Tash Farrant stars in first ODI for seven years, however NZ lose tenth match in a row
England Ladies 181 for two (Beaumont 71, Knight 67*) beat New Zealand Ladies 178 (Jensen 53, Halliday 50) by eight wickets
Tammy Beaumont and Heather Knight produced a pair of fluent half-centuries at Hagley Oval, as England Ladies marked their first ODI in 437 days with a complete eight-wicket victory over New Zealand.
Had it not been for the Covid outbreak, England’s defence of their 2017 World Cup title would have been effectively underway by now, however as an alternative Knight’s crew confirmed they’ve discovered the teachings of a considerably rusty loss of their ultimate warm-up in Queenstown final week to reassert their credentials, and inflict on New Zealand a tenth consecutive ODI defeat – the worst dropping streak of their historical past.
In a one-sided contest, New Zealand selected to bat first however had been rolled apart for 178 in 45.1 overs, with Hayley Jensen’s 53 from 58 balls on the prime of the order being matched by an attention-grabbing 50 from 54 from the debutant Brooke Halliday at No.7.
Moreover these contributions, nevertheless, there was little or no substance to New Zealand’s innings, which was maybe most notable for the return of Tash Farrant to England’s ODI line-up, for her second 50-over look, virtually seven-and-a-half years after her one-off debut in opposition to West Indies in November 2013.
Sharing the brand new ball with Katherine Brunt, Farrant impressed with figures of two for 31 in seven overs, together with her early dismissal of Amy Satterthwaite for 3 undermining New Zealand’s hopes of a aggressive complete. Farrant then returned to extract Lea Tahuhu for 8 late in New Zealand’s innings.
England’s wickets had been shared round amongst their seven bowlers – a testomony to how insubstantial New Zealand’s partnerships proved to be. Sophie Ecclestone the one bowler to finish her full allocation, as she reached 100 worldwide wickets together with her haul of two for 31 in her ten overs of left-arm spin.
New Zealand’s reliance on the likes of Satterthwaite, Sophie Devine and Amelia Kerr meant that their low cost dismissals, inside the primary 27 overs of the innings, left the remainder of the order caught in two mindsets as they tried to chisel a good rating.
Katey Martin dug in for 14 from 35 balls earlier than falling sufferer to Knight, as no participant in addition to the 2 half-centurions mustered greater than Devine’s 16.
England’s reply was brisk and to the purpose. Danni Wyatt fell within the eighth over, however not earlier than 42 runs had been on the board, whereas Beaumont had struck 11 fours in her innings of 71 earlier than succumbing to Tahuhu, who appeared to compound New Zealand’s considerations when she limped off with a hamstring damage late within the recreation.
Knight and Natalie Sciver then swept England to victory with few additional alarms, as New Zealand’s one saving grace was a aggressive debut from their 16-year-old left-arm spinner Fran Jonas, who was not flattered by her maiden figures of 0 for 31 in 5 overs.
