
England will be happy with that whopping win. Centuries for Tammy Beaumont and new opening partner Amy Jones – who broke her ODI century duck. Five wickets on debut for Linsey Smith, who has waited so long in Ecclestone’s shadow. Things to work on? As NSB intimated, they weren’t razor sharp in the field, and their bowlers occasionally wandered off course.
West Indies were outclassed, but not embarrassed – almost batting out their fifty overs and making their highest score against England. The next ODI is at Leicester on Wednesday – where the outfield is hard and the ball runs fast. Join us to watch the boundaries flow. Till then, bye!
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Post-match interviews
Amy Jones: I feel pretty good, I was really excited to get the opportunity to bat at the top again. I enjoy the chance to get out there and set the tone, I love batting with Tam and am happy with the way it went today. I thought they bowled pretty well at the top, but a great wicket to bat on.
Hayley Matthews: The openers batted really well we weren’t able to break through until they were pretty set. I think we need to reduce the number of boundary balls, which meant they were able to get over 300. For Qiana [Joseph] to be able to come out like that after the way her tour has been going is a big plus for us. We can take a lot of positives today, getting up to this total with so many young girls.
NSB: The team did brilliantly. The openers read conditions really well, played brilliantly, and then we accelerated really well. Linsey Smith bowled brilliantly, she had to wait a bit of time to get the ball in her hand. I’m most proud of the change of leadership and coach and settling in as cricketers and committing to what we wanted to do. We could have fielded a little bit better we can’t dip on our energy and commitment in that.
The camera pans to a lovely shot of Lindsey Smith lifting the white ball up to the crowd, she looks delighted.
England go 1-0 up in the series
Handshakes all round in the late evening sunshine. West Indies highest score against England wasn’t enough to avoid a sizeable defeat. Amy Jones is player of the match for her debut ODI century – I expect we’ll hear from her shortly…
WICKET! Alleyne c Cross b Bell 47 (West Indies 237 all out - England win by 108 runs)
48.overs: West Indies 237 (Ramharack 4) Done by a slower ball, knows straight away and Cross collects.
48th over: West Indies 236-9 (Alleyne 44, Ramharack 3) Another airborne four by Alleyne, leaping off the ground, pancaking Arlott to the backward point boundary. Good energy too, calling for a quick single – though changing her mind. I fancy she’d like a fifty before the close.
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47th over: West Indies 232-9 (Alleyne 40, Ramharack 3) Four dots, a wide and a single
46th over: West Indies 230-9 (Alleyne 39, Ramharack 03 The sun must have dropped to blinding level, the players are fielding with hands in front of their faces. Can West Indies last the full 50 overs?
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45th over: West Indies 225-9 (Alleyne 38, Ramharack 0) Alleyne, airborne, fires Bell through the hands of NSB and to the rope. Then she’s nearly caught at Capsey by backward point. But lives to fight another over. The players’ shadows are now slips of things, stretching like lamposts across the pitch.
44th over: West Indies 219-9 (Alleyne 32, Ramharack 0) Amazing fielding from Beaumont, whose dive and scurry at the rope shows off her years of gymnastic training and prevents an Alleyne boundary. Next ball, Fletcher holes out. This match drawing softly to a close.
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WICKET! Fletcher c Dunkley b Arlott 11 (West Indies 219-9)
Fletcher swivels, pulls, and the ball flies obediently to Dunkley, who takes her third catch of the innings at deep square leg.
43rd over: West Indies 216-8 (Alleyne 29, Fletcher 11) Bell replaces Smith, and Fletcher cuts her first ball down to the rope. She carves another through third man. But Bell comes back well, beating her twice.
42nd over: West Indies 206-8 (Alleyne 29, Fletcher 1) Charlie Dean finishes her spell , she’s been good today and deserves a wicket or two. But she must make do with 0 for 38.
WICKET! Fraser c Dunkley b Smith 3 (West Indies 202-8)
Five for Smith on ODI debut! She’s surrounded by her teammates, who dole out huge hugs. Well played! And something of a calling card, in Ecclestone’s absence. A super catch too by Dunkley on the boundary who had to shield her eyes from the sun while waiting for the ball to drop.
41st over: West Indies 202-8 ( Alleyne 26)
40th over: West Indies 199-7 ( Alleyne 25, Fraser 1) The shadows are stretching over the ground now, and Dean, with a skip, from around the wicket. Alleyne adds to her boundary tally with a cover-drive full of flair. I’ve enjoyed the West Indies strokeplay today, it’s a shame that the target was so out of reach.
39th over: West Indies 192-7 ( Alleyne 19, Fraser 0) Sciver-Brunt gives Smith a captain’s pat of congratulations.
WICKET! Claxton c Dunkley b Smith 17 West Indies 192-7)
A heave too many, and Dunkley takes the catch at deep mid wicket. A fourth for Smith!
38th over: West Indies 189-6 ( Alleyne 16, Claxton 17) 19 year old Caxton is having a ball. She smacks Cross’s first ball for four through the covers, and another, and then fires one back over Cross’s head, with crisp arms and a beautiful thwack of the bat.
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37th over: West Indies 177-6 ( Alleyne 16, Claxton 5) Another cluster of singles, the crowd relaxing in the evening sunshine – plenty of caps, plenty of ice creams.
36th over: West Indies 173-6 ( Alleyne 15, Claxton 2) A fascinating listen on TMS at the moment. Katherine Sciver-Brunt talking about balancing declining fertility and motherhood with the desire to make the most of your career. West Indies require 172 from 84 balls, which would take quite some doing.
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WICKET! Gajnabi c Jones b Cross 16 (West Indies 171-6)
A hundred ODI wickets for Kate Cross! Gajnabi pulls, top edges and Jones waits, squinting into the sun, for the ball to land in her gloves.
35th over: West Indies 171-5 (Gajnabi 16, Alleyne 15) Sudden plenty! Alleyne whisks a Smith full toss to the rope, then unleashes a fierce straight drive which threatens to remove Smith’s fingers.
34th over: West Indies 161-5 (Gajnabi 16, Alleyne 5) Fluffy clouds float past the ground, and the sails of the wind turbines pass over the top of the trees. Just one run from Cross’s over.
33rd over: West Indies 160-5 (Gajnabi 16, Alleyne 4) Gajnai scampers up the pitch and pings Smith back over her head for six.
32nd over: West Indies 154-5 (Gajnabi 10, Alleyne 4) Cross returns, and West Indies shimmy up a handful of runs here and there.
An email lands, hello Drew. “Watching Dean, Capsey and now Smith twirling, what’s the position with Sophie Ecclestone - official or unofficial?”
I have asked that fount of all knowledge, Raf Nicholson. “Official - not enough game time to play in this series, so has been clocking up some wickets for Lancs (including helping them win the County Cup on Monday). Unofficial - this was probably a face-saving way of Lottie showing who is boss!”
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31st over: West Indies 147-5 (Gajnabi 6) Smith now has three for ten on ODI debut.
WICKET! Mangru b Smith 1 (West Indies 147-5)
Smith bowls full and wide, and Mangru fancies a bit of whoppee. A milli-second later, she’s lost her stumps.
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30th over: West Indies 146-4 (Gajnabi 6, Mangru 1) Gajnabi has a go, and why not, sending Capsey up and over the top for four.
29th over: West Indies 139-4 (Gajnabi 0, Mangru 0) A wicket maiden for Smith.
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WICKET! Campbelle b Smith 9 (West Indies 139-4)
Smith sneaks one slipperily through bat and pad.
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WICKET! Joseph b Capsey 62 (West Indies 139-3)
A tired dirty waft, done a slower ball , she waves goodbye to middle and leg! Dropped by Capsey the ball before off her own bowling – but couldn’t profit from it.
28th over: West Indies 139-3 (Campbelle 9, Gajnabi 0)
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27th over: West Indies 134-2 (Joseph 61, Campbelle 3) Smith, also in sunglasses, white suncream dabbed on the end of her nose, rattles through another at the other end. A somnolence falls upon the ground.
26th over: West Indies 132-2 (Joseph 61, Campbelle 3) Dean loops through another over in just a couple of minutes – and these overs are in danger of slipping through West Indies’ fingers.
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25th over: West Indies 129-2 (Joseph 57, Campbelle 2) West Indies lose a run after the eagle eyed umpire spots one short. West Indies at the half way stage are some way short of being on their way – the run rate has risen to over eight and a half, it is currently 5.2
24th over: West Indies 127-2 (Joseph 57, Campbelle 2) Just two from Dean’s over, who, in the words of Alex Hartley, “is putting some revs on the ball.”
23rd over: West Indies 124-2 (Joseph 56, Campbelle o) Joseph pulls out her axe and splats Smith’s second ball to the rope, but Smith removes James two balls later. To be honest, the Windies probably needed her to get on, or get out.
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WICKET! James lbw Smith 7 (West Indies 124-2)
A first ODI wicket for Smith! Traps James’ maroon leg infront of beige stump. Smith leaps in the air and is bounced on by her teammates.
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22nd over: West Indies 119-1 (Joseph 51, James 7) Dean turns the screw, James struggling to get the ball away – now seven off 28 balls. A maiden – the second of the day.
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21st over: West Indies 119-1 (Joseph 51, James 7) Much better from Capsey, just one from the over.
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20th over: West Indies 118-1 (Joseph 51, James 6) A maiden for James at last, she drops to one knee and sweeps with elan.
Fifty for Joseph!
19th over: West Indies 112-1 (Joseph 50, James 1) Capsey’s first over is an expensive one. Joseph picks up two fours – a swipe across the line, then a pitch-perfect cover drive for four, and reaches fifty with a single and huge smile. She gets a big hug from the sapling-like James.
18th over: West Indies 98-1 (Joseph 40, James 0) England review a stumped – or maybe a caught behind – in any case, neither is out – ball missing Joseph’s bat and and boot firmly behind the line. Dean smiles and continues with her whippy action. Just a single from the over.
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17th over: West Indies 97-1 (Joseph 38, James 0) James is struggling to lay a bat on Arlott – things have slowed now Matthews is back in the pavilion. Sunshine in Derby and blue skies as we stretch towards June.
16th over: West Indies 96-1 (Joseph 38, James 0) Five from the over – the camera pans to Charlotte Edwards who is watching on the balcony with pursed lips.
15th over: West Indies 91-1 (Joseph 33, James 0) Zaida James, another left hander, joins Joseph in the middle. Arlott fizzes past the outside edge of James’ bat, who is then dropped next ball at point by Sophia Dunkley – into the bread basket, and out again.
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WICKET! Matthews c Jones b Arlott 48 (West Indies 91-1)
The big wicket! Matthew’s eyes light up and she swings to drive, getting a sandwich sized edge through to Jones. Much English relief all round.
14th over: West Indies 91-0 (Matthews 48, Joseph 33) An excellent effort by Charlie Dean, keeps Joseph under wraps until the last ball, when Joseph sweeps to the fine leg boundary.
13th over: West Indies 86-0 (Matthews 48, Joseph 29) Shot of the day! Matthews eyes up Arlott, steps out of her crease and fizzes her through the covers for four. West Indies ticking along very nicely here.
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12th over: West Indies 82-0 (Matthews 44, Joseph 29) Charlie Dean, in her ever-present shades replaces Kate Cross. Joseph takes a huge stride down the pitch and slog-sweeps to the rope, the ball flies off the grass and past a bouncing Beaumont – whose little legs weren’t built for shots like that.
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11th over: West Indies 76-0 (Matthews 42, Joseph 25) Arlott again: a leg bye, a wide, then the ball flies wide and nutmegs Jones behind the stumps. England have a funny five minutes here.
10th over: West Indies 67-0 (Matthews 39, Joseph 24) Not an over England will particularly cherish, first Joseph is dropped – a very hard chance – by a back-peddaling Arlott, then Lauren Bell’s tentative bit of fielding on the rope lets four through her fingers.
9th over: West Indies 62-0 (Matthews 35, Joseph 23) Em Arlott is handed the ball for the first time on her ODI debut. Dark hair tied back, brisk, no nonsense approach. Matthews now has her eye in, and a couple more balls fly to the rope – one of them past Nat Sciver Brunt at cover.
8th over: West Indies 52-0 (Matthews 27, Joseph 22) Cross sprints in, the pretty full stands at Derby watching in fierce concentration. Joseph gets away with a top edge, heaved into an ugly yet effective boundary, but earns the next four, flicking legside, past a driving Alice Capsey.
7th over: West Indies 40-0 (Matthews 28, Joseph 11) Bell’s fourth overs. Beats Matthews with a beauty that squares her up and turns her mouth into an O. Three fours off Matthew’s bat though, one to deep midwicket, one zipping through the offside and one just beating Tammy Beaumont at backward square leg.
6th over: West Indies 26-0 (Matthews 15, Joseph 10) Cross is such a reliable bowler – dot follows dot – though Matthews picks up one boundary leg side.
5th over: West Indies 22-0 (Matthews 9, Joseph 9) A miscommunication between the batters, as Matthews sends her partner back. A direct hit would have sent Joseph on her way, she’s not the most nimble to wear the maroon and gold. West Indies pick up a handful of singles.
4th over: West Indies 19-0 (Matthews 9, Joseph 9) Joseph swivel and hoicks – the ball flying through mid wicket for four. Cross beats her next ball, but Joseph has her eye in now and lofts Cross straight and high for four more – holding an excellent high-elbowed follow through.
3rd over: West Indies 10-0 (Matthews 8, Joseph 1) Just a wide from the over as Joseph is content to defend.
2nd over: West Indies 9-0 (Matthews 8, Joseph 1) It’s Kate Cross, and how nice to see her back in an England shirt after missing the winter’s travails in Australia. She’s pretty on the money, but the one that drifts wide is suitably punished by Matthews who rocks her through point to the rope.
1st over: West Indies 4-0 (Matthews 4, Joseph) Lauren Bell with the new ball, a long run, curving in like a forest path. Jones fumbles her first delivery behind the stumps. Matthews pulls the third up and to the rope. The commentators think Matthews might have hurt herself, but she’s playing things pretty close to her chest.
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West Indies need 346 to win
And here come the players!
Thanks Jim! A pretty hefty total there by England, somewhat larger than the 234-8 that is currently West Indies highest chase in ODI cricket. Good to see Charlotte Edwards’ hunch of putting Amy Jones up the order working so instantly and so well.
The players are just tucking into some lunch but play will restart shortly.
That’s it from me, Tanya Aldred is settling into the OBO armchair to guide you through the chase. Arrivederci!
England make 345-6 off 50 overs
They’ll be happy with that. Tammy Beaumont and Amy Jones both notched centuries on their way to putting on an opening stand of 200. That gave the rest of the batting order plenty of scope to press on for a big score, at on stage it looked as if 400 was in danger but West Indies chipped away with wickets to put the breaks on the scoring a smidge. This will take some chasing though, all eyes on how England fare with the ball with some debutants in the side and a point to prove under a new coach and captain.
… and Dean duly smokes her very first ball through cover for four!
WICKET! Capsey c Matthews b Alleyne 24 (England 334-6)
Capsey chips to extra cover! Here comes Charlie Dean with carte blanche…
49th over: England 332-5 (Capsey 24, Arlott 1) Em Arlott, on ODI debut, joins Capsey in the middle. England eyeing a big total…
WICKET! Nat Sciver-Brunt lbw b Fletcher 52 (England 331-5)
Sciver-Brunt goes to fifty with some elegant strokeplay but has to head back to the sheds with one over to go as she misses a straight one and the umpire’s decision is upheld on DRS.
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48th over: England 322-4 (Sciver-Brunt 44, Capsey 23) Up, UP and AWAY from Nat Sciver-Brunt as she deposits Zaida James into the crowd for SIX over mid off! James responds with three darted dots but NSB times the final ball away across the carpet this time, four more!
47th over: England 310-4 (Sciver-Brunt 33, Capsey 22) Alice Capsey has all the shots. Sweeps, drives and cuts for ten runs off the over.
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46th over: England 300-4 (Sciver-Brunt 31, Capsey 14) Zaida James into the attack and Sciver-Brunt plunders her over extra-cover for four! The 300 comes up for England.
‘Tonight we dine in… Derbyshire!’
Sorry.
45th over: England 292-4 (Sciver-Brunt 24, Capsey 13) Afy Fletcher gets away with a cheap over, just five runs off it. West Indies will take that right about now. Five to go, what can England muster?
44th over: England 287-4 (Sciver-Brunt 22, Capsey 11) Capsey reverse sweeps for four and then comes out to meet a Ramharack ball on the full and bunts it down the ground for another!
43rd over: England 276-4 (Sciver-Brunt 21, Capsey 1) Another England player with a point to prove arrives in the middle. Derby Welcomes You Alice Capsey.
She gets off the mark with a cut past point for one.
WICKET! Sophia Dunkley b Fletcher 9 (England 274-4)
Gah! That’s a bit of a shocker from Sophia Dunkley – she goes across her stumps and sweeps… straight into her own wicket. West Indies applying the brakes to this innings.
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42nd over: England 268-3 (Sciver-Brunt 18, Dunkley 6) Nat Sciver-Brunt opens the shoulders and clears midwicket for four. And another! A pull traces away to the square leg fence. Ten off the over as England look to go again.
41st over: England 258-3 (Sciver-Brunt 8, Dunkley 6) England accumulate as everyone catches their breath, including me.
40th over: England 253-3 (Sciver-Brunt 6, Dunkley 3) England have lost a bit of sparkle in the last over or two but these two can turn it on and get them to a big score – they should be looking to get to 350 from here – a hundred off the final ten overs, that’s what the Aussies would do. That’s the standard they need to aim for.
39th over: England 248-3 (Sciver-Brunt 2, Dunkley 1) Sophia Dunkley, the previous opener, joins her captain in the middle. A nurdle to midwicket sees her off the mark.
WICKET! Amy Jones c Gajnabi b Matthews 122 (England 246-3)
Gah the fun is over! Amy Jones’ brilliant innings comes to an end as she is caught in the deep going for another maximum. What a knock it has been, promoted by Charlotte Edwards to the top of the order she has repaid that faith with a century in her first outing as an opener. Wonderful strokeplay and a special moment when she got her maiden century. Derby gives her a real send off as she leaves the field with a bashful grin.
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38th over: England 244-2 (Jones 120, Sciver-Brunt 2) Take a bow Amy Jones! She smokes a pull shot off Cherry-Ann Fraser for SIX and follows up with two more dismissive shots through the leg side for consecutive fours.
37th over: England 229-2 (Jones 106, Sciver-Brunt 2) England won’t take the foot off the gas I shouldn’t think…
WICKET! Emma Lamb c Mangru b Matthews 2 (England 229-2)
Lamb’s stay is a short one! She gets a glove off a reverse sweep and it pops up to the keeper. Captain Nat Sciver-Brunt is the new batter.
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36th over: England 224-1 (Jones 102, Lamb 2) The recalled Emma Lamb arrives at the crease and gets of the mark with a clip behind square for two.
WICKET! Tammy Beaumont b Fraser 107 (England 222-1)
It’s all happening in Derby. Beaumont is out after a wild swipe sees her stumps splattered. A memorable opening stand comes to a close. Beaumont takes the applause, England are in a very strong position thanks to her exploits.
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Amy Jones goes to her maiden ODI century with a punch through extra cover! She’s suitably thrilled and is embraced by her partner in the middle. Twelve years since making her debut and she’s chalked up a century. What a knock!
Amy Jones brings up her MAIDEN England ODI hundred 💯🌟 pic.twitter.com/8BN43g5wdt
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) May 30, 2025
35th over: England 217-0 (Beaumont 100, Jones 97) Jones clips for two to get a bit closer… Beaumont slaps into the leg-side for another SIX! As if to say it’s a lot easier when you are out of the nervous nineties old pal.
34th over: England 208-0 (Beaumont 100, Jones 95) Can Amy Jones get there too for her maiden ODI too?
An 11th ODI ton to Tammy Beaumont! She wins the race with her new opening partner and brings up her century off 99 balls. Fantastic knock, a quiet start and then pedal to the metal after reaching fifty.
33rd over: England 200-0 (Beaumont 92, Jones 95) A bruising over for West Indies and a brilliant one for Tammy Beaumont and England! 25 runs come off it as Beaumont flat-bats for SIX and then follows up with a truly audacious uppercut played with both feet in the air, she resembled AC/DCs Angus Jones as she played that! Was it him that used to jump in the air? Maybe it was the boys from Busted? Answers on a postcard/email.
Jahzara Claxton slings down five wides to add insult to injury.
The 200 opening stand is up for England, it’s been mightily impressive from this pair? Which one will get to a hundred first?
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32nd over: England 175-0 (Beaumont 75, Jones 93) Amy Jones is dropped again! She’s trying her best not to get to three figures in Derby! Another drive back at the bowler is spilled, Karishma Ramharack can’t hold the chance this time.
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31st over: England 170-0 (Beaumont 71, Jones 92) Jahzara Claxton has been expensive in her three overs so far today and that won’t help her mood – she DROPS Jones in her follow through. A mis-timed chip back from Jones but the bowler can’t cling on despite getting both hands to it.
30th over: England 162-0 (Beaumont 69, Jones 86) Jones bunts Ramharack down the ground for another boundary.
Thanks to Raf for this one:
“According to Phil Long on TMS, this is England’s highest opening partnership against West Indies in ODIs.
They’ve got quite a way to go to get near the highest ever - 268, by Sarah Taylor and Caroline Atkins at Lord’s v South Africa in 2008.
Sarah Taylor, whatever happened to her?
29th over: England 157-0 (Beaumont 69, Jones 81) I told ya Tammy was ticking… sixteen runs off the over as Beaumont drives down the ground and flicks Alleyne off the pads for consecutive fours and the -SIXAH – flays a short ball into the stands for a maximo!
Maximo (outta the) Park.
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28th over: England 141-0 (Beaumont 54, Jones 80) Karishma Ramharack into the attack, decent over but England pocket five runs from it.
27th over: England 136-0 (Beaumont 50, Jones 79) Beaumont cuts for two to bring her up her fifty from 74 deliveries. She’s laid the foundation, she might be about to turn on the afterburners…
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26th over: England 128-0 (Beaumont 46, Jones 75) Kablammie from Tammy! Beaumont skips down the track and nails Matthews over mid-on for SIX! Lovely shot. Wonder if there was a message to step on it from the England bench. Buckle up if so.
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25th over: England 121-0 (Beaumont 40, Jones 74) No alarms and no surprises for England at the half way stage. All ten wickets still in hand, runs coming at a decent lick.
24th over: England 116-0 (Beaumont 38, Jones 71) Matthews is worked around, her side look a bit flat out there at the moment. Beaumont gets a couple from a reverse-sweep and then another brace tickled away fine.
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23rd over: England 111-0 (Beaumont 34, Jones 70) By contrast, Tammy Beaumont has not been at her most fluent today but she’s been content to work the ones and twos in Jones’ slipstream. Four off the over, half way approaching and England have all their wickets in hand for a second half smasheroo.
22nd over: England 107-0 (Beaumont 32, Jones 68) Amy Jones takes on Matthews this time, slapping away to cow corner for another boundary. She’s brimming with confidence now.
21st over: England 103-0 (Beaumont 32, Jones 64) Seven more runs to the total, three singles and then a scamper down the wicket from Jones who deposits Afy Fletcher over mid-off for four. Hundred up for England.
20th over: England 96-0 (Beaumont 31, Jones 58) Hayley Matthews rattles through a quick over with her trusty cap on but there’s no breakthrough for her side.
19th over: England 94-0 (Beaumont 30, Jones 57) More spin with Afy Fletcher into the attack. Tidy enough start but England are content to pick off singles and build this opening stand… ah that’s a blot on the copybook too – a short ball is marmalised through the leg side for four by Jones.
18th over: England 86-0 (Beaumont 28, Jones 51) Amy Jones nudges Hayley Matthews off her pads to bring up her fifty, she’s been extremely classy in her first sojourn back to the top of the England batting card since 2019.
17th over: England 83-0 (Beaumont 27, Jones 49) Time for drinks and a slurp of something luminous and a scratch of the chin for West Indies.
16th over: England 78-0 (Beaumont 26, Jones 45) If you need something doing… West Indies skipper Hayley Matthews brings herself on to bowl in an attempt to break this burgeoning opening partnership from England, Jones and Beaumont, (Beaumont and Jones) don’t give her a sniff though, working the gaps and taking the singles.
STAT ALERT: These two love batting together and Charlotte Edwards has rekindled the magic. Beaumont and Jones have now shared over 1,000 runs as an opening pair in ODI cricket - England’s fourth most productive opening pair in ODI history.
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15th over: England 73-0 (Beaumont 23, Jones 43) Raf Nicholson is our correspondent at the county ground and she sends in a starter for ten whilst watching Amy Jones make hay under leaden skies:
“When’s the last time Amy Jones opened for England in an ODI..?
The answer is, July 2019 at Canterbury - the day when Ellyse Perry went mad. Jones got a duck, by the way.”
She’s positively cruised so far today, half century within sight.
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14th over: England 70-0 (Beaumont 22, Jones 41) Claxton then serves up another late swinger that beats Jones, angled in and moving away late! Maybe this ball is starting to talk under the clouds and with the lacquer off? No mither for Amy Jones, she crunches the following ball back past the bowler all along the floor for four runs.
13th over: England 59-0 (Beaumont 22, Jones 32) Beaten! Better from Alleyne as she draws Jones into a booooming drive and moves the ball away late.
Some ‘orrible grey clouds linger at the back of the ground…
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12th over: England 57-0 (Beaumont 21, Jones 31) Double change for West INdies as Jahzara Claxton is summoned into the attack. She starts with a decent yorker that Jones does well to keep out. The openers trade quick singles and then Jones frees the hands once more, skimming a short and wide ball through cover and emphatically into the hoardings. Do not bowl there.
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11th over: England 51-0 (Beaumont 20, Jones 26) Aaliyah Alleyne gets the nod from Matthews but her first over of bustling seam is worked around confidently by Beaumont and Jones*. Fifty up for England.
*You’d buy with confidence from Beaumont and Jones wouldn’t you? Life insurance? Luxury candles? Overpriced paint?
10th over: England 45-0 (Beaumont 17, Jones 23) Fraser hasn’t been at the races yet today with the new ball, she drops short again and Jones scythes past point for four more. Ten overs gone and England’s new opening pair ticking along nicely at 4.5 runs an over.
*Adopts Springsteen Growl*
‘Is there anybody alive out there?!’
Send us a missive at james.wallace.casual@theguardian.com (Please)
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9th over: England 39-0 (Beaumont 16, Jones 19) Biff! Amy Jones looks in fine fettle here, she plants her front foot to Zaida James and goes over the top for four.
8th over: England 35-0 (Beaumont 16, Jones 15) Did Amy Jones get a tickle on a leg-side ball from Fraser? There seems to be a spike when the ball passes the face but the umpire gave a wide. The keeper fumbled anyway but I think that goes down as a missed chance for the visitors.
7th over: England 29-0 (Beaumont 13, Jones 14) Amy Jones threads between point and gully for four with immaculate timing. The batters rotate strike, an untroubled start so far for England.
6th over: England 22-0 (Beaumont 12, Jones 8) Beaumont rocks back and pulls Fraser for four through midwicket. She picked that up early but the ball did seem to kick on off the surface. Beaumont lets her partner know the intel she has gleaned. There’s something there for the bowlers if they can find it. Beaumont flicks for two down the ground to make it six off the over.
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5th over: England 16-0 (Beaumont 6, Jones 8) Shot! Amy Jones unfurls a lovely cover drive for four that traces away across the baize.
4th over: England 12-0 (Beaumont 6, Jones 4) Jones is undone by a beauty from Fraser that leaves the new opener grasping and groping outside off stump. There’s decent carry off the wicket but no huge movement off the pitch or through the air at the moment.
3rd over: England 10-0 (Beaumont 5, Jones 4) Jones is very strong off the back foot and she gets going with a punch wide of mid-on for four.
Kate Cross is the designated vice captain today as she returns to the side and together with Charlie Dean and Sophia Dunkley will serve as Sciver-Brunt’s ‘leadership group’ for this ODI series.
2nd over: England 6-0 (Beaumont 5, Jones 0) Beaumont is given a wide full toss by Cherry-Ann Fraser and the pint-sized batter clatters it for four to get England’s first boundary. Plenty of chat in the field from West Indies who are buzzing about, as well they might – it looks chilly and blustery in Derbyshire.
1st over: England 1-0 (Beaumont 1, Jones 0) A quiet start with just a Tammy Beaumont single to the open the home side’s account. Amy Jones hasn’t opened the batting for six years (since the 2019 Ashes) but I for one like this move by England, Jones has all the talent and I think will relish the new role and opportunity to set the tempo at the top of the order.
Updated
The players emerge under grey skies. Zaida James is going to open the bowling to the new England opening pair of Tammy Beaumont and Amy Jones. Let’s play!
Confirmed Teams:
England: Tammy Beaumont, Amy Jones (wk), Emma Lamb, Nat Sciver-Brunt (c), Sophia Dunkley, Alice Capsey, Em Arlott, Charlie Dean, Kate Cross, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell
West Indies: Hayley Matthews (c), 2 Qiana Joseph, 3 Ziana James, 4 Shemaine Campbelle, Gajnabi, Mandy Mangru (wk), Aaliyah Alleyne, Jahira Claxton, Cherry-Ann Fraser, Afy Fletcher, Karishma Ramharack
West Indies captain Hayley Matthews confirms she would have chosen to bowl first anyway and suggest that there might be some assistance from the wicket early on.
I think the wicket looks all right but it could get a bit slower,”
says Sciver-Brunt after choosing to bat.
There are ODI debuts for Em Arlott and Linsey Smith. Alice Capsey replaces Heather Knight and it looks like there’s change afoot at the top of the batting orde - Amy Jones moved up to open and Emma Lamb at first drop.
We have nine games before the World Cup starts so it’s a great chance to start looking forward to that.”
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England win the toss and choose to bat first
Good news! The rain has passed over and the coin has been tossed. Nat Sciver-Brunt wins it and decides to have first use of the wicket. There are rumblings that the England XI will include a couple of debutants as Charlotte Edwards looks to shake up the ODI team.
Raining at the moment - toss delayed
Gah! –Those clouds are hanging about and making a nuisance of themselves in Derby, we’ll have a bit of a delay to the toss and start time. More as we get it…
In the meantime – why not have a read of Emma John’s piece on the globetrotting Sikander Raza:
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the OBO of the first ODI between England and West Indies from Derby.
Charlotte Edwards and Nat Sciver-Brunt will be quietly content with how the early days of their reign as England Head Coach and Captain have gone with a 3-0 clean sweep of West Indies in the T20Is. There are grey clouds though, and not just the ones rolling in over the Peak District and looming over the county ground at Derby as we speak.
Former captain Heather Knight is out for the entire summer with a hamstring injury that she sustained in the final T20I in Chelmsford on Monday, a real shame for her personally and England’s batting card is weakened without her class and experience in it. That last match also saw England slip into old and bad habits from the winter of discontent just gone as a series of catches were fluffed.
Edwards has promised higher standards across the board and so all eyes on England’s fielding today, as well as their batting and bowling of course – which has been pretty good.
The match starts at 1pm and the toss and teams are imminent. If you want to join in and offer thoughts, theories, pearls of wisdom or just to let me know your favourite condiment then hit the email link on the left.
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