England 157 for 1 (Beaumont 76*, Bouchier 67) beat New Zealand 156 (Halliday 51, Dean 4-38, Ecclestone 2-28) by nine wickets
Playing all three spinners together at every opportunity was high on England’s wish list heading into the second half of their home summer and, kicking off the first of two white-ball series with New Zealand, it worked a charm.
New Zealand’s bowling was even more lacklustre and England’s openers capitalised with sublime placement and relentless power. Both struck boundary after boundary through most areas and each hit a six down the ground. With Sophia Dunkley returning to England’s squad for the three ODIs and five T20Is with New Zealand after losing her place on the corresponding tour earlier this year, where Bouchier was a standout performer, the competition at the top of the order is fierce.
The opportunity presented itself with Kate Cross ruled out by an abdominal injury and Nat Sciver-Brunt unable to bowl her full allocation as she manages a knee problem, leaving Lauren Filer and Lauren Bell to shoulder the seam-bowling workload on a Seat Unique Riverside pitch that was expected to offer some turn.
New Zealand won the toss in good batting conditions under clear skies and with a fast outfield, even if the pitch was on the slow side.
Filer took a couple of balls to find her length but she struck with her eighth delivery, a gem which jagged back in and rocketed into the top of Suzie Bates’ middle and off stumps in the fourth over of the day to halt a promising start by Bates, who struck three fours on her way to 16 off 12 balls.
Georgia Plimmer was run out in freakish style, inadvertently deflecting Melie Kerr’s jab down the pitch with her foot towards midwicket as she set off for a run then continuing to the other end as Bouchier gathered and fired the ball to wicketkeeper Amy Jones with Plimmer short of her ground. That brought Sophie Devine to the crease and Devine’s presence became more crucial when, moments later, Kerr top-edged her attempted slog-sweep off Ecclestone high into the air and ultimately into the hands of a waiting Jones. Plimmer’s 29 ended up being New Zealand’s next-best score behind Halliday on a sorry looking scorecard.
Ecclestone and Jones teamed up again, the former with a beautiful delivery that drifted in then turned away and the latter with the sharpest of catches off Devine’s thick outside edge to leave New Zealand reeling at 75 for 4.
When Maddy Green fell lbw to Sciver-Brunt and Izzy Gaze and Hannah Rowe both departed in similar fashion to Dean, the White Ferns slumped to 111 for 7.
Dean claimed her third wicket and Jones her third catch when Jess Kerr prodded at one outside off stump and sent a faint edge behind, then Molly Penfold fell cheaply, beaten by a Dean delivery which spun back in to rattle the top of leg stump.
Halliday struck the only six of the New Zealand innings, launching a fuller delivery outside off-stump from Dean down the ground, and seven fours, including one behind backward square leg to bring up her half-century before edging Glenn’s next ball high into the air for Heather Knight to pocket a diving catch.
Ecclestone closed with 2 for 28 from seven overs while Glenn, Filer and Sciver-Brunt took one each. It was only the second time Dean, Ecclestone and Glenn had played together in an ODI and, given the result, it may well not be the last.
Valkerie Baynes is a general editor, women’s cricket, at ESPNcricinfo
