Summing up
Nat Sciver wins the player of the match award, to no one’s surprise. “It was a bit more tricky to bat today than in previous games,” she admits, “the aim was playing smart cricket really” and she attributed the success of her performance to “a bit of pre-planning, and getting good feedback from Tammy in the middle”. Chuckling bashfully at the “Natmeg” tag for her between-the-legs clip shot, she said the shot was “not quite intentional yet, but I’m working on it”.
Intentional or no, it’s been another accomplished performance by this England team, who really are now exuding spirit, nous, togetherness and attacking intent. Sciver set the tone with another brilliant hundred in her partnership with the excellent Beaumont, and New Zealand’s reply all rather lost its way once Bates and Satterthwaite were dismissed, 89 for one subsiding to 209 all out. The seamers bowled with discipline and control, and Hartley and Marsh found enough turn and menace to keep England well in command.
So congratulations to England, Australia and the increasingly dangerous South Africa on reaching the semi-finals, while India and New Zealand face off on Saturday for the right to join them.
That’s all from me anyhow but stay on the site for Vish’s match report. Thanks for your company. Bye.
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Wicket! Huddlestone lbw b Hartley 0, New Zealand 209. England win by 75 runs!
46.4 overs: New Zealand 209 (Perkins 43) target 285. The tail-ender Huddlestone sweeps across the line at Hartley, whose straightener beats her defences and strikes her in front. England are in the semi-finals.
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46th over: New Zealand 208-9 (Perkins 42, Huddleston 0), target 285. Perkins continues to build a nice, if now largely context-free, innings, sweeping Shrubsole for a single, while Huddlestone plays defensively to bolster New Zealand’s hopes of batting out their overs. Seventy-seven needed from 24 balls for the last pair. A doddle.
45th over: New Zealand 207-9 (Perkins 41, Huddleston 0), target 285. Perkins paddles Hartley round the corner for a single, leaving the No11 five balls to face. Hartley finds nice shape and flight, which his all too good for Huddleston, but she survives five dot balls.
44th over: New Zealand 206-9 (Perkins 40, Huddleston 0), target 285. Shrubsole returns for the first time since the 10th over, hoping to polish it all off. Perkins continues to play with great poise and confidence though, bringing out the Dil-scoop to prove it, but a partnership of 36 is brought to a close when Tahuhu is bowled.
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Wicket! Tahuhu b Shrubsole 11, New Zealand 206-9
Shrubsole jags one off the seam past Tahuhu’s attempted drive and clatters the stumps. Nearly home.
43rd over: New Zealand 204-8 (Perkins 39, Tahuhu 10), target 285. Hartley comes on to bowl her eighth over and Perkins begins it with a push down the ground for one. Tahuhu nudges another one round the corner to take her team to 200 before Perkins clubs a loose full toss to deep midwicket for two – again it was well cut off by tandem-fielding on the boundary. Another glance for two completes a quietly productive over for New Zealand.
42nd over: New Zealand 198-8 (Perkins 34, Tahuhu 9), target 285. Perkins is doing her average, and her team’s net run rate, some favours here and she drives Knight back over her head for four. A single and two wides also feature in a fairly pedestrian over.
41st over: New Zealand 190-8 (Perkins 29, Tahuhu 9), target 285. Australia’s victory procession is all setting up the New Zealand-India match at Derby beautifully, particularly as the spinners have thrived on this surface. Tahuhu slogs up in the air but it bounces between two fielders and brings a single, before Perkins plays a lovely scoop for four, and follows it up with a leg glance for one. Perkins has played quietly well here, as her team’s victory hopes have vanished all around her.
40th over: New Zealand 183-8 (Perkins 23, Tahuhu 8), target 285. Heather Knight seems stubbornly insistent on bowling herself through, though you could say it selflessly spares the attack spearheads any needless extra effort. Her sixth over is steady and decent enough though, and goes for a mere three singles.
39th over: New Zealand 180-8 (Perkins 21, Tahuhu 7), target 285. A couple of run of the mill singles start the fifth over from Gunn, who, perhaps bored with the inevitability of it all, then lets the ball slip out of her fingers and serves up a howling beamer that’s called wide. A neat cover drive for four follows from Tahuhu.
38th over: New Zealand 172-8 (Perkins 20, Tahuhu 2), target 285. The ball just hasn’t come on to the bat in this innings as it did earlier, though England found it tricky early on too. Anyway, deteriorating pitch or no, you can’t legislate for crazy run-outs, and Kerr is dismissed for a duck after Perkins sets off for an unfeasible single. Any tension has gone out of this one now. Tahuhu gets off the mark after just about beating Sciver’s fingertips at midwicket with a legside chip.
At Bristol, Australia too are cruising, Lanning doing her stuff again.
Wicket! Kerr run out 0, New Zealand 170-8
Kerr is run out with out facing, called for a single that was never on and run out easily.
Wicket! Kasperek b Gunn 3, New Zealand 170-7
37th over: New Zealand 170-7 (Perkins 20), target 285. Perkins plays a fine ramp shot off Gunn over the keeper’s head that is prevented from going to the boundary by an excellent fielding-combo on the ropes by Beaumont and Hartley. They take two instead. Another paddle in the same direction brings a single. They add a couple more singles before Kasperek swings and misses at one that keeps low and is bowled. Fair reward for a nicely mixed-up over from Gunn.
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36th over: New Zealand 165-6 (Perkins 16, Kasperek 2), target 285. The batting powerplay is with us, a period during which England made hay and many other things besides. They had two set, in-form batsmen in at the time though. New Zealand do not. They do eke out three singles and a well-run three from a clever glance to third man, from Perkins, from Knight’s fourth over though.
35th over: New Zealand 159-6 (Perkins 12, Kasperek 0), target 285. Jenny Gunn returns to the attack and beats Perkins outside off-stump straight away. A nudged single brings Bermingham back on strike, and she perishes when she finds Brunt in the deep ending a cameo that had looked promising. That semi-final place edges closer for England.
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Wicket! Bermingham c Brunt b Gunn 19, New Zealand 158-6
And Bermingham holes out, thrashing Gunn to deep midwicket where Brunt this time takes the catch, on the run.
34th over: New Zealand 158-5 (Perkins 11, Bermingham 19), target 285. Bermingham’s looked accomplished since she came in – not bad for someone who’s ODI highest score is only 35 – and she launches Knight for a crisply struck SIX over long-on. It’s the only scoring shot of the over though – New Zealand need 133 off 17.
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33rd over: New Zealand 152-5 (Perkins 11, Bermingham 13), target 285. Bermingham sweeps forcefully off Marsh and finds the boundary, and follows it up with a push down the ground for a single. The White Ferns may have more than half a mind on net run rate if they’re not going to win this, though there’s no reason why they can’t and shouldn’t go for the win. Seven from that Marsh over, and she ends with figures of 1-48 from her 10 overs.
32nd over: New Zealand 145-5 (Perkins 10, Bermingham 7), target 285. DROPPED! That was a sitter from Brunt, Bermingham driving a slower ball from Knightstraight to her at extra-cover, and in and out it went. It was a bad miss but from an economy point of view that’s another good over from England’s point of view.
31st over: New Zealand 143-5 (Perkins 9, Bermingham 6), target 285. Marsh has rattled through her overs – this is her ninth – and has got better as she’s gone along. She beats Perkins with a quicker one outside off stump. There is one loosener in this over though, short outside leg stump, and it’s punished by Bermingham who pulls it behind square for four. But with 142 now needed from 19, England will be happy enough with all this.
30th over: New Zealand 138-5 (Perkins 8, Bermingham 2), target 285. Heather Knight, the England captain, brings herself on and gets a wicket with her second ball, bowling Perkins. She greets the incoming Bermingham with some outright filth, a chest-high no-ball that the No6 hoicks away on the legside for one. The free hit only brings Perkins one, mind, in a frankly indifferent over full of easy singles, but it’s brought a wicket, and England are getting those at regular enough intervals now to be firmly on top.
Wicket! Martin b Knight 21, England 133-5
Another getting-set New Zealander is dismissed, Martin playing on to the England captain’s second ball. It turned a little but Martin’s toe-end did the rest.
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29th over: New Zealand 132-4 (Martin 21, Perkins 5), target 285. Martin glances Marsh away on the legside for one, Perkins straight drives for another, but it’s another decent over for England, who were 125-3 at this stage.
28th over: New Zealand 130-4 (Martin 20, Perkins 4), target 285. Martin’s played her way in swiftly and well, and on-drives Hartley emphatically for four. Perkins manages another three that could have been four but for a fine stop in front of the ropes by Winfield. New Zealand’s most productive over for a while but it was still a decent one from Hartley, full of variety and challenges.
27th over: New Zealand 121-4 (Martin 14, Perkins 1), target 285. Marsh really is getting it to turn now, jagging one right back in at Perkins and following it up with a fuller almost yorker length ball that has to be dug out. A couple of singles then precede a throaty lbw shout as Perkins sweeps and misses right in front, but it looked as if there was some glove on it.
26th over: New Zealand 119-4 (Martin 13, Perkins 0), target 285. The big wicket of Devine falls when Shrubsole catches well scurrying back from mid-off, which brings Katie Perkins to the crease. It could be a problem for New Zealand that their batters further down the order haven’t had enormous amounts of time in the middle, given the low targets they’ve been set. Martin picks up a couple more off a tidy over from Hartley.
Wicket! Devine c Shrubsole b Hartley 8, New Zealand 115-4
Another big scalp for Hartley! Devine doesn’t quite pick the flight and slightly miscues a lofted drive and Shrubsole, scuttling back, takes a fine catch just above and behind her head.
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25th over: New Zealand 115-3 (Martin 10, Devine 8), target 285. A deft-looking nudge from Martin is enough to bring her four behind square on the legside with what looked the most negligible of touches. And indeed it wasn’t a touch at all – as four wides are signalled. Four singles follow in an uneventful over.
24th over: New Zealand 106-3 (Martin 8, Devine 6), target 285. Boom! Devine belts Hartley’s first ball across the line and swiftly to the long-on boundary, via a couple of bounces, for four, but the spinner is still bowling with craft and accuracy and her fifth over is another good one.
23rd over: New Zealand 100-3 (Martin 7, Devine 1), target 285. As news filters through that Devine is able to bat, and indeed is padded up, she’s called into action promptly by the wicket of Satterthwaite, caught and bowled. Devine looks pretty stiff-backed, but she’s still up for swinging like a good’un, trying to clear mid-on with her second ball but not really getting hold of it. A more restrained drive down the ground instead gets her off the mark and takes New Zealand to three figures.
Wicket! Satterthwaite c and b Marsh 25, New Zealand 99-3
Marsh returns and strikes straight away, finding a leading edge off Satterthwaite who dobs it back at her for an easy return catch. Big wicket.
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22nd over: New Zealand 99-2 (Satterthwaite 35, Martin 7), target 285. A good sprawling stop by Shrubsole at mid-on prevents a possible four from Satterthwaite. She makes do with one instead. Hartley’s finding good testing areas against the right-handers, though Martin sweeps square for a single comfortably enough. And Satterthwaite adds another.
21st over: New Zealand 96-2 (Satterthwaite 33, Martin 6), target 285. Sciver gets her first dot ball at the ninth attempt after two more singles start the over. She finds a fuller length to cramp up Martin, who can’t work her away until the final ball of the over, a wider and fuller one that is clubbed through extra cover for four.
20th over: New Zealand 90-2 (Satterthwaite 32, Martin 1), target 285. Bates straight drives off the back foot for four from the first ball of Hartley’s third over. But the left-arm spinner is finding some turn, which she uses to brilliant effect in snaring Bates, inducing a play and miss and a smart stumping to break the partnership, and a dangerous looking one at that. Katey Martin gets off the mark with a single – still no word on whether Devine will definitely bat.
Wicket! Bates st Taylor b Hartley 44, New Zealand 89-2
Terrific cricket. Hartley draws Bates forward to meet a rasping turner that jags past her into the gloves of Taylor, who sharply whips off the bails to claim a prized scalp.
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19th over: New Zealand 85-1 (Bates 40, Satterthwaite 32), target 285. Early Sports Personality of the Year contender (in a just and righteous world anyway) Nat Sciver gets her first bowl, but sends down a middling first over full of easy singles, six of the blighters no less.
And that’s drinks, which gives me time to tell you that Australia are 89-1 in the 22nd over chasing 227 to beat India at Bristol. Follow it here.
18th over: New Zealand 79-1 (Bates 37, Satterthwaite 29), target 285. Hartley teases Bates with turn and flight and the flow of runs is mercifully stemmed. Bates can’t get her away at all, and that’s a much-needed and extremely good maiden over.
17th over: New Zealand 79-1 (Bates 37, Satterthwaite 29), target 285. Better from Marsh, more controlled and accurate in the absence of great turn, but it’s undone a tad when Satterthwaite gets forward to sweep emphatically off the last ball of the over to pick up another four. Fran Wilson dives theatrically to cut it off, but she’s miles and minutes away from stopping it.
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16th over: New Zealand 74-1 (Bates 36, Satterthwaite 25), target 285. Another change of bowling, sensational Alex Hartley replacing Gunn, meaning we have spin at both ends. The left-armer doesn’t start well though, dropping short twice and inviting Bates to belt it to the long-on boundary, an invitation she accepts with relish. Twice. Hartley’s comeback ball is a peach though, ripping and turning past Bates’s outside edge and giving Taylor a chance to appeal for a stumping, which is turned down. A single completes an expensive over, worth 10 runs.
15th over: New Zealand 64-1 (Bates 27, Satterthwaite 24), target 285. A beauty from Marsh turns in on Bates, past her inside edge and hits her on the pad outside the line. The New Zealand captain picks up a single before Satterthwaite does get some legside runs, binging on a freebie from Marsh, which she meets on the full and pulls down behind the square leg boundary for four. A risky single completes the over but Gunn’s shy at the stumps misses and these two now have a 50 partnership.
14th over: New Zealand 58-1 (Bates 26, Satterthwaite 19), target 285. Satterthwaite cuts behind the keeper for four off Gunn, who responds with her customary pace-removers that the left-hander can’t drive with any conviction. Another square cut brings onemore, and I’m wondering if Satterthwaite has scored a single run on the legside yet. Another single completes another agreeable over for New Zealand.
13th over: New Zealand 52-1 (Bates 25, Satterthwaite 14), target 285. Bates tries to go over the top at Marsh, hoicking high over long-off but doesn’t quite get hold of it and it falls short of the boundary, bringing two runs. Bates remedies that next ball by clobbering it in the exact same direction, but with more venom and timing and getting four, pushing the field back. A languid couple of singles follow.
South Africa have beaten Sri Lanka by eight wickets, to add to the pressure on both these sides.
12th over: New Zealand 44-1 (Bates 18, Satterthwaite 13), target 285. Into the attack comes Jenny Gunn – ‘a little bit of dob’ scoffs Charlie Dagnall in the commentary box, before clarifying that there’s more to her than that. Her first, slower ball is decent and misread a tad by Bates, who, well, dobs it uppishly back. Bates then offer a half-chance from a similar delivery and shot with a mistimed drive in the air just past the diving Heather Knight at extra cover. She gets a single, before Satterthwaite picks up another four on the offside, this one a cut in front of square. This partnership is showing signs of promise now.
11th over: New Zealand 39-1 (Bates 17, Satterthwaite 9), target 285. A change of bowling and pace at the end of the powerplay, with Marsh on for Brunt. Bates picks up a single after taking advantage of Hartley’s misfield at square leg. A slip is brought in for the left-handed Satterthwaite, who plays early and well to the spinner and cuts to extra cover for one more. It’s an over of strike rotation – three singles and nowt more.
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10th over: New Zealand 36-1 (Bates 15, Satterthwaite 8), target 285. Bates pierces the offside ring at last – to her obvious relief and satisfaction – cutting Shrubsole in front of square for four with great precision and technique. She may not have scored quickly, yet, but England’s anxiety, and New Zealand’s confidence, will grow the longer she stays in. Another single follows, which means New Zealand have the same total after 10 overs as England did, with one fewer wicket lost.
9th over: New Zealand 31-1 (Bates 10, Satterthwaite 8), target 285. Satterthwaite’s cover driving is a thing of great splendour, and it brings her a splendid four off the first ball of Brunt’s over as England’s seam pairing continues. It’s the only scoring shot of the over though.
8th over: New Zealand 27-1 (Bates 10, Satterthwaite 4), target 285. Shrubsole’s tight offside line and tight offside field placings continue to frustrate Bates, who tries to respond by cracking it over the infield but miscues, slicing up in the air but getting away with it with a single. A fine stop at mid-off from Beaumont prevents a certain four from Satterthwaite’s dreamy cover drive. It’s just the one instead.
7th over: New Zealand 25-1 (Bates 9, Satterthwaite 3), target 285. Satterthwaite glances square on the legside for a single before Bates finally gets a chance to cash in, cracking a looser delivery over Fran Wilson at backward point for four. Another single completes a better over for New Zealand.
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6th over: New Zealand 19-1 (Bates 4, Satterthwaite 2), target 285. Sarah Taylor decides it’s time to stand up to Shrubsole’s bowling and plonk a little extra pressure on New Zealand. Shrubsole’s right on the money too, offering no room to Bates for five dot balls, frustrating the Kiwi captain so that when a wider ball is presented she grubs hastily at it and misses. An excellent maiden.
5th over: New Zealand 19-1 (Bates 4, Satterthwaite 2), target 285. The left-handed Amy Satterthwaite gets under way with a crisp drive for two before Brunt, round the wicket, responds with a deliciously shaped outswinger that beats the No3 all ends up. It’s the first of two play-and-misses in the over, which is another good’un. NZ going at under four an over thus far.
Meanwhile …
News on Sophie Devine is that she has a side strain and may bat if needed. Big blow for NZ!
— Women's Cricket Blog (@WomensCricBlog) July 12, 2017
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4th over: New Zealand 17-1 (Bates 4, Satterthwaite 0), target 285. Bates tries a pull shot against a back-of-a-length ball but can’t clear the infield. The ball isn’t zipping onto the bat here, so Shrubsole’s better advised to pitch it up a little more, which she then does with a beauty that moves in the air and off the seam past Bates’s stranded bat. It’s a maiden, and there was just an air of frustration in how Bates was trying to force her shots there.
3rd over: New Zealand 17-1 (Bates 4, Satterthwaite 0), target 285. Brunt gets her line and length just right for three dot balls before Bates square drives elegantly for two, and adds a glided single to fine leg to complete a tight neat over from the bowler.
2nd over: New Zealand 14-1 (Bates 1, Satterthwaite 0), target 285. Bates slashes, but slashes hard, at Shrubsole’s first delivery and it shoots down to third man for a single before Priest gets two more boundaries, cutting behind square for four twice. Shrubshole can’t afford to give the Kiwi keeper anything too wide, so she bowls one at the stumps and – bingo! – bowls her. Out comes Satterthwaite at No3 – there still appears uncertainty over Sophie Devine’s fitness to bat. A lively old over, that, and one that will put a spring in the step of Shrubsole, who’s not had the greatest of tournaments.
Wicket! Priest b Shrubsole 12, New Zealand 14-1
Priest, having clubbed three boundaries, tries to slog a straighter one and doesn’t connect, deflecting onto her stumps.
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1st over: New Zealand 5-0 (Bates 0, Priest 4), target 285. Brunt opens up, finding some decent movement in the air at Suzie Bates, who’s respectful for four dot balls before Brunt strays down the legside and a deflection round the corner gets the innings under way with a leg-bye. Rachel Priest isn’t hanging around though, pivoting on to a back of a length ball from Brunt and blootering it to the square leg boundary for four. Derby looks something of a picture today, as it goes. It’s a ground that can be derided as the cricket equivalent of football’s fabled cold wet night in Stoke – just as fancy, skilful, frankly foreign, footballers are suspected of ‘not fancying it’ at Stoke, so swashbuckling cricketers are asked ‘Can they do it on a cold cloudy April morning in Derby’ – but it’s well attended and looking good today.
Sciver’s deft between-the-legs flick on the legside earlier has been dubbed by The Twitters as the Nat-meg, giving it comparable status with the Dil-scoop. She’s arrived. Anyway, the England players are getting ready to take the field.
Afternoon everyone. Tom here, to guide you through New Zealand’s chase. They’ve not had to chase anything over 200 in this tournament yet but they’re certainly capable of taking on England’s total, which fell short of what might have been expected after 40 overs but greatly exceeded what looked on the cards after 10, thanks again to excellent middle-order batting and partnerships (well, one partnership). But New Zealand’s spinners, particularly Amelia Kerr with her tantalising looping leggies, have kept them in the game.
Elsewhere, India failed to kick on after the big Raut-Raj partnership and have set Australia a target of 227 in Bristol. Adam Collins can tell you all about that here. While South Africa are 31-2 after seven overs in pursuit of a piffling 102 to beat Sri Lanka. All of which could set up an almighty bunfight for the final semi-final place in the last round of group stage matches.
Right all - that’s it from me. Tom Davies will be along to talk you through the New Zealand chase. Don’t move, it should be a belter...
284/9 ENG highest total v NZ. NZ need the 2nd highest successful ODI chase. They chased down 275 v AUS in Feb #WWC17 https://t.co/qdTHMGjxgn
— hypocaust (@_hypocaust) July 12, 2017
NEW ZEALAND REQUIRE 285 FOR VICTORY
50th over: England 284-9 (Marsh 5, Hartley 1) Six scampered and that’s that. Alex Hartley, yet to get out in ODI cricket, tries her best to finally get an average. But, alas, its another inning unbeaten. Infinity it remains (#BetterThanBradman). An exceptional comeback from England who, lest we forget, were 52-3 in the 14th over. New Zealand, though, do have the firepower to chase something like this down...
WICKET! Shrubsole b Kerr 0
49th over: England 278-9 (Marsh 1, Hartley 0) Always tidy for a leggie to bowl a right-hander around their legs. Kerr, who finishes with 4-51 from her nine overs, has one of those in the bag. Impressive spell from the 16-year-old.
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WICKET! Brunt c b Kerr 9 (England 277-8)
Ah, Brunt goes now too. Caught in the covers as Kerr takes pace off the ball and forces her to do something more.
WICKET! Gunn st Priest b Bermingham 1
48th over: England 277-7 (Brunt 9) Sharp work behind the stumps as Gunn tries to clear the off side field. Earlier, brunt had done brilliantly to hit over cover for four. She’s got a lot of power berhind her, but great placement, too.
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47th over: England 270-6 (Brunt 3, Gunn 0) 111-balls for that 129, by the way. No sixes, uncharacteristically. And so, the Bash ‘Em sisters from the win over Australia reunite.
WICKET! Sciver c Satterthwaite b Kerr 129 (England 269-6)
Ah well. It was spectacular while it lasted. Kerr, again, bowling well to her field as Sciver finds deep midwicket.
46th over: England 263-5 (Sciver 124, Brunt 1) Brilliant from Sciver. Up comes mid off, back over her head goes Sciver. Another four, this one through square leg keeps New Zealand guessing. Turning into quite the one-woman assault...
45th over: England 250-5 (Sciver 112, Brunt 0) Glorious timing from Sciver, carving Amelia Kerr through backward point for four. Good running, too, to get nine from the over.
44th over: England 241-5 (Sciver 103, Brunt 0) Might be a bit glum for the sake of it here, but England perhaps snatching at things a bit here. That being said, they should finish on plenty, especially with Brunt swinging from here on out...
WICKET! Wilson c Satterthwaite b Kasperek 10 (England 240-5)
Wilson’s cameo comes to an end as she fails to clear the ropes straight down the ground. Comfortable catch in the end from Satterthwaite, who skips to her left at long on to complete the dismissal.
SCIVER GOES TO HER 2ND ODI CENTURY!
43rd over: England 236-4 (Sciver 101, Wilson 7)
Two runs scampered and that’s Sciver’s century – her second of the World Cup – from just 92 balls. Eight fours and, you know, THAT shot.
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42nd over: England 228-4 (Sciver 97, Wilson 2) Frank Wilson in at number six, with very good memories of Derby. She was the only bat to really stand up in defeat to India, almost winning it singlehandedly with her knock of 81.
Beaumont & Sciver's 170 partnership was the highest 4th wicket stand at a Women's World Cup. #WWC17 https://t.co/K1Gk0jwRrA
— hypocaust (@_hypocaust) July 12, 2017
41st over: England 222-4 (Sciver 94) Not easy for Kerr to be bowling in this situation, to two very well set batsmen. But she keeps her cool and tempts Beaumont into a misjudgement.
WICKET! Beaumont c Tahuhu b Kerr 93 (England 222-4)
It won’t be a fourth hundred for Beaumont, who plinks to mid off. Well bowled Amelia Kerr and very well batted Tammy...
40th over: England 217-3 (Beaumont 92, Sciver 90) Really peculiar. New Zealand are still bowling and England are still batting. The umpires appear to be happy to let it continue. What for, though? SHE LITERALLY PLAYED A YORKER BETWEEN HER LEGS FOR A LAUGH. Bradman couldn’t score four runs in one innings and Nat Sciver got half as many with a no look bunt THROUGH HER DAMN LEGS.
39th over: England 211-3 (Beaumont 89, Sciver 87) OH MY ACTUAL DAYS. Nat Sciver, to a yorker on leg stump, has brought her bat down on the ball and deliberately nutmegged herself for two runs. I’m not entirely sure why we’re still playing. She’s just completed cricket.
38th over: England 201-3 (Beaumont 89, Sciver 77) Bates drops short first up and Sciver can work that easily behind the fielder on the square leg fence for four. Even with the boundaries, these two are ensuring every run is squeezed out of this field. A slight misfield from Kasperek at fine leg turns one into three. Partnership is 149 and the scoring rate between these two ticks above six-an-over...
37th over: England 191-3 (Beaumont 88, Sciver 69) Oh, Tammy Tammy! What a strike! Tahuhu’s first ball of this new over – quick, back of a length, is charged and lifted high over straight midwicket for six! What a blow.
#TammyBeaumont has now scored 277 runs in the past eight days. In her first five years of ODIs she made 207 #WWC2017 @Vitu_E
— Tim de Lisle (@TimdeLisle) July 12, 2017
36th over: England 181-3 (Beaumont 80, Sciver 67) There we go... two fours down the ground off Bates – successive balls, too – sees a field change immediately, with mid on dropped out of the circle. Only three allowed outside of the circle at present because we’re in Power Play country.
35th over: England 170-3 (Beaumont 70, Sciver 66) Last over before the Power Play very much a warm-up for what England hope is some carnage ahead. Sciver and Beaumont swing through the line and hit fielders, picking up the odd single here and there.
34th over: England 165-3 (Beaumont 68, Sciver 63) Bates on, pace off the ball, three patrolling the leg side sponge, with a deep cover point engaged for Sciver. That means Kasperek is inside the circle at fine leg. Does Sciver notice? Not really, as she plays Bates around the corner... AND IT’S DROPPED! Tough chance – Kasperek is not the tallest and was fully stretched to her left. Gets hands to the ball though and looks beside herself as drinks are taken.
33rd over: England 156-3 (Beaumont 65, Sciver 57) Extra heat to blow them out of the water? Maybe so. Leah Tahuhu back into the attack, replacing Huddleston. Neither Sciver or Beaumont are that fussed: the former pulls in front of square before the latter walks down the pitch to drop a single off at point.
SCIVER REACHES 50!
32nd over: England 150-3 (Beaumont 64, Sciver 52) A ninth ODI fifty for Nat Sciver, who gets there off her 55th ball with a three around the corner, just beating Kasperek on the 45. Sciver goes high down the ground later in the over but, mistimed, she keeps the dream a live. Long on, set back, can’t get on the right line.
31st over: England 143-3 (Beaumont 62, Sciver 47)
Big over against Huddleston, this one. She’d conceded just 23 from her previous six, but the seventh goes for 10! Two boundaries: a ramp from Sciver over the keeper’s head races away before Beaumont stands two-feet outside her crease to punch through midwicket. Quality from these two. Their partnership is currently 71...
Still think the New Zealand women's cricket team being called the 'White Ferns' makes them sound a tiny bit like a white supremacist group.
— Charlie Reynolds (@cwjreynolds) July 12, 2017
30th over: England 133-3 (Beaumont 58, Sciver 42) Kasperek doing her best Jeremy Snape impression here. No, not the courses in management speak, but she’s serving up some Moon Balls that are asking a lot to be put away. Sciver obliges though, meeting one on the full and blamming one through square leg for four.
29th over: England 125-3 (Beamount 57, Sciver 35) Huddlestone doing her bit to curtail these two. As a result, Beaumont has to get cute and lap over her should for a couple.
28th over: England 122-3 (Beaumont 55, Sciver 34) Kasperek returns, from the end she opened at and, nearly, brings this partnership to an end. Not through a dismissal with her name on it, but she forces Beaumont and Sciver to take a risky single off the penultimate ball. Kerr, around the corner, fields and shys at the stumps but just misses. Sciver puts in a dive but a direct hit would have been very close indeed...
27th over: England 117-3 (Beaumont 53, Sciver 32) Change in the bowling as the leg spin from both ends approach is abandoned for the timebeing. Holly Huddleston’s right-arm scene returns from the Racecourse End and goes for five, with a couple of twos dropped around the corner and single pinched into cover.
Elsewhere, at Bristol, history has been made:
The leading run-scorer in Women's ODIs! 🙌
— Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) July 12, 2017
Ladies and gentlemen, #MithaliRaj #AUSvIND #WWC17 pic.twitter.com/VeHgqLK3lm
And she’s just passed 6,000 ODI runs with a six!
BEAUMONT MOVES TO HER 4TH ODI FIFTY!
26th over: England 112-3 (Beaumot 51, Sciver 29) A patient yet pro-active innings from Beaumont. She toughed it out for more than two hours for her 49 against Australia. This one has taken less time out of her day, with just 60 balls needed and seven fours.
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25th over: England 107-3 (Beaumont 48, Sciver 27) Beaumont meets the first ball of the over on the full, lifting it back over Kerr’s head for four. Despite being 16, she tosses the next one up as well. Beaumont, advancing once more, yorks herself. She’s 16! Imagine yourself at 16. Now imagine yourself representing your country. Mad. 16!
24th over: England 100-3 (Beaumont 42, Sciver 26) Ton up for the hosts, at a steady state of four an over. Good running between these two bring it up, with five from Bermingham’s over.
23rd over: England 95-3 (Beaumont 39, Sciver 25) Kerr’s got a good googly, by the way. She royally #merked Elyse Villani with one, having dismissed Meg Lanning the ball before.
What a moment! Amelia Kerr (AK-48) delivers the perfect googly to outfox Elyse Villani #WWC17 pic.twitter.com/WVWlaw98iW
— WHITE FERNS (@WHITE_FERNS) July 2, 2017
Luckily for Sciver, her hands allow her to adapt when we get our first sighting of one today, working with the spin to take a sigle to
22nd over: England 92-3 (Beaumont 38, Sciver 24) Strong shout for LBW... but it looks like the ball was drifting down the leg side. More total chat below:
Probably need more than 250. Since the start of 2016 NZ have by far the highest RR in ODI chases (6.31 RPO)
— hypocaust (@_hypocaust) July 12, 2017
#WWC17 https://t.co/o2NW3EUD2N
21st over: England 91-3 (Beaumont 38, Sciver 22) “Cricket!” comes the cry from the Knowledgeable Derby Crowd. Kerr over-pitches and Sciver bunts through midwicket for four. Next ball, she drops into the leg side for one.
20th over: England 84-3 (Beaumont 36, Sciver 17) Erin Bermingham, another spinner, comes into the attack at the City End. Beaumont steps across a touch to free up the vacant area behind square leg and sweeps fine for four. After a slow start, she’s moving on quite comfortably.
19th over: England 79-3 (Beaumont 22, Sciver 6) Amelia Kerr, 16-years-old, quick to begin with, leggie for life, replaces Huddleston at the Racecourse End. Takes her time throughout the over, ensuring her grip is secure and the field is as she wants. Four from the over.
“I think you give me far too much credit,” responds Richard O’Hagan. “Any wicket which I take is only ever achieved accidentally. On this occasion I even tried to convince the umpire that one of them was a bump ball, but he wasn’t buying it. Maybe he did hate charity?”
18th over: England 75-3 (Beaumont 31, Sciver 14) Yes Nat Sciver. Into the over we go and Bates strays onto the pads and the allrounder tucks neatly around the corner. Back on strike to a similar ball, she launches a wristy drive over midwicket – very assured – and gets her first deliberate boundary.
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Drinks being taken. Length chat between the two England bats and two squad members who have brought them refreshment.
@Vitu_E Please tell me we aren't doomed and that we will reach at least 250 and might win this?
— (((Ravi Nair))) (@palfreyman1414) July 12, 2017
Nah not doomed. 250 defendable on this I think, especially if England do as New Zealand have done and not veer from their lengths. Obvious Sophie Devine is the difference-maker. But 250-plus not out of reach.
17th over: England 67-3 (Beaumont 30, Sciver 7) A chance?! Not sure. But Sciver edges the first ball of the over to the right of wicketkeeper Rachel Priest, who had taken a sizeable step to her left before attempting to put in a dive. Four runs the damage. Sciver walks at the next one and pinches a single into the leg side, so Priest steps up to the stumps for the remainder.
16th over: England 59-3 (Beaumont 28, Sciver 2) Sciver’s ticking. Frustrated? Maybe not just yet. But Bates is holding a bit back and Sciver can’t quite hit as hard and as straight as she’d like. A couple of straight drives start in the air before bouncing well short of mid on. Single off the last ball.
Richard O’Hagan emails in: “Playing in a charity match, we accidentally reduced the host team to 90-something for eight before lunch - and before most of the crowd, or indeed the sponsors, had arrived. I was brought into the attack to bowl my very occasional leg spin lobs - and accidentally took two wickets in my first over!” At least it wasn’t for charity. Unless it was? Why do you hate charity, Richard?
15th over: England 58-1 (Beaumont 28, Sciver 1) Ooooh, a boundary. Beaumont is quick to react when Huddleston goes a touch too wide and punches through backward point for four.
14th over: England 52-3 (Beaumont 23, Sciver 0) The runs have dried up and the pressure has just been turned up a click. The pitch looks decent which shows just how well New Zealand are bowling. Ball’s hitting the bat nicely but Bates and Huddleston aren’t giving them much to work with.
WICKET! Knight LBW Bates 8 (England 52-3)
It was the squeeze wot dun it. Knight is stuck in her crease against Bates, who gets one to nip in off the seam. Knight’s all around her front pad and is struck very in front. Finger up, Bates ecstatic, New Zealand pumped.
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13th over: England 50-2 (Beaumont 22, Knight 7) Huddleston back in from the Racecourse End and immediately beats the bat of Knight with a bit of movement off the pitch. Belting delivery. Just a single from the over. Smart stuff from New Zealand to mix up their bowling and, now, cover themselves in all the right areas after the Power Play.
Meanwhile, on the topic of getting out to lob-up bowlers, this is a wonderful twist of WG Grace and Danny Glover:
Once had a teammate who, upon being dismissed by such a bowler, walk off loudly proclaiming that he "shouldnt even be facing this shit"
— John Dyer (@jd_77) July 12, 2017
12th over: England 49-2 (Beaumont 22, Knight 6) Suzie Bates, keeper-up mediums, brings herself on. All goes well for the first three – Knight respectful on what is sent her way – but a leg bye and some overthrows allow England three to finish.
11th over: England 46-2 (Beaumont 22, Knight 4) Two consecutive short balls punished on both sides of the wicket. The first is pulled powerfully through square leg. The second carved just in front of point. Both shots make a satisfying crack off the bat. On this topic – has someone invented a cricket soundboard? The David Brent one is hours of university fun.
Meanwhile, all the Kaspereks are uniting over on Twitter:
I've made a decent living from that type of bowling...
— Jamie Bowman (@JamieBowman77) July 12, 2017
10th over: England 36-2 (Beaumont 13, Knight 3) Tammy gets in on the act: bit short is Kasperek and, because of the lack of clicks on the ball, she can play it off the pitch and punch through extra cover for four. Decent.
9th over: England 29-2 (Beaumont 7, Knight 2) Tahuhu back for Huddleston after a one-over spell. Pace on the ball tempts Knight into a play and miss. Beaumont, however, doesn’t force the issue and uses the pace to open her wrists and guide behind point for four.
8th over: England 23-2 (Beaumont 2, Knight 1) Well bowled, Kasperek. On the button, every ball so far, save that early wide. Knight comes in to replace Taylor and keeps schtum till pinching a single off the final ball.
WICKET! Taylor c & b Kasperek 8 (England 22-2)
Would you believe it! Taylor uses her feet and gets to the pitch of the ball but her drive is too close to Kasperek, who dives to her left and takes a smart catch. Some think it might be a bump ball but Taylor’s walking off...
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7th over: England 22-1 (Talyor 8, Beaumont 2) Lahuhu has a blow and in comes Huddleston. Still right arm, but a targeter of the stumps. Hence the short mid on. One from the over.
6th over: England 21-1 (Taylor 7, Beaumont 2) Kasperek, for all her lack of pace and/or turn, is looking dangerous. Dangerous in that both bats might get themselves out by having too much time to think. Not to dismiss it as club bowling, but you’ve got out to Kaspereks on your weekends. Above the eyes it goes and soon you’re back in the hutch, practicing a much better shot.
5th over: England 18-1 (Taylor 5, Beaumont 1) Out comes Sarah Taylor. Woman in form. Caution to the wind. Tahuhu yorks her. Taylor digs it out... oh no, wait, she’s just driven it for four down the ground. Absurd. In fact, with that shot, she becomes the competition’s leading runscorer.
WICKET! Winfield c Satterthwaite b Tahuhu 11 (England 13-1)
What a grab from the centurion! Satterthwaite, in at gully, takes a great catch to her left as Winfield cuts a ball too close to her. Went at a fair rate of knots but plucked with ease.
4th over: England 13-0 (Winfield 11, Beaumont 1) More Kasperek, more air. Couple of singles – both swept by both bats – get the over going. Kasperek’s story is fascinating: she was born in Edinburgh (what a city), eventually playing for Scotland at the age of 15. She had a stint with Western Australia and then jumped over to New Zealand, eventually getting a good go with Otago. She eventually made her White Ferns debut in 2015. Winfield in good touch as she steps into a ball on off stump and clips it effortlessly through straight midwicket.
3rd over: England 6-0 (Winfield 5, Beaumont 0) SHOT! First runs off the bat and it’s a glorious pull through square leg. Winfield onto that in a flash. The next ball nearly takes her hands off, mind: Tahuhu pitches a touch fuller to leave the right-hander in a bit of a muddle.
2nd over: England 1-0 (Winfield 0, Beaumont 0) Off-spin from the City End as Leigh Kasperek comes into the attack. Funnily enough, with the breeze going from right to left as she comes in, she’s basically serving up outswingers. Tammy Beaumont still plays her off the pitch and is unable to really get her away. A wide. England are off...
1st over: England 0-0 (Winfield 0, Beaumont 0) The last time England were here, the deck played true and Smriti Mandhana peppered midwicket off the back foot with some classy shots off the back foot. I think – *think* (will check) – we’re playing on the same deck, which might explain why Lea Tahuhu’s first ball dies on its way past Lauren Winfield’s off stump. That being said, the rest of the over carries through well. Winfield fields bat on ball for three, thinking about a single off the last. Tammy Beaumont, defacer of record books, partner in crime, says no. Maiden.
Few things to look out for in this White Ferns bowling attack: Lea Tahuhu is rapid; Amelia Kerr is 16-year-old leggie who through the gates of all comers; Holly Huddleston will either find a way to get you out or tie you down. Then there’s allrounder Amy Satterthwaite, starring in her 100th ODI, too.
Her father, Mike, who played New Zealand state cricket in the late eighties and has fulfilled boardroom roles at Canterbury, presented her with her cap. Class.
By popular demand!
— WHITE FERNS (@WHITE_FERNS) July 12, 2017
We have the Satterthwaite family exclusive ahead of Amy's 100th ODI #WWC17 #strongertogether pic.twitter.com/XYEobwulYg
England win the toss and opt to bat
In Derby @englandcricket have won the toss and decided to bat first against the @WHITE_FERNS! #ENGvNZ #WWC17 https://t.co/oJopNZje64 pic.twitter.com/mO8PyHifxZ
— Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) July 12, 2017
Heather Knight wants runs, and lots of them. Two changes for England: Dani Hazell and Danni Wyatt make way for Fran Wilson (returning from an ankle injury) and Laura Marsh.
ENGLAND: L Winfield, T Beaumont, S Taylor, H Knight, N Sciver, F Wilson, K Brunt, J Gunn, A Shrubsole, L Marsh, A Hartley
NEW ZEALAND: S Bates, R Priest, A Satterthwaite, K Martin, S Devine, K Perkins, E Bermingham, L Kasperek, A Kerr, L Tahuhu, H Huddleston
Preamble
Morning from Derby. It was absolutely hosing it down yesterday but, since about 2am (supposedly), the rains stopped and a breeze swept through to remove some of that surface water, before the sun took over mopping up duties. England can book themselves a spot in the semi-finals with a win today. Standing in there way are an experienced New Zealand side desperate for victory. There’s a Golden Generation tinge about the cluster of Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates, Amy Satterthwaite and Lea Tahuhu: all at the peak of their powers, starved of success, guiding lights in what is otherwise a fairly youthful squad, with Scholes shunted out on the left. Keep your eyes peeled for Devine: strikes it like no one’s business. Her 41-ball 93 against Pakistan saw her become the first women to hit nine sixes in an ODI.
By the way, national treasure Katherine Brunt is set to be awarded her 100th ODI cap. Where English fast bowling goes when she decides enough is enough is a discussion for another time. But today is a testament to her longevity: 13-years as an international quick, regardless of formats or gender, is an incredible sacrifice). Here’s a nice video piece on her done in the lead-up to this tournament:
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Vish will be here shortly. In the meantime here is the report of England’s nail-biting victory over Australia in the last round of group matches …
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