in their hands, they are doing this easily. Beaumont glides Rowe for four down to third. Bouchier bests her with a sweetly timed back foot punch through point for four more. Pass the sprinkles and strawberry sauce!
8th over: England 51-0 (Beaumont 30, Bouchier 16) Fifty up for England! Kerr oversteps to giveaway a free-hit. Beaumont slams the freebie down the ground for four with a flourish and a strut!
7th over: England 44-0 (Beaumont 25, Bouchier 15) Hannah Rowe into the attack in place of Penfold. Her radar is more in tune, three dots to start before a wide speared down then leg that the keeper does exceptionally well to get a mitt to. Shot! Bouchier whips a leg-side ball through midwicket for another boundary. Surely an early look at spin is the order of the day? Sophie Devine sticking with her seamers thus far.
6th over: England 38-0 (Beaumont 25, Bouchier 10) Half-volley served up on a platter by Kerr and Beaumont tucks in – driving away through cover for another boundary. Kerr squints into the sun and grimaces. That was a bit of a throw-down from the bowler and she knows it.
5th over: England 33-0 (Beaumont 21, Bouchier 9) Beaumont tickles fine for another boundary and follows up with a scampered single behind square. Bouchier on strike. BOSH! Penfold tests out the middle of the benign pitch and is pulled away dismissively for a one bounce four. A single is worked to leg by Bouchier, who will keep strike. No alarms and no surprises for England so far. Can you hear a glockenspiel?
4th over: England 23-0 (Beaumont 16, Bouchier 4) Shot! Beaumont punches off the back foot through point for four. Kerr bustles in under the afternoon sun, a single worked to leg to end the over. England going well. New Zealand need some wickets before we’re all too much older.
3rd over: England 18-0 (Beaumont 11, Bouchier 4) Penfold sends down a much tighter over, keeping Beaumont tied down outside off stump. A few signs of frustration from the diminuitive opener who dearly loves to feel bat on ball. Another single to finish will deprive Bouchier of the strike once more.
Have we all seen this from the county champo? Carnage. Tanya Aldred is on the tools over on the county blog:
2nd over: England 16-0 (Beaumont 10, Bouchier 4) Jess Kerr from t’other end and she neatens things up for the visitors. A big inswinger is just kept out by Beaumont. Five dots are stitched together by an on-the-money Kerr. She would have had a maiden if not for a mis-field in the ring that sees Tammy pinch the strike.
1st over: England 15-0 (Beaumont 9, Bouchier 4) A bit of a shocker for Penfold who oversteps with her very first ball to give away a free hit! Tammy Beaumont doesn’t miss out, stepping inside a short ball and pulling away for four. England up and running. Four more! Penfold drops short and Beaumont rolls her wrists well to find the gap on the ‘45. A single brings Maia Bouchier on strike and she unfurls a beautiful cover drive to get off the mark. Classy shot. Stinker of a start for the White Ferns.
Here come the pleasingly alliterative Beaumont and Bouchier with bat in hand. Can England make short work of this target? Molly Penfold has the ball for New Zealand. Let’s Play!
Stattage:
Only KSB has more women's ODI four-fors for England than Charlie Dean.
— Yas Rana (@Yas_Wisden) June 26, 2024
Dean is 23...#ENGvNZ
Charlie Dean is confident England can knock off this tricksy target with no drama. The sun is out and the pitch is getting more biscuit coloured by the minute. Run chase coming right up.
"Nah, we've got it - we're all good" 🤚
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 26, 2024
Charlie Dean is BACKING her side to chase and beat New Zealand 💪 pic.twitter.com/x3DC026OUR
Ahthankyuhvermuch Daniel.
England have got this in the bag, right?
Here’s some proper crooning to tide us through the innings break:
Updated
That, then, is me. Here’s Jim Wallace to croon you through England’s response. Peace out!
When a side is skittled for 156 on a good pitch, you know they’ve not batted well. But England’s bowlers are so good – they were pretty disciplined and sent down some absolute jaffas in the middle of it that were just too good for the batters. Amy Jones , it must be said, was also immaculate behind the stumps, and there’s surely no way NZ can make a game of this … is there?
Charlie Dean says it’s a good pitch, but there’s a bit of sideways movement and the bowlers were focused on sending down their best ball. They knew NZ would come hard as they’ve a bit of a “top-heavy order” but Bell and Filer did well. They want to come out now and play positive cricket, but it can be tricky chasing low totals.
New Zealand set England 157 to win!
WICKET! Halliday c Knight b Glenn 51 (New Zealand 156 all out)
Halliday has another swing but this time doesn’t give herself quite enough room, top-edging high, and Knight holds a catch that was probably tricker than it looks, ball meeting hand just off the ground. Brilliant from England, less so from NZ.
Updated
34th over: New Zealand 156-9 (Halliday 51, Jonas 2) This time, Halliday swings without moving feet and racing in on the slide, Bell can’t quite get under the dropping ball, getting hands on it but unable to hold. They run two, then she eases four to the fence at wide third, raising a tremendous, battling fifty. Well expletive batted.
33rd over: New Zealand 150-9 (Halliday 45, Jonas 2) Dean resumes after the break and with two overs left will want to convert fourfer into fifer. She cannot, though, Halliday – who’s showing her mates how it’s done, and given how tall she is, her deftness is impressive – sweeping four then adding a single.
32nd over: New Zealand 145-9 (Halliday 40, Jonas 2) In comms, they wonder why Halliday is NZ’s only lefty – something which mightve helped them counter England’s spinners. And she adds one to point, the only run off the over, and that is drinks. The tourists need a strong one.
Updated
31st over: New Zealand 144-9 (Halliday 39, Jonas 2) Lovely from Halliday, coming down leg-side to absolutely zetz six down the ground, the first of the day. Weirdly given the scale of the collapse, there’ve been positives for NZ and she is one, the way they started another. But as soon as England’s bowlers found their range, they couldn’t cope.
30th over: New Zealand 136-9 (Halliday 32, Jonas 1) NZ’s batters just haven’t been able to keep out England’s best balls out – and there’ve been some jazzers. They finagle just two singles from this latest over, Halliday, who’s playing nicely, cutting to point, and Jonas getting off the mark into the on side.
WICKET! Penfold b Dean 1 (New Zealand 134-9)
Egland have bowled beautifully today, using helpful conditions – pace and bonce – though this is also a good batting track. This time, the ball jags in and cramps Penfold, who can’t get her bat down; “Out” says Any Jones with crushing certainty.
29th over: New Zealand 134-8 (Halliday 31, Penfold 1) Halliday megs herself and they run one to fine leg as we learn that DRS is out; two leg-bye follow.
28th over: New Zealand 131-8 (Halliday 30, Penfold 1) Halliday’s batting nicely and she gets down on one knee to drill Glenn for four through cover; a soingle to depe point follows.
“I see that Frank Duckworth has died,” notes Bill Hargreaves, “aged 84 (or 95 had rain/overs permitted).”
What a legacy!
Updated
27th over: New Zealand 126-8 (Halliday 25, Penfold 1) Penfold off the mark with a bunt down the ground but Knight is on to it, shying at the non-striker’s … and missing. That’s the only aspect of England’s performance so far about which one might complain – they’ve missed three strong run-out opportunities.
WICKET! Kerr c Jones b Dean 10 (New Zealand 124-8)
Another good ball from Dean, full and dipping, Kerr going down on one knee to play I’m not sure what and tickling behind; though this isn’t a screamer like the one she took earlier, it was missable, though not for her.
Updated
26th over: New Zealand 124-7 (Halliday 24, Kerr 10) Glenn replaces Ecclestone and will want in on the wicket-taking, but NZ are now in so much trouble they’ve got try and score. Halliday takes a single, then Kerr cuts a poor one through cover for four and adds a further single.
25th over: New Zealand 119-7 (Halliday 23, Kerr 5) Kerr gets off the mark via edge then, after a single to Halliday and a wide, she laces one through cover for four.
Updated
WICKET! Rowe lbw b Dean 0 (New Zealand 111-7)
And this time there are no reviews left! Another good delivery from Dean, leaping off the surface a little higher than Halliday anticipated and zipping past the edge to hit the back pad which is right in front. It’ll take something special for NZ to avoid a kicking, never mind tio make a game of this or to win.
24th over: New Zealand 111-6 (Halliday 22, Rowe 0) For now, though, it’s still Ecclestone, Halliday applying a leading edge to her first delivery and running two; they’re the only runs off the over.
23rd over: New Zealand 109-6 (Halliday 21, Rowe 0) Another excellent over from Dean, just one run from it – Halliday nudges to point – and I think Knight will try something different soon.
22nd over: New Zealand 108-6 (Halliday 20, Rowe 0) Nice from Halliday, skipping down and opening shoulders to clump Ecclestone over mid off for four; the bowler dares her to go again, offering air, but she declines. Knight obviously wants to finish this quickly if she can, keeping her best bowler on, but I wonder if she might return to pace shortly before the batters settle. Halliday adds one more, but can she bat time?
21st over: New Zealand 103-6 (Halliday 14, Rowe 0) There’s turn in the pitch, not loads but enough, and England’s spinners have used it superbly, varying flight and hitting good length at the same time. NZ are in all sorts.
REVIEW! OUT!
A reprieve never looked likely; there’s no snick and the ball was hitting leg, perhaps a bit of middle too, three-quarters of the way up.
WICKET! Gaze lbw b Dean 12 (New Zealand 103-6)
A full ball that turns in, Gaze can’t work it off the pad but why is she going back, and that again looks plumb … but NZ review!
21st over: New Zealand 105-5 (Halliday 14, Gaze 12) With no slip in, Gaze feels free to swing, edging four through the vacant area; four more follow next ball.
20th over: New Zealand 95-5 (Halliday 14, Gaze 4) Gaze comes down and hits over the top, but at mid off, Bell opts to leap for a catch when she might’ve turned, run, and taken it that way. She might not’ve got there but she’s nowhere near going as she does and they run three; in co-comms, Kat Sciver-Brunt is unchuffed, terming her effort “lazy” then semi-retracting. Nor is that the end of the scoring, Halliday heaving four more down the ground later in the over. These two are doing their best with the rebuild.
19th over: New Zealand 86-5 (Halliday 10, Gaze 1) Nice use of the feet from Halliday, who shimmies down, opening up the offside in the process, and belts four through cover. Like Ecclestone, Dean is giving the ball plenty of air, but again Halliday is composed, rowing back on a heave to shove a single to point, then Gaze takes oner more off the final ball.
18th over: New Zealand 80-5 (Halliday 5, Gaze 0) Ecclestone builds pressure, sending down three more dots and flighting each one a little more in expectation of a release-shot; she’s daring Gaze to go at her. Gaze, though, knows she cannot, surviving another maiden and settling for that.
17th over: New Zealand 80-5 (Halliday 5, Gaze 0) Sciver-Brunt is rested at five overs, Dean taking over just as Kathering Sciver-Brunt enters the commentary box. Imagine the feelings you’d feel watching your spouse play for your country in that context; of course it’s different if you done likewise yourself, but it also means you understand the pressure and sacrifice; my eyeballs are starting to sweat even thinking about it. Dean, though, is into her spell immediately, beating the edge with a beauty that turns hard – Knight said there’d be some – then hitting the pad with another. Maiden, the first of the match.
16th over: New Zealand 80-5 (Halliday 5, Gaze 0) NZ dare not take any risks now, refusing a single when Halliday chops to point. But she makes up for it two balls later, forcing four around the corner to fine leg; the batters won’t admit it to themselves, but part of them will know this match might already be over.
15th over: New Zealand 75-5 (Halliday 0, Gaze 0) England were loose at the start, but Filer got them going and now Ecclestone and Sciver-Brunt have the strangle on. They are so good.
REVIEW! OUT!
There’s no edge, so can ball-tracking save her? Nah, it cannot, smacking leg-stump five-sixth of the way up. NZ have lost four wickets for 19 runs in 27 deliveries, and they’re in a situation.
WICKET! Green lbw b Sciver-Brunt 2 (New Zealand 75-5)
Huge trouble for New Zealand, Sciver-Brunt persuading one to jag in and Green missing her glance. It looks plumb enough, but she goes upstairs after conferring with her partner.
14th over: New Zealand 75-4 (Green 2, Halliday 0) For NZ, this is now about batting the overs rather than setting a target.
Updated
WICKET! Devine c Jones b Ecclestone 13 (New Zealand 75-4)
Crucial wicket and a perfect wicket! Ecclestone finds some drift in, then some spin off the pitch which takes the ball away. But even when Devine, coming down to drive, nicks it there’s work to do – it comes so quickly and not directly either – but somehow it sticks in Jones’ mitts right behind the stumps. Fantastic work from England and the tourists, after starting so positively, again, are in trouble, again.
Updated
14th over: New Zealand 70-3 (Devine 13, Green 2) Single to Green, then Devine jinks down and leg-side, thrashing four through mid on; how will Ecclestone respond?
13th over: New Zealand 70-3 (Devine 9, Green 1) This is now a massive partnership, and perhaps for that reason, Jones opts to stand up, increasing the pressure on the batters. And Sciver-Brunt delivers four dots, then Devine takes a single to midwicket before an overthrow offers one more, Green now off the mark.
Updated
12th over: New Zealand 68-3 (Devine 8, Green 0) New Zeakand were looking good, now they’re looking vulnerable.
WICKET! Kerr c Jones b Ecclestone 10 (New Zealand 68-3)
Goodness me what was she thinking? Rather than build a partnership with her captain, Kerr goes at the best bowler in the world, looking to sweep her into the North Sea. Instead, though, the bounce is too much and she lashes high into the air, Jones pouching the dolly. NZ might just have a problem now, which is to say that was very poor behaviour.
12th over: New Zealand 68-2 (Kerr 10, Devine 8) Ecclesteone into the attack and a rare loosener from her allows Kerr to cart four; normal service is immediately resumed.
11th over: New Zealand 64-2 (Kerr 6, Devine 8) England have the chance to put the NZ skipper under pressure but Sciver-Brunt offers her width and she clatters her first delivery to the point fence, then a misfield at cover – from her opposite number, noch – means a second straight boundary-four.
WICKET! Plimmer run out (Bouchier/Jones) 29 (New Zealand 56-2)
Goodness me this game. Kerr drives and Plimmer sets off, but the ball hits her foot, Bouchier hurls to the striker’s end, and though we go upstairs, the batter walks and rightly so. She knows she wasn’t even close.
Updated
10th over: New Zealand 56-1 (Plimmer 29, Kerr 6) Plimmer uses Filer’s pace, waiting for the ball before moving fractionally towards leg in order to glance four through square leg. Then offered width, she slashes, beating Wyatt at point thanks to an awkward bounce; they run two. Those are the only runs of the over, but its final delivery and the last of the powerplay moves away from the bat, Plimmer doing well to avoid edging.
9th over: New Zealand 50-1 (Plimmer 23, Kerr 6) Sciver-Brunt continues and concedes singles from two of her first three balls, then Kerr goes back and punches two to mid off. England could use another wicket, this partnership 23 off 34.
8th over: New Zealand 46-1 (Plimmer 22, Kerr 3) Filer continues and I’m not surprised – she’s found a fuller length now and at her pace it’s not easy to play. Another economical over, Kerr shoving a single to mid off, and how many dare Knight allow her to bowl here?
7th over: New Zealand 45-1 (Plimmer 22, Kerr 2) Sciver-Brunt replaces Bell and Kerr eases her second ball to third man, then Plimmer tries to hit her out of the ground and misses. After an iffy start England are coming back fairly well here, Plimmer doing well to see a leading edge drop shy of any fielder, but of course as I type she twizzles the next delivery through midwicket to the fence. If someone can make a big score, NZ could post something serious here.
6th over: New Zealand 40-1 (Plimmer 18, Kerr 1) This is much better from Filer, rushing through a maiden and forcing a couple of false shots from Plimmer. She’s got a lot of the right stuff.
5th over: New Zealand 40-1 (Plimmer 18, Kerr 1) Plimmer’s enjoying this, though who wouldn’t enjoy a half-volley on to the pads? She flicks it through midwicket for four then, after a wide, glides a front-foot drive to the fence at long off. She’s punishing England for every poor delivery but when they steal a leg-bye, Beaumont dives into a throw from square-leg. But able to see only one stump, she misses, when had she hit it was gone by miles, then Bell finds another beauty, just back of a length with a bit of away-movement off the seam; Kerr is nowhere near it. Still, though 10 off the over.
4th over: New Zealand 30-1 (Plimmer 10, Kerr 1) Filer will be delighted she saved her jaffa for Bates, all the more so when she treats Kerr to a wide first up, then a leg-side ball she can turn away for a single to get off the mark. A further single follows, and already this feels like a crucial partnership.
WICKET! Bates b Filer 16 (New Zealand 27-1)
This a beauty! full of length, just, and ripping in off the seam – we wondered if the dryness would offer something – and good luck keeping that out.
Updated
3rd over: New Zealand 27-0 (Bates 16, Plimmer 9) England weren’t punished for the wides at the time but they are now, Plimmer gliding four more through cover when offered one full and wide. This is an excellent start from the tourists.
REVIEW! NOT OUT!
There’s no evidence of any edge.
3rd over: New Zealand 23-0 (Bates 16, Plimmer 5) A poor delivery from Bell deserves treatment but when Plimmer misses an attempted glance, she gets away with a wide. More away-swing, though, sees the batter unload the suitcase at a drive, missing, but there’s no sustained pressure currently, Bell backing it up with a wide, then offering a drive ball which is cracked through cover. But what’s this? Plimmer goes forward then back, looks to glance again, there’s a noise, and when the ball hits the pad, England appeal. Not out is the verdict … and they go upstairs!
2nd over: New Zealand 17-0 (Bates 16, Plimmer 1) Bates is feeling herself. Offered another loosener to enjoy, this time short with insufficient pace and bounce – yes I did type that in Michael Holding’s voice – she turns around the corner for four. A two to midwicket follows, then a single allows Plimmer a go, and she gets off the mark with one helped around the corner.
1st over: New Zealand 9-0 (Bates 9, Plimmer 0) Gift from Bell first up, over-pitched, swinging in and too straight; Bates doesn’t miss out, clipping four past mid on. Then, when she strays wide finding a bit of away-swing, Bates uses over last millimetre of reach to clobber her through cover for four more. A single follows from the final delivery, again directed towards the pads, and that’s a very acceptable start for the tourists.
And Suzie Bates will face. Play!
Lauren Bell has ball in hand.
Out come our teams….
I’m looking forward to seeing how England’s Laurens get on first up this afternoon. The track at Durham doesn’t tend to be that quick, but the dryness might give a bit more than usual and perhaps some variable bounce too. Other hand, if it’s coming on, there’ll be runs to be had with the new ball.
I didn’t get a moment to note it, but right at the start of Sky’s show, Nick Knight congratulated Katherine Sciver-Brunt on her OBE; “You can bow down,” she laughed.
But more seriously, what an individual she is. We’re lucky to have her.
With no championship points to snaffle and a T20 World Cup in Bangladesh imminent in October, both sides have space to experiment. I’m sure that’s one reason England have gone with three tweakers, but when you look at them – Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn and Charlie Dean – how can you not?
Heather Young would also have batted, but she thinks the track is a bit dry so should spin at some point. Her players have mainly been playing T20, but they’re well into the season and there’ve been some good performances during it. Otherwise, with Kate Cross absent injured, she’s gone for Lauren Bell, Lauren Filer and three spinners; Nat Sciver won’t bowl her full allocation because she’s nursing a knock.
It’s a young group, she said, but it’s time for them to take those good positions – that they had in the recent series – and converting them into victories.
New Zealand win the toss and will bat!
Sophie Devine thinks it’s a good, fresh wicket, so NZ want first go at it in order to put England under pressure.
Updated
It’s an absolute roaster in Durham; the ground must look an absolute joy. I can’t lie, when I got to cover the 2013 men’s Ashes Test, there, simply being in Chester-le-Street was the realisation of a dream – no doubt other Panini veterans and Bryan Robson fans will understand. But then the cricket started and SJ Broad went mad.
Preamble
It’s been a decent few months for England. Though they were walloped by India in the one-off Test at the end of the year, they won the preceding T20 series, then did likewise in New Zealand in both T20 and ODI – convincingly.
Then, at the start of the English not-quite-winter, they stuffed Pakistan in both formats, and now New Zealand return for what should be an entertaining tussle. Though it was not close the last time the teams met, in various of the matches there were times things might’ve gone the other way and Sophie Devine, the White Ferns captain, missed four of the eight contests, scoring an undefeated century in the last of them – an ODI her side won convincingly. Or, in other words, with her around anything is possible – especially when Suzie Bates is there too.
England, meanwhile, now have sufficient depth in their batting such that in almost every game, one of them – at least – does the necessary. And they have their own inspirational skipper too, Heather Knight cajoling the best from her charges while also taking charge, setting the tone in the middle whether making runs or galvanising fielders.
Of course, the hosts are still warm favourites, but the tourists arrive in England with matchwinning talent in their ranks – plenty of it – and with plenty of scope for improvement. This should be a lot of fun.
Play: 1pm BST
