Having won the toss Charlotte Edwards had no hesitation in opting to bat this time round. In a smart move New Zealand opened with spinner Morna Nielsen who kept things very tight and then accounted for Heather Knight who tried to play a paddle sweep in the fifth over of the game, but left her leg stump exposed and was bowled for 5. Lauren Winfield had a lucky escape before she scored, dropped behind by Priest diving to her right, and then looked completely out of sorts struggling to time anything she managed to hit. But she survived long enough for her and Edwards to put together a partnership of 54, before she tried the umpire's patience once too often with her pads and was adjudged lbw for 14 off 40 balls. This brought Taylor to the crease and suddenly it looked a different game. She timed the ball from the off and hit a beautiful 45 from 41 balls. At the other end Edwards also looked to be in fine touch and passed 50 for the 44th time before she lost another partner. Suzie Bates had decided to turn to unproven international spinner Anna Peterson. She appeared to be bowling a mixture of off breaks and the occasional leg break. But with her fifth ball in international cricket she enticed Taylor to try and whip the ball over midwicket. She failed to do so and left Taylor swishing her bat in anguish yet again as she headed to the pavilion. The pair had added 68 with the lion's share going to Taylor and England were on 129/3 with 20 overs still in hand.
The middle order needed to consolidate, but Lydia Greenway heaved at Peterson and was bowled for 0 and Nat Sciver (10) was out immediately after the second drinks break, playing round a straight one from Sophie Devine. At 144/5 the pressure was back on Edwards and unfortunately she succumbed as she was bowled by her erstwhile Kent team-mate, leggie Erin Bermingham, trying to work the ball to the legside. At 152/6 with 11 overs to go England opted for slow accumulation mode, but Brunt was caught behind off Bermingham for 16 and Gunn dollied up a full toss from Petersen to square leg for 5. Dani Hazell and Anya Shrubsole made sure England used most of their overs before they too succumbed and England had just 194 on the board. It was well short of a par score. Probably 60/70 runs short.
England needed a good start, but when Anya Shrubsole's first over went for three boundaries off the bat of Rachel Priest, the signs were ominous for both Shrubsole, who has been out of sorts, and England. But Edwards then contributed more than any bowler as she ran out Suzie Bates, as she started for a single before the ball had gone passed Edwards' outstretched hand. Edwards parried it and then got it into Taylor behind the stumps before Bates could get back. It was a huge bonus for England and a body-blow for New Zealand.
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| Anya Shrubsole who claimed 4/36 (c) Don Miles |
re-introduce Anya Shrubsole to the fray, and she rewarded her skipper's faith in her. She bowled Broadmore on the back foot and then next ball had McGlashan lbw. Two overs later Perkins was her third victim, lbw playing across the line and then Devine was bowled by a peach of a yorker, which removed her leg stump. The New Zealanders had slumped to 82/7 and the game was effectively over. Shrubsole finished her 10 overs with 4/36 and looked to be back on song. The Kiwis will not fancy facing her again on Sunday!
Dani Hazell and Brunt finished the game off as New Zealand were bowled out for 104 in the 37th over. Charlotte Edwards was named player of the match and England will once again be favourites for the third game on Sunday. New Zealand will struggle now that England have their dander up.
Full scorecard here - http://scoring.blackcaps.co.nz/livescoring/match2513/scorecard.aspx
MD
13/ii/15
I doubt England will struggle to make the top 4 of the ICCWC but that was a much needed response (in the field at least) from them. Away wins will be crucial in deciding the qualification places.
ReplyDeleteStill, many of the same concerns remain for England and they're fortunate NZs middle to lower order seem as brittle as their own.
Any thoughts on the umpiring Martin? TMS were pretty scathing. They also seemed concerned that Edwards was struggling with an injury towards the end. I think it's fair to say England's batting would look a little thin without her. Perhaps it would force some of the others to step up.
I'd rather umpires gave not out rather than out decisions. They seemed OK to me. Injury didn't look that bad. Fingers crossed.
ReplyDeleteThanks. Good to hear another perspective from someone at the ground.
ReplyDeleteEngland have enough quality performers to make a difference but we're after team performances over next few games with contribution from all the bats.
ReplyDeleteBased on the touring squad I can't see the batting changing or being challenged. The pressure has to come from within. But England have missed a trick in not taking a young starlet (preferably) with bat to experience this tour.
Hasn't Amy Jones just played as a batter before? Looked pretty decent to me.
DeleteThanks for a very good and accurate summary of the game. It was very pleasing to wake this morning to the news that England had delivered an extremely strong performance in the field to bowl out NZ for just 104 and win so convincingly despite another lowish total.
ReplyDeleteShrubsole had been taken off after a wayward first over conceded 12 runs. She was not best pleased. Edwards again showed those canny captaincy skills to bring her back just at the right time when NZ were under the kosh a bit with 3 wickets down, and boy, did she take the opportunity. It's these little things that can make all the difference. It must have been a very, very fine line between getting it wrong and getting it right for Anya, as things suddenly clicked. That was a devastating spell of bowling.
I've rarely been more pleased to say I was wrong. Wrong about Shrubsole and wrong about England not having much of a chance with that lowish total. The side deserve a lot of credit for that comeback, just as they deserved some criticism for the lacklustre first game, and it's the sort of steely professional performance we'll need to repeat on the tour, and against the Aussies later this year to retain the Ashes. Great stuff.
Dealing with Amy Jones first. She played her first ODI on 1st February 2013 in the ICC Women's World Cup 2013 against Sri Lanka and scored 41. She has been picked once more but did not bat. She therefore has a career ODI average of 41, the highest in the squad. I’m not suggesting Amy is the solution to our batting frailties but surely only England could have a player score 41 on their debut and then pick them only once more. Strange indeed.
ReplyDeleteIn the 23 ODIs since the start of 2013 the numbers of 50+ innings has been 25 however Lottie accounts for 10 of them, Taylor (6), Knight (4) and Brindle (2). We have had a mere one (yes that’s one) from Greenway, one from Gunn and one from Sciver (whose ODI career did not start until 1st July 2013). I would respectfully suggest that the England middle is simply not delivering.
I'd like to see us use the first 10 overs better. Edwards (zero off 15 balls) is brilliant enough to keep going and up her rate and stay in but others (ex Taylor) can't do that especially when we've allowed the bowlers to get on top.
On a more positive note, well done to Brunt, Shrubsole, Knight, Grundy etc for stepping up to plate and 'throttling' NZ in the field.