England Women Survived a tense finish and recorded a thrilling one-wicket win. new zealand women In the first ODI of the series at the Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street. Chasing a competitive target of 211, the hosts overcame the target in just 48.2 overs as a batting collapse threatened to hand the match back to the visitors. all-rounder Charlotte Dean He performed brilliantly with both bat and ball and was named player of the match for his match-winning contribution.
The win gives England a 1-0 lead in the ODI series ahead of the second match at the County Ground, Northampton on Wednesday, May 13.
Maddy Green and Amelia Kerr saved New Zealand’s innings
After being asked to bat first, New Zealand Women faced a tough start as the experienced opener suzie bates Was out early on just six runs. Led England’s new ball attack lauren bell And Lauren FillerMaintained the pressure and put the visitors in a shaky position inside the powerplay.
However, amelia kerr And maddy green Carried the innings forward with important partnerships. Kerr played a patient inning of 55 off 82 balls and took charge of the innings while Green pushed the pace beautifully at the other end. Green performed brilliantly for New Zealand and scored 88 runs in 107 balls with the help of nine fours.
Both helped New Zealand overcome the early setbacks and took the total score beyond 200. Once Kerr was out, England clawed their way back into the contest through disciplined bowling in the middle and death overs. Dean impressed with two wickets for 21 runs in seven overs while Bell and the young spinners Tilly Courteen-Coleman Took two wickets each. England eventually bowled out New Zealand for 210 in 48.4 overs.
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Maia Bouchier leads in chase before late fall plays out
England’s chase started cautiously, but early wickets kept New Zealand interested throughout the innings. opener emma lamb And jodi gravcock They failed to convert their starts, while captain Heather Knight added a quick 19 runs before being dismissed. the innings got stability Maia BoucherWho played a steady inning of 59 runs in 69 balls. Boucher cleverly rotated the strike and punished loose balls to keep England ahead in the chase. He received solid support from freya kempWho scored valuable 30 runs.
Just when England looked to be in a strong position, New Zealand counter-attacked by taking regular wickets. rosemary mair Collapse started with an impressive spell, taking 3 for 42 from his 10 overs. Kerr also made an impact with the ball, taking two wickets and keeping the scoring under control in the middle overs.
England’s score became 195 runs for 9 wickets, due to which the match was hanging in the balance. As tensions mounted, Dean displayed remarkable composure under pressure. She remained unbeaten on 31 off 46 balls and calmly guided the lower order in the final moments.
Bell’s determined 12-run contribution also proved vital, before England eventually reached 211 for 9 with 10 balls remaining.
Charlie Dean won the Player of the Match award after scoring a crucial 31* and 2 wickets to lead England to victory.#ENGvsNZ #women’s cricket #charliedean pic.twitter.com/zzcw0sO8f5
– WomenCricket.com (@WomenCricketHQ) 11 May 2026
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This article was first published here WomenCricket.comA Cricket Times Company.
