And with that the coverage swiftly departs. England can blow the chalk dust from their fingers with some finesse, a happy first outing for the team on this loveliest of tours . A cracking half-century by Knight and while Glenn and Dean kept it tight, Bell removed the dangerous Bates. Throw in a couple of run-outs and Bob’s your uncle. Apologies at this end for the double entries on occasion and moments of sleepiness. We’ll be back for the next game on Friday at just before midnight, till then, goodbye!
Heather Knight collects the plaudits: “We read the surface really well, a few areas we can tidy up on but as a first run ou we did pretty well.
An email at last! “There was some stat that suggested that Bates, Melie Kerr and Devine score like 80% of the White Ferns runs.” writes Paul Cockburn. “They just don’t have the big hitters.” True, especially when two of them are WPL ing.
England win by 27 runs!
20th over: New Zealand 133-5 (Halliday 27, Kerr 8 ) Gibson gets the privilege of the final over – blond bun glinting in the sun. She’s careful, and it is all a task too far for New Zealand who fall short by 27 runs. Handshakes all round.
19th over: New Zealand 124-5 (Halliday 20, Kerr 6, ) Miracle needed for New Zealand now.
18th over: New Zealand 109-4 (Halliday 11) Halliday picks up four off Dean, but the wicket of Greig more than makes up for it.
WICKET! Greig run-out 0 (New Zealand 114-5)
Aw, what a sham on debut, yes, no yes and out by a mile.
WICKET! Bates c Dunkley b Bell 65 (New Zealand 109-4)
17th over: New Zealand 109-4 (Halliday 11) Oh dear, mid-on flicks the ball over the boundary for four to give Bates what she wants. But she throws herself at one too many and the ball is collected safely by Dunkley. Main woman gone, England can nearly relax.
15th over: New Zealand 102-3 (Bates 60, Halliday 9) Bates breaks the shackles! Two successive fours off Gibson.
16th over: New Zealand 102-3 (Bates 60, Halliday 9) Bates breaks the shackles! Two successive fours off Gibson.
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Fifty for Susie Bates!
15th over: New Zealand 90-3 (Bates 51, Halliday 6) A 28th T20 international century for Suzie Bates, and her first fifty against England since July 2010. She’ll need to get a wriggle on here though if she wants to take New Zealand over the line.
14th over: New Zealand 84-3 (Bates 49, Halliday 2) New Zealand need 78 off 36 balls.
WICKET! Green run out (Dean) (New Zealand 77-3)
13th over: New Zealand 77-3 (Bates 42,) Still singles, when New Zealand need big bounty and then I make the mistake of resting my eyes for literally five seconds and Green is out. Ah, on replay, she advances down the wicket, hits straight and the ball passes through the hands of Dean and hits the non-striker’s stumps.
#NZvENG England 160-4 v New Zealand 63-2 - the gap starting to become a chasm for NZ - they need to get a motor on. pic.twitter.com/W0cnmwsZlb
— CRICKETher 🏏 (@crickether) March 19, 2024
12th over: New Zealand 72-2 (Bates 42, Green 4) Super pace variation by Gibson. On comms they say that working out how to accelerate through the middle overs has been a problem for New Zealand recently.
11th over: New Zealand 68-2 (Bates 40, Green 3) Five singles off the economical Glenn, and New Zealand now need ten an over – as well as the highest score ever made in women’s T20 internationals in New Zealand.
Raf again – as she is the expert and, let’s face it, no-one else is awake. “ This shows England’s weakness in seam bowling,” she says. “Lots of injuries (Kemp etc), poor form (Wong dropped) & questionable selections (Davies dropped).”
10th over: New Zealand 63-2 (Bates 37, Green 1) Knight brings herself on: three dots, three singles.
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9th over: New Zealand 60-2 (Bates 35) Glenn, so near, so far, to zipping into Bates’s stumps – but picks up her sweeties with the last ball as Plimmer fails to make enough contact to evade the fielder.
WICKET! Plimmer c Bell. Glenn 21 (NEw Zealand 60-2)
Nice try, but no cigar for Plimmer, who makes space but can only usher the ball high and into the hands of the waiting Bell
8th over: New Zealand 56-1 (Bates 33, Plimmer 19) Filer tumbles to the ground with the first ball of her second over – just as she did in her first over. And again in the follow through of her second delivery. Third ball she stays upright and Bates throws the bat, an edge that just evades the gloves of a diving Jones. She does it again next ball and an outside edge picks up four .
7th over: New Zealand 46-1 (Bates 26, Plimmer 17) It’s wrist spin from Sarah Glenn. Bates picks up a single, but Plimmer, who is up for attack, gets stranded for three dots, before picking up a single with a sweep.
6th over: New Zealand 44-1 (Bates 25, Plimmer 16) There’s a little hill on the side of the boundary, where spectators lounge in the sun. A second over for Charlie Dean, nicely worked away by New Zealand.
5th over: New Zealand 38-1 (Bates 23, Plimmer 12) Lauren Filer’s first ball in T20’s is briskly dispatched by Bates through mid-on for four. Had forgotten about her Charlie Chaplain 50km walk approach to the crease. Four more from a flying outside edge. And wow, Bates flat-bats her for four more – absolutely not in the mood to let Filer settle here.
4th over: New Zealand 26-1 (Bates 11, Plimmer 12) Charlie Dean wiht her trademark sunnies. Plimmer averages six against off-sinners apparently, let’s see how this goes. She gets off strike asap, but only for a ball as she and Bates rotate the strike. The dog snores next to me.
3rd over: New Zealand 22-1 (Bates 9, Plimmer 10) Bell with her high=kneed approach. The baby faced Plimmer picks up a single, later four down the ground.Bates, in her 310th international game, just behind Mithali Raj, doles out encouragement.
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2nd over: New Zealand 13-1 (Bates 7, Plimmer 4) Gibson opens the bowling at the other end. A super bit of fielding on the rope cuts off a four, but Bates picks up a boundary with a typically stylish cut.
1st over: New Zealand 4-1 (Bates 2, Plimmer 1) Super over from Bell, nervy start from the White Ferns. “No way are New Zealand chasing this,” says Raf, from a sofa at the other end of the country.
WICKET! Gaze c Heath b Bell 0 (New Zealand 1-1)
Not the best start. Gaze just avoids being run out off the second ball, only to fall to the next, getting a leading edge to Heath who has to trot backwards.
Updated
New Zealand need 161 to win
20th over: England 160-4 (Bouchier 43, Gibson 1) A full toss evades Plimmer at midwicket, then the runout and just a handful of singles in a super last over from Mair. England will be happy with that I’d think – “a good score,” says Bouchier, “ we were thinking 150 plus, a nice pitch.” I’m just off to douse my face with water at this extremely unkind hour.
England 160-4 in 20 overs.
20th over: England 160-4 (Bouchier 43, Gibson 1) A full toss evades Plimmer at midwicket, then the runout and just a handful of singles in a super last over from Mair. England will be happy with that I’d think – “a good score,” says Bouchier, “ we were thinking 150 plus, a nice pitch.” I’m just off to douse my face with water at this extremely unkind hour.
WICKET! Jones run out (Plimmer) 2 (England 157-4)
calls for review but the cameras send her on her way despite a heroic dive
Updated
19th over: England 154-3 (Bouchier 38, Jones 2) Another catch goes a-missing, as Suzie Bates of all people can’t hold on, but Knight must be on her way shortly afterwards. Sweet gem of an innings.
WICKET! Knight stumped Gaze b Kerr (England 152-3)
Knight wanders out to Kerr, is beaten, and Gaze flicks off the bails.
18th over: England 149-2 (Bouchier 37, Knight 61) Knight pulls Tahuhu behind for four. Reaches fifty next ball with a grin and a wristy glance – off just 33 balls, incredibly her first fifty against New Zealand. Polishes the over off with a six, eggs over easy.
18th over: England 149-2 (Bouchier 37, Knight 61) Knight pulls Tahuhu behind for four. Reaches fifty next ball with a grin and a wristy glance – off just 33 balls, incredibly her first fifty against New Zealand. Polishes the over off with a six, eggs over easy.
17th over: England 131-2 (Bouchier 36, Knight 44)
16th over: England 124-2 (Bouchier 32, Knight 41) Susie Bates brings herself on and nearly makes an immediate breakthrough – an lbw given out on the field but Knight looks confident and appeals straight away. The cameras show she’s right, bat in on the action. Picks up four after her reprieve, ain’t that always the way. Bates nearly gets her reward when Bouchier is beaten, but the stumping is missed. Knight playing with real aplomb here.
16th over: England 124-2 (Bouchier 32, Knight 41) Susie Bates brings herself on and nearly makes an immediate breakthrough – an lbw given out on the field but Knight looks confident and appeals straight away. The cameras show she’s right, bat in on the action. Picks up four after her reprieve, ain’t that always the way. Bates nearly gets her reward when Bouchier is beaten, but the stumping is missed. Knight playing with real aplomb here.
15th over: England 114-2 (Bouchier 29, Knight 35) Three dots from Jonas, who is better able to turn the screw this over but can’t keep Knight quiet.
15th over: England 114-2 (Bouchier 29, Knight 35) Three dots from Jonas, who is better able to turn the screw this over but can’t keep Knight quiet.
15th over: England 114-2 (Bouchier 29, Knight 35) Three dots from Jonas, who is better able to turn the screw this over but can’t keep Knight quiet.
15th over: England 114-2 (Bouchier 29, Knight 35) Three dots from Jonas, who is better able to turn the screw this over but can’t keep Knight quiet.
14th over: England 109-2 (Bouchier 29, Knight 30) Tahuhu returns for her third over. Immediately applies the pressure. Bouchier slaps her into the air where Maddie Green it waiting… but somehow it slips through her fingers. Tahuhu puts her hands on her head in despair. Around the grassy boundaries, kids run around gleefully like they should.
England are wearing black armbands today in memory of Freya Davies’ mum, Mandy.
England are wearing black armbands in tonight's game for @FreyaRuth's Mum, Mandy. She was also Mum to Jack, and my brilliant wife. In her memory we have set up a Just Giving page for charities @CR_UK & @StWilfridsChi. Full story athttps://t.co/3HkleePVux
— Women's Cricket Blog (@WomensCricBlog) March 18, 2024
RTs & donations welcome pic.twitter.com/NqLuwMPOuL
14th over: England 109-2 (Bouchier 29, Knight 30) Tahuhu returns for her third over. Immediately applies the pressure. Bouchier slaps her into the air where Maddie Green it waiting… but somehow it slips through her fingers. Tahuhu puts her hands on her head in despair. Around the grassy boundaries, kids run around gleefully like they should.
England are wearing black armbands today in memory of Freya Davies’ mum, Mandy.
England are wearing black armbands in tonight's game for @FreyaRuth's Mum, Mandy. She was also Mum to Jack, and my brilliant wife. In her memory we have set up a Just Giving page for charities @CR_UK & @StWilfridsChi. Full story athttps://t.co/3HkleePVux
— Women's Cricket Blog (@WomensCricBlog) March 18, 2024
RTs & donations welcome pic.twitter.com/NqLuwMPOuL
13th over: England 103-2 (Bouchier 26, Knight 27) Knight looks very jolly as she slaps a long hop from Jonas for four. England very nimble between the wickets. And another boundary for Knight, a reverse-sweep that beats the diving fielder.
12th over: England 92-2 (Bouchier 25, Knight 18) Gosh the ground is beautiful at Dunedin – how green is my cricket ground. Bouchier escapes a perfect yorker from Rowe, but the runs they are aflowing – two boundaries and 13 from it.
Updated
11th over: England 79-2 (Bouchier 18, Knight 12) Apologies, having a few problems with loading the system. Bouchier polishes off the 11th over by sending a slower ball from Jess Kerr stonking down the ground.
Updated
9th over: England 66-2 (Bouchier 15, Knight 2 ) A handful of singles as New Zealand apply the tourniquet. if you’re out there, do keep me awake and let m know what the atmosphere is like.
8th over: England 62 (Bouchier 12, Knight 1 ) Time for Tahuhu, and a breakthrough, just as if it looked like Dunkley was about to take England out of sight.
WICKET! Dunkley c Gaze b Tahuhu 32 (England 61-2)
Dunkley advances, opens up, and swipes, but gets an inside edge through to the keeper.
7th over: England 55-1 (Dunkley 27, Bouchier 12 ) In sprints Mair. Up and over goes. Bouchier with a clonk – four. Beaten next ball by the bouncer. Then four – gloriously, by Dunkley, and another four off the shoe laces from Bouchier. 14 from the over.
6th over: England 41-1 (Dunkley 22, Bouchier 3 ) Dunkley’s scrambled egg on toast starting to do its job. She drives Rowe down the ground for four, then pulls, like a irritated professor for four more.
5th over: England 28-1 (Dunkley 11, Bouchier 1) Spin makes the breakthrough!
5th over: England 28-1 (Dunkley 11, Bouchier 1) Spin makes the breakthrough!
Beaumont furious with herself after punching Jonas to mid-off , where Rowe takes the ball infront of the bread basket.
Beaumont furious with herself after punching Jonas to mid-off , where Rowe takes the ball infront of the bread basket.
WICKET! Beaumont c Rowe b Jonas 15 (England 28-1)
Beaumont furious with herself after punching Jonas to mid-off , where Rowe takes the ball infront of the bread basket.
4th over: England 23-0 (Beaumont 11, Dunkley 11) Rosemary Mair gets her mitts on the ball. Clever bowling, England pick up four singles which hover on the side of riskiness, and are handed a chubby wide.
4th over: England 23-0 (Beaumont 11, Dunkley 11) Rosemary Mair gets her mitts on the ball. Clever bowling, England pick up four singles which hover on the side of riskiness, and are handed a chubby wide.
3rd over: England 18-0 (Beaumont 9, Dunkley 9) A very full ball first up from Kerr, that Beaumont can’t get away. Then she’s DROPPED, past the fingertips of Hannah Rowe, who leaps at mid-on, but can’t hold on, and the ball dips away for four. Another four follows, up and away, crossing the midwicket boundary, then another cracking delivery that nearly sees Beaumont’s stumps splattered.
2nd over: England 10-0 (Beaumont 1, Dunkley 9) Hannah Rowe at the other end, sprints in, long blond pony tail, longer legs. Her second delivery drifts legside and Dunkley bends to sweep and eases it along to the rope. Tries to cut a slower ball, which passes safely underneath the flashing blade, and beaten with the last.
1st over: England 6-0 (Beaumont 1, Dunkley 5) Dunkley, who’s not been in the most sparkling of form, eases onto her toes and sends Kerr sparkling away for four. Looks less comfortable later in the over as Kerr arrows in on the stumps.
Peek my head round the door for the national anthems, Heather Knight has her arm round her old mucker Tammy Beaumont, playing in her 100th T20 international. Jess Kerr has the ball and waits for the countdown clock.
We look at the pitch. The commentators lay their hands on it like they’re feeling the stomach of a pregnant woman. It is said to be “a belter”, warm and hard, a batting paradise, The temperature is balmy high teens, the sky gloriously blue. Time for me to put the kettle on, back in five.
New Zealand XI
New Zealand: Suzie Bates (c), Izzy Gaze (wk), Georgia Plimmer, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Mikaela Greig, Hannah Rowe, Jess Kerr, Lea Tahuhu, Rosemary Mair, Fran Jonas.
Mikaela Greig makes her international debut.
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England XI
England: Beaumont, Dunkley, Bouchier, Knight (c) Jones (wk) Gibson, Heath, Dean, Glenn, Filer, Bell.
Lauren Filer makes her T20 debut.
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England XI
England: Beaumont, Dunkley, Bouchier, Knight (c) Jones (wk) Gibson, Heath, Dean, Glenn, Filer, Bell
New Zealand win the toss and will bowl!
Susie Bates wins the toss, leading New Zealand for the first time on home soil. “With the games we’ve played here in the past, the wicket gets better and better so we trust in our seam attack. My job is to lead from the front, we’re focused on the cricket we want to do, the brand of cricket we want to play.”
Heather Knight “This is a great place to have a bit of prep, enjoying Queenstown. A slightly different group but great to give girls an opportunity who have been on the fringes. Lauren Filer is making her T20 debut today, runs in and bowls quick, hits the deck hard.”
Susie Bates wins the toss, leading New Zealand for the first time on home soil. “With the games we’ve played here in the past, the wicket gets better and better so we trust in our seam attack. My job is to lead from the front, we’re focused on the cricket we want to do, the brand of cricket we want to play.”
Heather Knight “This is a great place to have a bit of prep, enjoying Queenstown. A slightly different group but great to give girls an opportunity who have been on the fringes. Lauren Filer is making her T20 debut today, runs in and bowls quick, hits the deck hard.”
New Zealand win the toss and will bowl!
Susie Bates wins the toss, leading New Zealand for the first time on home soil. “With the games we’ve played here in the past, the wicket gets better and better so we trust in our seam attack. My job is to lead from the front, we’re focused on the cricket we want to do, the brand of cricket we want to play.”
Heather Knight “This is a great place to have a bit of prep, enjoying Queenstown. A slightly different group but great to give girls an opportunity who have been on the fringes. Lauren Filer is making her T20 debut today, runs in and bowls quick, hits the deck hard.”
Preamble
Good morning night owls and day birds and welcome to the first T20 of the five match series between England and New Zealand.
Last time we saw them, England were losing to India in a gripping Test in Mumbai – even if the eventual result was a 243 run thrashing. Now they’re back, in beautiful Dunedin, if somewhat underpowered, with Danni Wyatt, Sophie Ecclestone, Nat Sciver-Brunt and Alice Capsey not joining until the fourth T20, after their stints in the WPL. This gives some new blood a chance – notably Linsey Smith and Hollie Armitage. And, as has Raf noted, this is surely Tammy Beaumont’s golden moment to grab back her prized place.
The holes in the England lineup gives New Zealand a sniff of a chance, though they too are without some of their more famous faces – Amelia Kerr and captain Sophie Devine miss the first game. Suzie Bates leads the White Ferns in her absence.
Play starts at midnight GMT, I’ll be here with my toast and coffee, do join me.
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