England head to Northampton for Wednesday’s second ODI against New Zealand knowing that, for all the relief of a one-wicket victory in Durham, much tidier cricket will be required if they are to control this five-match series.
Match one was a curious mix. Three debutants, several returning faces and the first international outing of the summer produced understandable rust: a dropped catch here, an over-eager run-out shy there. Yet the hosts still bowled the White Ferns out for 210 with 10 balls unused before inching past the target thanks to Charlie Dean’s calm, unbeaten 31 and her partnerships with Lauren Bell and 18-year-old newcomer Tilly Corteen-Coleman.
Bell, now 73 caps into her England career, admitted the fielding standards were not up to scratch. “definitely a sector where we’ve worked really hard,” she said, adding that early-season nerves played their part.
“It was the first international game of the summer and there was probably a lot of nerves,” Bell said. “There were three debuts and then there were girls that haven’t played for England for a while. All in all, it was probably quite a nervous fielding performance and I’d like to hope that tomorrow we’ll be back and we’ll show how far our fielding’s come.”
The seam bowler believes the plans with the ball were sound. “For the first game of the summer we were in a really good place. The bowling attack were really clear on their plans. As a batting unit, we’ll look to be a bit more steady.”
Her own contribution with the bat – 12 from 27 deliveries and, more tellingly, a 35-run stand with Dean for the eighth wicket – was pivotal. It is not a role she is asked to play often, and she seemed to enjoy the change.
“I was relatively calm,” Bell said. “We knew what the challenge ahead of us was and the run rate was never going to be the problem so it was a pretty easy task to just bat the overs. But I’ve never been in a situation before, especially for England, where I can help the team get over the line with the bat. I was actually quite excited for the opportunity.”
She continued: “I did enjoy it. I enjoyed the opportunity. I would much prefer to see it done a bit easier but I just want to help this side get over the line and if that’s with the bat, then so be it. I’ve been working really hard so if the time comes again, I feel confident to do a job.”
Bell sees value in tight finishes. “Winning games of cricket like that is really important, especially leading into tournament cricket,” she added. “In the past, maybe we wouldn’t have got over the line and we would have struggled. It shows a real change of character and a real push forward in this team that we’ve got the characters to really get us over the line, especially in situations like that.”
England’s selection conundrum remains. Nat Sciver-Brunt’s knee niggle that ruled her out of Durham continues to be monitored. If the captain returns, Maia Bouchier, whose 59 was the top score on Sunday, could shuffle down or miss out altogether. The coaching staff may also consider an extra seam option should cloud cover arrive at Wantage Road.
New Zealand, for their part, took positives from Durham, most notably Maddy Green’s composed 88 and her century partnership with captain Melie Kerr. Better support with the bat – and, perhaps, another 20-30 runs – would have left England with too much to do. The visitors’ new-ball bowlers created chances, though catching lapses proved as costly as England’s missed fields.
Conditions in Northampton are forecast to be dry, the surface traditionally slower than Chester-le-Street’s. Spinners could play a larger role, which may persuade England to persist with Corteen-Coleman after her neat two-wicket debut and prompt the Ferns to lean again on Kerr’s leg-spin and Fran Jonas’ left-armers.
Series momentum can swing quickly; Wednesday offers both sides the chance to settle. For England the headline task is straightforward: keep the composure, cut out the untidiness. If they manage that, a 2-0 lead beckons and the early-season jitters might finally be put to bed.
