Maia Bouchier’s 100* and Sophie Ecclestone’s 5/25 saw England record another comfortable ODI win over New Zealand at Worcester. England beat the Kiwis by 8 wickets, chasing down 142 in 24.3 overs.
Jon Lewis opted to strengthen England’s batting heading into the second ODI, a decision unreflective of their strong and easy run chase in Durham on Wednesday. Alice Capsey came in for leg spinner Sarah Glenn while Kate Cross was back in the fold, an uneconomical Lauren Bell sitting out.
The response was unconvincing as the Kiwis found themselves 26/2 after the powerplay. A slow and tentative start, in tandem with both openers being dismissed from poorly executed shots, was not the comeback they would have strived for.
The visitors’ focus seemed to be more on completing their 50 overs – something they failed to do in Durham – even if that meant scoring at a run rate below 3. If that was their plan, Maddy Green executed it. Eating up deliveries, Green eventually got off the mark, facing her 18th ball with an edge down to third.
The score creeped to 78/3 at the half way stage with New Zealand starting to raise the run rate. In line with this, Green began to recover her innings, managing 30 from 48. An unsuccessful LBW review by New Zealand saw Green depart, Charlie Dean finding her first wicket of the day.
The chance of New Zealand batting out their innings became slimmer and slimmer, Sophie Ecclestone and Dean bowling in tandem causing a collapse of the middle to lower order. The Kiwis slipped from 122/5 to 124/9 with Ecclestone finding her 5-fer. Career best ODI figures on home soil.
There was a premature ending to New Zealand’s innings, all out for 141 – 15 runs short of the total they were skittled for in Durham.
England’s openers grasped the opportunity once again to display their flair with the bat as they started the innings with ease. 62/0 was the score at the end of the powerplay as Tammy Beaumont and Maia Bouchier batted at treble the required run rate, putting on a partnership of 73.
Beaumont’s inning was cut short as she failed to make enough ground to reach the crease, the replay displaying the mere margin separating her from out or not out as Suzie Bates accurately targeted the stumps.
Following her knock of 67 in Durham, Bouchier continued her fine form, reaching the 50 milestone from 54 deliveries, including seven boundaries. Knight’s dismissal for nine was the only interruption to the flow of England’s steady innings.
Bouchier edged closer to her maiden international century, stuck on 96* at the non-strikers end with 4 runs to win. Nat Sciver-Brunt courteously defended the subsequent deliveries to enable Bouchier to take the strike at the start of the next over. Sciver-Brunt’s ploys paid off as Bouchier saw England to victory, finishing 100*
England secured the ODI series win but will continue to the County Ground, Bristol to face New Zealand on Wednesday.
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