ODI1 – 1/2/15 Mount
The honours in the first ODI went to NZ with an all round performance putting England to shame, who looked out of season or tired and they were comprehensively out batted/bowled/fielded.
NZ in contrast looked well up to finally get some points on the board in the World Cup Qualifying table, and their skipper Suzie Bates led from the front with her sixth ton. At the other end, unusually for the White Ferns, was Rachel Priest in her 50th game, also putting a score on the board and passing 50 for the third time, putting on the 5th highest partnership against England of 157.
Lydia Greenway at least in the field was her normal self with two excellent catches taking her to 51 ODI catches, she had the chance of a third to take Suzie Bates fairly early on, and she was the only one who would have had a chance of holding on to it, but it went through the fingers and still made it most of the way to the boundary.
Suzie Bates returned the favour in the England innings, plucking the ball out of the air at square leg one handed, to dismiss Nat Sciver.
Knight was pick of the England bowlers picking up 4 wickets with her prancy off spin, Grundy also got one on debut with generally tight lines, and there were smiles at the end for Shrubsole who picked up a wicket after being expensive early on.
Says something when the highest score in the England card, was the number 10 – Anya Shrubsole determined to at least try and make a contest of it, also hitting the only maximum of the game.
Hey ho, on to Friday, via a little bit of sightseeing….
13/2/15 – 2nd ODI Mount
Suffice to say we played better, batting first helped in terms of movement from the pitch and in the mental game.
Lottie scored her 44th ODI 50, but got stalled rather with early partners with the run rate tedious until two wickets brought Sarah Taylor to join her – on the basis that these two used to open, the partnership brings familiarity, and today Squirt seemed herself more, and after a decidedly streaky boundary to get off the mark, she unfurled her trademark cover drives amongst other authoritative shots, hitting 7 boundaries to Lotties 9. Unfortunately, just as you thought she was going to reap the rewards of the hard graft, another trademark chip of a catch to the ring fielders saw her retreating with a frustrated swipe of bat at pad to the pavilion.
The runs somewhat dried up from here, with no-one else passing 20, but it proved to be enough, especially after an early mixup brought the easy runout of the White Ferns skipper. A loose opening over from Shrubsole brought 3 boundaries to Priest – not sure if that was what Mrs Preist had requested as a birthday present – and her banishment to the deep boundary for much of the afternoon, but runs were scare otherwise with Brunt and then Grundy who replaced Shrubsole.
Brunt took the wicket of the other opener, Priest lbw.
Knight yet again got in amongst the wickets with her new off-spin, but only one this time, Grundy continued tightly and the runs dried up. Cue the chance for redemption for Shrubsole who bowled her remaining nine overs in one spell, starting with economy and then turning the screw bowling Broadmore, then McGlashan lbw frst ball, Perkins survived the hat-trick ball but soon fell lbw before Devine became Shrubsole’s fourth scalp – bowled. Happy smiles all round as it seemed unlikely that the Kiwis would get back from 7-82.
Brunt returned to replace Shrubsole and clean bowled Tahuhu and Hazell chipped in with two wickets from the railway end.
England win by 90 runs, a greater margin that their defeat at the hands of the White Ferns on Wednesday and whilst they will be relieved to get a win on the board, they will realise there is still much room for improvement.
Same time, same place, Sunday folks!
15/2/15 – 3rd ODI Mount
Finally a tight game, which we came down on the wrong side of, despite being quite tense for most of the second innings. NZ had failed to chase 200 in the previous game, and the wicket was wearing and had been baked, plus no team had yet made 100 runs in the second half of their innings, but this time they got there with ease, albeit slowly, winning by 9 wickets with 9 balls to spare.
We started with a good partnership, Lottie getting out and leaving Knight to go past her 50, rather slowly…
Some urgency was applied in the later order by Brunt and Marsh, the only people who seemed interested in pushing the fielders for a second run and we crept past 200 to 217-9.
Shrubsole managed to get the key wicket of Kiwi captain Bates, after having issues with the spikes on her shoes – and her reward was one new shoe, not a pair, and she sorted it all out at the drinks break…
the other opener Priest, went past her previous highest ODI score of about 74, but she was left short by the end of the game, stranded on 98, with Sattertwaite joining her at number 3 and finishing the job – shame but good to see a tight game!
crunchcricket 