World Record Stand Sees England to Victory Over White Ferns

New Zealand have crumbled to defeat in the first ODI in Wellington with Amy Jones and Charlie Dean sharing a seventh wicket world record partnership of 130 runs. 

Earlier on, Suzie Bates and Bernadine Bezuidenhout had got the home team off to a good start with a 90-run opening stand in the first 21 overs.

Apart from Bates’ 50 and Bezuidenhout’s 35, no one else shone for the Kiwis. With both openers losing their wickets ten runs apart from each other it ruined the platform that the pair had set.

The rest of New Zealand’s top order was looking like they were set to go on and get a big score but both Amelia Kerr (24) and Georgia Plimmer (17) fell not long apart from each other. 

Maddy Green once again failed to get going, making only seven whilst Brooke Halliday contributed six.

Izzy Gaze did get some support at number seven from the bowlers, but it was never going to get enough to push the White Ferns on to a big total.

Gaze (18) had support from Hannah Rowe (16) and Jess Kerr (9) to get the White Ferns past the 200-run mark by the time she was dismissed by Lauren Bell.

Spinner Dean picked up three wickets, with Lea Tahuhu (1) being her third victim.

Bell finished the innings off when she bowled Jess Kerr to have New Zealand all out for 207.

Jess Kerr found success for the White Ferns with the ball early bowling Tammy Beaumont for a five-ball duck.

England’s captain Heather Knight and T20I player of the series, Maia Bouchier nearly managed to get their side through the rest of the powerplay unscathed but Kerr had her second of the innings getting Knight for 12.

The wobbles then fell for England as they lost three quick wickets in just a couple of overs.

Bouchier was out to Tahuhu for a run-a-ball 31 while Alice Capsey was trapped LBW by Amelia Kerr for a duck. Nat Sciver-Brunt then soon found herself making the walk back to the pavilion, run out by Rowe for 12.

Dani Wyatt found herself falling victim to Amelia Kerr for 16 and England in massive trouble at 79/6.

However, the best was to come for England with Dean (42*) and Jones (92*) sharing a 130-run stand to see their side to victory. 

Nearing the end of the match, the White Ferns found their fielding and bowling being scratchy as they looked to break the stand, but just couldn’t.

England took a 1-0 series lead with two matches to play.