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In a thrilling start to the New Zealand Women tour of England 2024, the 1st ODI at the Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street, showcased England Women’s superior form as they cruised to a nine-wicket victory over New Zealand Women.
England take a 1-nil ODI series lead in Chester-le-Street. We travel to Worcester tomorrow ahead of ODI 2 on Sunday. Scorecard at https://t.co/DibXOCLUbN & the NZC App📲 #ENGvNZ #CricketNation @PhotosportNZ pic.twitter.com/JkmtDwL1W9
— WHITE FERNS (@WHITE_FERNS) June 26, 2024
Brooke Halliday shows her class
New Zealand won the toss and electing to bat. Their innings, however, did not unfold as planned. Suzie Bates gave a quick start with 16 runs off 12 balls, including 3 boundaries. Georgia Plimmer added a steady 29 runs off 32 balls, with 6 fours. Despite these early efforts, the middle order faltered. Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine, and Maddy Green contributed only 10, 13, and 2 runs respectively.
The standout performer for New Zealand was Brooke Halliday, who played a resilient knock of 51 runs off 60 balls, featuring 7 fours and 1 six. Unfortunately, the rest of the batting lineup failed to support her significantly. The team was eventually bowled out for 156 runs in 33.3 overs.
Charlotte Dean dominates with the ball
England’s bowlers exhibited excellent control and discipline. Charlotte Dean was the pick of the bowlers, taking 4 wickets for 38 runs in her 9 overs. Sophie Ecclestone and Lauren Filer provided valuable support with 2 and 1 wickets respectively. Natalie Sciver and Sarah Glenn also chipped in with a wicket each.
Also READ: ENG vs NZ 2024, Women’s ODI Series: Broadcast, Live Streaming details – When and where to watch in India, USA, UK & other nations
Tammy Beaumont, Maia Bouchier take England home
Chasing a modest target of 157, England Women made an emphatic start. Tammy Beaumont and Maia Bouchier built a commanding opening partnership, dismantling the New Zealand bowling attack with ease. Beaumont scored a magnificent 76 runs off 69 balls, laced with 11 fours and a six. Her partner, Bouchier, was equally aggressive, scoring 67 runs off 50 balls, including 12 boundaries and a six.
The duo’s partnership laid a solid foundation, ensuring England was well ahead of the required run rate. Heather Knight came in to see the team home, contributing 9 runs off 11 balls with one boundary. England reached the target comfortably in just 21.2 overs, finishing at 157/1.
137 runs between these two 😮💨
A match-winning partnership 🎉#EnglandCricket pic.twitter.com/ooivLtI63I
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 26, 2024
New Zealand’s bowlers struggled to find breakthroughs. Halliday was the only bowler to take a wicket, conceding 17 runs in her 3.2 overs. The rest of the bowling attack failed to make any significant impact, with Molly Penfold, Jess Kerr, Hannah Rowe, and Fran Jonas all going wicketless.
England Women clinched a convincing victory by 9 wickets, marking a strong start to the series. Charlotte was deservedly named Player of the Match for her outstanding bowling performance. The hosts will look to continue their dominant form in the upcoming matches, while New Zealand Women will aim to bounce back and pose a greater challenge.
Player of the match: Charlie Dean 🥇#women #cricket #ENGvNZ #charliedean #englandcricket #CricketTwitter #WomenCricket pic.twitter.com/J3HmeBocVK
— WomenCricket.com (@WomenCricketHQ) June 27, 2024