April 1, 2024, 06:12 BST
Updated 7 minutes ago
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Amy Jones came into the game with England 58-5
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First one day international trip, Basin Reserve, Wellington |
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New Zealand 207 (48.2 overs): Bates 50 (74); Bell 3-41, Dean 3-57 |
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England 209-6 (41.2 overs): Jones 92* (83), Dean 42* (70) |
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England won by four wickets |
Amy Jones scored a superb unbeaten 92 to lead England to a four-wicket win over New Zealand in the first one-day international.
Needing 208 to win, the tourists slumped to 79-6 in Wellington before being rescued by an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 130 between Jones and Charlie Dean.
Jones took the lead and played a perfectly timed counter-attacking innings, with Dean keeping his cool with a valuable knock of 42 as England crossed the finish line with 8.4 overs to spare.
Dean had previously taken three wickets, making her the fastest woman to 50 ODI scalps in just her 26th game.
The off-spinner made the first breakthrough after an opening partnership of 90 between Suzie Bates and Bernadine Bezuidenhout.
Bates was dropped twice in the first seven balls of the game and was also lucky to escape lbw and stumping shouts that would have been nullified if reviewed.
She made the most of this luck and scored her 34th ODI fifty, but was stumped on the next ball as the White Ferns fell to 207.
That looked extremely tenable at half-time, but England quickly found themselves in trouble and when Danni Wyatt was bowled by Amelia Kerr in the 17th over, the visitors were six down and in danger of defeat.
But Jones and Dean set about rectifying the situation to give Heather Knight's side a 1-0 lead as the teams travel to Hamilton for the second ODI at 11pm BST on Wednesday.
The time has come for Jones to get back into form
After failing to reach double figures in four innings in the T20 series, this was an impressive return to form for Jones after England found themselves in a big hole.
The visitors would have been confident of starting the chase but lost Tammy Beaumont – bowled by a Jess Kerr full toss just below waist level – without a run on the board.
While they recovered from that early blow, England found themselves teetering on the brink with the loss of five wickets in eight overs – including three for just four runs.
Maia Bouchier was dismissed by the fiery Lea Tahuhu, Alice Capsey was lbw after missing a reverse sweep and Nat Sciver-Brunt was dismissed trying to grab a second run on a misfield.
All signs of England's collapse were there and New Zealand sensed that another wicket would quickly end the game.
But the wicket never arrived as Jones set to work. While she and Dean enjoyed hitting ones and twos, Jones also managed to put the pressure back on the Kiwi bowlers with some brave throws over the top.
New Zealand continued to push for a breakthrough until the end, but the English grew increasingly comfortable and offered little encouragement.
As the required runs slowed, Jones struck with a series of eye-catching boundaries to seal victory before it was left to Dean to seal the win with one of her own.
Cross shines as England overcome early setbacks
In her first international white-ball game since September, Kate Cross was England's standout bowler at the Basin Reserve.
The seamer should have taken a wicket with her second ball when Bates chipped in on middle, only for Sophie Ecclestone to jump over the ball.
When Bates was again dropped by Lauren Bell to start the next game and survived after England decided against an LBW review shortly afterwards, frustration may have crept in among the visitors.
But Cross calmly felt his way along, getting the ball into a nice shape while also using a green-colored surface to nibble the ball around the seam.
Despite hitting the bat countless times, she had to wait until her second outing for her reward as New Zealand's openers struggled against the new ball.
Bates and Bezuidenhout had been tied down by the English quicks and although runs became easier with the introduction of spin, this also proved to be their downfall as Dean made the breakthrough and Ecclestone quickly took New Zealand's second wicket.
New Zealand regrouped with Amelia Kerr, captaining the team for the first time in ODIs, and Georgia Plimmer.
However, Cross returned to remove both lbws in an extraordinary spell that sparked an eight-wicket, 68-run New Zealand collapse.
Even after their own collapse, the efforts of Jones and Dean ensured that the work of England's bowlers was not in vain.
“Jones and Dean teach us all a lesson” – Reaction
Player of the Match Amy Jones on TNT Sports: “I just tried to keep it as simple as possible and focus on one ball at a time. It sounds simple, but I knew if I did that, Deano and I would build a good relationship.” Partnership.
“I tried to be as positive as possible and support myself when the ball was in my areas. Then I also respect the good balls when they throw them into good areas.”
“I worked a little bit on my mindset for the chases. It’s an area where I felt I could do better, so I’m pleased that work paid off today.”
England captain Heather Knight: “I felt we were in a really good position.” [at the halfway stage]. The seamers in particular bowled really well.
“The way [Jones and Dean] Soaking up the pressure, building a partnership and then putting the pressure back on the Kiwis was a lesson for all of us.”
New Zealand captain Amelia Kerr: “Kate Cross bowled very well on this wicket. We didn’t really have an answer to their changes in tempo and variation.”
“We were capable of reaching 250-plus but if you look at the bowling side of things and another wicket, maybe we could have defended 200.”
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