Left-handers to the forefront
Chelmsford
It was left-handers day at Chelmsford, as every Ferns’ wicket to fall involved a left-arm bowler or catcher.
Pride of place in the first innings went to Mahika Gaur, restored to the home side. She made a decisive strike, pinning Georgia Plimmer in front with her third ball.
She went on to take 5-27, helping limit New Zealand to a modest 129. Jess Watkin (35), Bella James (28) and Polly Inglis (30) provided the bulk of the runs, but seven other batters compiled ten between them.
The tightest bowling came from Jodi Grewcock, whose leg-spin was admirably accurate (4-0-8-0). Yes, she’s right-handed, but she bats left.
Tilly Corteen-Coleman put in another promising performance, taking 3-30. Add in two run-outs by Charis Pavely (lhb) and Gaur, and two catches by Freya Kemp (lhb), and who needs right- handers?
The visitors’ modest total meant that the second half of the proceedings was a bit a damp squib. Grace Scrivens and Seren Smale looked as though they were intent on a 10-wicket win. They weren’t parted till 49 runs were on the board, with barely a sixth of the available overs yet used.
Emma Black, coming around the wicket, had such early luck as was going. She got Scrivens to mistime a force of the back foot to be taken behind (18/19).
It was Smale’s day with the bat. She has acquired some fame as a really forceful striker of the ball, but here she was intent on adding an opener’s stickability to her repertoire, picking and choosing the ball to hit. England’s innings turned on her performance (62/83).
She remained at the crease until the 25th of the 26 overs needed. Then she wandered out to a Watkin floater, swung, missed and didn’t bother looking back to see the damage keeper Inglis had done to her wicket.
None of the other batters had to watch the clock, but Abi Norgrove (13) and Grewcock (11) may be disappointed not to have exploited the favourable conditions as Smale did. At least these late wickets cheered the Kiwis up. Defending a low total is not the friendliest job.
Scores:
New Zealand 129 (Gaur 5-27)
England 130-4 (Smale 62)
England win by six wickets
Teams
England
Grace Scrivens (captain), Seren Smale, Abi Norgrove, Jodi Grewcock, Freya Kemp, Charis Pavely, Rhianna Southby (w-k), Grace Potts, Alexa Stonehouse, Mahika Gaur, Tilly Corteen-Coleman
New Zealand
Georgia Plimmer, Emma McLeod, Jess Watkin, Bella James (captain), Izzy Sharp, Hannah Rowe, Polly Inglis (w-k), Flora Devonshire, Emma Black, Nensi Patel, Molly Penfold
Afterthought
What’s the difference between 1,428,627,663 and 5,223,000?
I’m not really interested in arithmetic, but these are the given populations of India and New Zealand. One day the elite England side is torn to shreds by a team representing the largest nation on earth. The next day, England’s juniors have little trouble in seeing off the modestly sized islands of Aotearoa.
Let’s hope they all enjoy the game equally.
