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Key events
43rd over: England 198-8 (Jones 17, Cross 4) Golden Arm Bates continues and Cross could hit her out the park when she loops one more than intended, but doesn’t move her feet so can’t properly get at it. A backfoot force then gives Jones strike and she adds a further single.
42nd over: England 195-8 (Jones 15, Cross 3) Kerr J returns and a single to Jones gives cross the strike; her powerful drive picks out a fielder. She then misses outside off before snaffling a single to mid on, and I wonder if England misread the pitch; the ball isn’t really coming on, and it looks a chase track to me.
41st over: England 192-8 (Jones 13, Cross 2) I wonder if we’ll see Cross’ famous scoop; not yet, a more traditional nurdle and they sprint through for two.
WICKET! Ecclestone c Green b Bates 14 (England 190-8)
England just can’t get a partnership going and when Ecclesteon goes high but not far, Green making the take look easy at a vey fine long on.
41st over: England 190-7 (Jones 13, Ecclestone 14) Ah, actually it’s more spin, with Bates introduced to the attack – I guess Kerr fancies the batters want pace on the ball, while Ecclestone will be looking forward to bowling.
40th over: England 189-7 (Jones 12, Ecclestone 14) I’ve now eaten two hot chocolate sachets, you’ll be delighted to learn as Jonas begins the final over of a very useful spell; Melie Kerr also has one left, after which it’s pace to the end. And maybe that’s for the best because Ecclestone, starting to enjoy herself, cuffs the first six of the series over wide long on; “Get in!” she advises Jones. Jonas finishes with 2-47 .
39th over: England 182-7 (Jones 11, Ecclestone 8) Jones plays into the off side and they run one; I guess she rates Ecclestone’s batting, because otherwise she’d surely farm the strike. And there you go, a lofted drive over mid off gives her four; that was a really clean swing. but next ball they pinch a single and Ecclestone looks miles gone if the throw hits … but it doesnae.
38th over: England 175-7 (Jones 9, Ecclestone 3) Single to Jones, then Ecclestone swings at a wide one, sending two to point, but can’t score off the over’s final two deliveries.
37th over: England 172-7 (Jones 8, Ecclestone 1) At this point England need to see out their overs, but after Ecclestone takes one, Jones waits to hoik over cover for four; shot. Then she goes again, not getting all of it at all but the ball not quite picking out mid off; somehow they only run one, though it was in the air for about 10 minutes.
WICKET! Dean b Kerr A 1 (England 166-7)
Make that six wickets lost for 59! Dean waits to cut … and plays on, misjudging a wrongun that stays low!
36th over: England 166-6 (Jones 3, Dean 1) That was another good review from NZ and England have lost five wickets for 56 runs; might today be the day NZ put it all together? Dean quickly gets off the mark, then Jones flips over her shoulder for two, but has Bezuidenhout diddled a hammy throwing in? Ach, not as she threw but as she ran; off she goes.
WICKET! Wyatt c Gaze b Jonas 2 (England 163-6)
Yup, Wyatt tried another run-down but got her timing wrong and picked out the gloves.
36th over: England 163-5 (Wyatt 2, Jones 1) Jonas returns, Wyatt swipes at one, there’s an appeal for a caught behind and when the umpire says no, NZ immediately go upstairs. I thought i saw a deflection…
35th over: England 163-5 (Wyatt 2, Jones 1) Melie Kerr brings herself back and Jones laps into herself, then swipes fresh air only for Gaze to miss the take and cede four byes. They’re the only runs from the over.
34th over: England 159-5 (Wyatt 2, Jones 1) We know that Jones is in form, but England are again relying on a number seven to get them out of trouble.
WICKET! Beaumont c Plimmer b Rowe 81 (England 152-5)
Beaumont throws it away! She rushes down, gets into a dreadful position, and rather than leave it along to try and get outside it to hit off side, she plays a tennis overhead that picks out mid on. There was no need for that, and NZ no have two new batters to work on.
34th over: England 152-4 (Beaumont 81, Wyatt 2) Kerr restores Rowe to her attack, and short, leg-side loosener is helped around the corner for a four that takes Beaumont to 80. A single brings Wyatt on to strike, and she again opens the face to get down the other end.
33rd over: England 152-4 (Beaumont 76, Wyatt 1) A bouncer, then Wyatt opens the face and sets off for a single. Tahuhu, running in hard, has Beaumont swiftly withdrawing the bat when one holds its line, then she comes down and forces two over the top followed by one square on the on side.
32nd over: England 148-4 (Beaumont 73, Wyatt 0) A bye, then Beaumont hauls Jonas around the corner and a misfield on the fence lets it through for four.
WICKET! Capsey st Gaze b Jonas 6 (England 143-4)
Jonas sees Capsey coming, tosses a bit wider, and Gaze takes it really well, swiping off the bails. Huge wicket!
32nd over: England 143-3 (Beaumont 69, Capsey 6) We’re all friends here, so I’ll level with you: I ate crisps and hummus at this late hour. Now that you ask. A single and a wide from the first three balls get us moving again…
31st over: England 141-3 (Beaumont 68, Capsey 6) Beaumont swipes Tahuhu’s first delivery across the line for four and in comms, they wonder what England will be happy with. My sense is that they’ll feel confident of defending almost anything they get from here but will want 280, and they keep going at it, adding two ones and a two before Beaumont waits for one, wafting it high over backward point for four. Thirteen off the over and drinks.
30th over: England 128-3 (Beaumont 56, Capsey 5) Jonas returns and Beaumont hauls her to wide long on for one, then Capsey scoops, falls, and runs one, laughing. Her partner, though, is starting to feel herself, carting a loose one to deep square for four, and what could be a crucial partnership is settling.
29th over: England 121-3 (Beaumont 50, Capsey4) Tahuhu returns and immediately, Beaumont turns her into the on side for her 19th ODI 50 for England; she has nine centuries and will, of course, fancy another. Insight like that is why they pay me the big bucks. Capsey then hits hard to midwicket for two, and she’s looking a little more settled now.
28th over: England 118-3 (Beaumont 49, Capsey 2) NZ have the strangle on, Capsey unable to get the ball away, so after three dots they snaffle one to mid off because the guess Tahuhu can’t field quickly enough. Bates and Kerr A then collide in the field running in from cover and cover point, but it’s all smiles as the batters run one.
27th over: England 116-3 (Beaumont 48, Capsey 1) Lovely turn and bounce from Kerr A, missing everything, and they run one, which is given as off the bat; in comes a slip. Capsey is in the team to hit the ball hard and far, but might feel, with so long still to go, that she needs to play herself in. Meantime, Kerr bowls nicely, Capsey turning one around the corner for one.
WICKET! Sciver-Brunt b Kerr J 2 (England 114-3)
Another slower-ball wicket! This time, Sciver-Brunt – who never looked comfy – is through the shot early, loses her off-bail, and NZ are doing nicely now.
26th over: England 114-2 (Beaumont 47, Sciver-Brunt 2) A pull in front of square on the off side earns Beaumont one, but you can sense she wants to be hitting bigger balls than that. A misfield then allows Sciver-Brunt a further single, a wide follows, then a tip-and-run adds another…
25th over: England 110-2 (Beaumont 45, Sciver-Brunt 1) Beaumont takes a single but again Sciver-Brunt can’t get away, picking out a fielder with her cut then coming down looking for a quick one that isn’t there. She does, though, then force the issue, Beaumont responds in kind, and that makes it three off another decent over.
24th over: England 107-2 (Beaumont 43, Sciver-Brunt 0) Sciver-Brunt feels due, but before we talk about her, that’s another decent knock from Knight. Otherwise, three dots end the over and if NZ can get another wicket quickly, that runs tally will look a little shy.
WICKET! Knight lbw b Kerr J 37 (England 107-2)
Great review and a clever delivery, taking pace off. Knight was there early, couldn’t get bat on ball, and was hit on the back pad, the ball headed for the top of middle-and-off. New Zealand needed that, badly.
24th over: England 107-1 (Beaumont 43, Knight 37) A single to Beaumont, then Knight flicks hard over midwicket for four. Next ball, though, she’s squared, rushed and cramped … takes it on the pad … not out says the umpire. Upstairs says Melie Kerr, and if there’s no bat involved I think this could be gone.
23rd over: England 102-1 (Beaumont 42, Knight 33) Melie Kerr continues, a pair of singles from her first two deliveries raising England’s hundred. Knight then pulls to wide long on for one more and another to Beaumont completes the over. It’s not been thirlling so far, but it has been effective.
22nd over: England 98-1 (Beaumont 40, Knight 31) Kerr J returns, and though I can see why she’s been brought back, I thought Jonas was bowling well. She cedes a single to Knight then a wide, before Beaumont pushes down the ground for one and the captain pulls to long on for one more.
21st over: England 94-1 (Beaumont 39, Knight 29) Another single to Beaumont, then Knight laps for two before a swipe outside off is fielded at backward point – and there’s also a point in. England are struggling to get the ball away or keep it away from fielders, though as I type and after one more for Knight, Beaumont cuts away and a misfield ensures she gets four. Eight off the over, the most costly in quite some time.
20th over: England 86-1 (Beaumont 34, Knight 26) Two dots then a wide, Jonas bowling outside off to an off-side field; Beaumont’s getting a little aggy with herself, coming down and edging into the pad as we learn a shower is not impossible. Finally, she forces away into the off side and they run a single; the NZ spinners are bowling nicely.
19th over: England 84-1 (Beaumont 33, Knight 26) Push and run from Knight, who sets off so early she makes it home in decent time. Beaumont’s thrash into the off side adds one more, and the scoring has slowed somewhat – but England will be much the happier of the sides given what they’ve got in the hutch.
18th over: England 82-1 (Beaumont 32, Knight 25) Beaumont comes down and Jonas does her in the flight, her eventual leading edge dropping just short of the fielder running in from cover. Naturally, the next ball goes for four … or does Plimmer haul it back on the slide? Oh, she does, a review shows it’s only three, and she’s having a really good day in the field. Three singles and a dot complete the over, Beaumont again misjudging the flight when facing its final delivery.
17th over: England 76-1 (Beaumont 28, Knight 23) Melie Kerr brings herself on cedes one from her first four balls without finding much in the way of turn. A further single follows, and that’s a decent start to a spell NZ are probably relying on to force something.
16th over: England 74-1 (Beaumont 27, Knight 22) Until now, England have kind of let Jonas bowl, so first ball after the break Knight gets down quick, hoisting four over the top. A single follows, then Beaumont does all she can to reach a wide one and can’t; wide, followed by another fractionally down the leg side. The batters then add a single apiece, and they’re in decent control here and know they’ve heavy artillery backing them up. NZ need a wicket.
15th over: England 65-1 (Beaumont 26, Knight 16) Another single then a high wide, before Knight cuts to cover and they push for two; well run and drinks.
NOT OUT!
Knight’s stretch was enough, just, but the painted line is thick.
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