The Kia Oval, the Oval, as the ECB awkwardly titled the venue.
Sophie Devine won the toss and decided to bat.
England’s selections were fascinating. Heather Knight was restored, at the expense of Maia Bouchier. Linsey Smith replaced Charlie Dean. So the three spinners would all turn the ball away from right-handed batters, (if at all).
Plimmer and Bates to open, Plimmer needing big runs. They made a more confident start, taking 25 off the first four.
Once again Knight turned to Smith as her first change. With two fielders allowed out deep, she did well to concede only four runs. Just to be sure, the skipper invited the promising Ecclestone to take the other end.
By the end of the powerplay there had been only two boundaries, but a decent 33 runs
Another change saw Sarah Glenn play her part. First ball – wicket! Plimmer (17) undid her good work as she swung wildly and was bowled. Lessons should be have been learned. Two balls later Amelia Kerr, a leg-spinner by profession, hit another leg-spinner straight to Alice Capsey at mid- wicket. Ho, hum. Off the last ball Bates was saved by a review, otherwise it would have been three in the over.
Now Knight could afford to introduce Danni Gibson. She started with a wide, but, lo and behold, she confirmed her right to be included by bowling Devine with a beauty through the gate. In a trice 33-0 had become 40-3 – an old story. Gibson went on to present a strong case for retention in the squad: 3-0-7-1, and one of those seven was one of the two wides England conceded. Her accuracy was admirable.
Who shall we have next? Ah, Ecclestone! It took her all of five balls to dismiss Bates. What kept her waiting? It was the delivery very few batters can spot. The arm-ball or in-ducker that beats them more often past the inside of the bat, or raps the pads. I’ll show them how it should be played. I’m off to have a sleep.
Halfway: 46-4, and the Kiwis on the slide again.
Glenn’s second over was more expensive, but Ecclestone’s third wasn’t. Brooke Halliday holed out to mid-on. 52-5.
An added problem for the Kiwis: their perilous position sent them into their shells, not out to the shooting-gallery. A four by Maddy Green in the thirteenth over was their fourth.
In the 15th Izzy Gaze and Green did use the long handle at last. But the moment Glenn started her last over, mid-on (Gibson) swallowed another offering. (80-6). When she castled Jess Kerr, that was her second double-wicket over in her spell. (4-0-19-4)
Off the fifth ball off the 18th, Gaze hit Ecclestone (4-0-16-2) for the first six of the game – through the hands of Danni Wyatt, who had stepped forward a pace or two.
Knight entrusted Smith with the last over. The 100 came up despite a review and a chance off a catch on the edge. A run-out brought a fitting end to the innings.
The Reply
Fran Jonas was thrown the ball again; she went for nine off her first over; Sophia Dunkley fancied an early evening at home. Next she hit Lea Tahuhu for three successive boundaries. That was 24 off 2. Danni Wyatt played the sheet-anchor for two balls, then hit Jess Kerr for two fours. Little sister couldn’t hold a difficult diving catch in the deep. England were advancing at 12 per over. The skipper came on, but six runs off wides didn’t help. The 50 came up at the start of the fifth.
Dunkley fell, top-edging a catch into the covers (26/16). But the fielding continued its lapses and Wyatt was enjoying herself. Capsey didn’t last, beaten by the younger Kerr. Then England caught the Kiwi cold; Wyatt (26/21) holed out to the next delivery, Eden Carson’s first.
But Dunkley’s evening was already safe. The 100 and the winning hit came to Nat Sciver-Brunt in successive boundaries off Melie Kerr.
That brought a 4-0 lead, with a final flourish to come at Lord’s on the 17th.
Scores:
New Zealand 103-6 (Glenn 4-19) England 104-3 (11.3 overs, RR 9.04) England won by seven wickets
Teams:
England 1 Danni Wyatt, 2 Sophia Dunkley, 3 Alice Capsey, 4 Nat Sciver-Brunt, 5 Heather Knight (captain), 6 Amy Jones (w-k), 7 Dani Gibson, 8 Sophie Ecclestone, 9 Sarah Glenn, 10 Linsey Smith, 11 Lauren Filer
New Zealand 1 Suzie Bates, 2 Georgia Plimmer, 3 Amelia Kerr, 4 Sophie Devine (captain), 5 Brooke Halliday, 6 Maddy Green, 7 Izzy Gaze (w-k), 8 Jess Kerr, 9 Lea Tahuhu, 10 Eden Carson, 11 Fran Jonas
Afterthoughts
The White Ferns’ problems are deep-seated. They start with a small population, reduced further since the Maori and Pasifika peoples give cricket the cold shoulder (hence rugby’s successes). Then comes the familiar expression ‘they’re in a building phase’. But the younger generation is not making the mark hoped for. Its leading representative, Melie Kerr, can’t be expected to produce performances with bat and ball in every game, and she doesn’t. In this game Eden Carson led the bowling figures with 2-0-11-1, but she has been in and out of the team.
The old’uns, Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine and Lea Tahuhu (mother of two), aren’t the force they were. Even if the NZ authorities were taking the right steps at every turn, which is doubtful, it’s impossible to see how matters can be improved in the short or longer term.
The world of elite women’s cricket is small enough (distorted in its size by the combined populations of India and Pakistan). For the White Ferns to be an extra on the world stage is damaging for the game as a whole. It can’t expand with only three big-time leaders.
There was a decent crowd at the Oval. We are left wondering if they leave happy at seeing England win a one-sided game, or whether they will one day show they prefer seeing a tight game by staying away,
