England Women's tour of New Zealand 2024 - Series digest

April 7 - 3rd ODI, Seddon Park, Hamilton

Devine, bowlers give NZ consolation win

New Zealand captain Sophie Devine, who returned to action after missing three white-ball matches with a quad strain, hit an unbeaten century to help her side to a consolatory seven-wicket win over England in the third and final ODI in Hamilton. England still took the series 2-1 after winning the T20I series 4-1.

Devine got to her century with a six that also won NZ the match, with the hosts achieving the 195-run target with 11 overs to spare.

England, who opted to bat, were undone by a slow pitch and were bowled out for 194 in 46.3 overs despite Amy Jones making a half-century. It could have been worse for them from 95 for 6 but Jones and Charlie Dean (38) stitched together a 73-run partnership. Jess Kerr and Hannah Rowe finished with three wickets each,

In response, NZ were 14 for 2 but Devine forged important partnerships, adding 76 with Amelia Kerr for the third wicket and 105* runs with Maddy Green for the fourth.

Brief Scores: England 194 all out in 46.3 overs (Jones 50; Kerr 3-39, Rowe 3-42) lost to NZ 195/3 in 39 overs (Devine 100*, Green 38*) by 7 wickets

April 4 - 2nd ODI, Seddon Park, Hamilton

Beaumont, Jones and Sciver-Brunt help England seal series

A solid fifty from Tammy Beaumont (81 off 96) and a crucial finish from Amy Jones (48 off 40) led the way for England whose bowlers then defended a par score to beat New Zealand by 56 runs in the second ODI at Hamilton on Thursday (April 4). By virtue of this win, England have sealed the three-match series with a game to spare.

Opting to bat on a two-paced surface, Beaumont's knock is what gave England the early impetus along with skipper Heather Knight (37 off 43). The duo put on 70 runs for the second wicket before the latter fell to Jess Kerr who inflicted a mini-collapse of sorts.

The pacer cleaned up Nat Sciver-Brunt while Fran Jonas got rid of Alice Capsey and Danielle Wyatt cheaply. England slipped from 107/1 to 166/7 as New Zealand's spinners managed to choke the run flow. Beaumont, who had paced her innings well till that point, fell to a rash stroke against Hannah Rowe as the visitors continued to implode. It was the ninth wicket stand of 55 between Jones and Kate Cross that propped England up. Jones for the second game running came up clutch under pressure, and got good support from Cross and Sophie Ecclestone.

The target of 256 was always going to be tricky, more so after wicketkeeper Bernadine Bezuidenhout got sidelined during the game due to injury. She left the field midway through the England innings and was subsequently ruled out of the game. Suzie Bates started with good intent but was the first of Sciver-Brunt's three victims. England's bowlers used the pitch and ground dimensions to good effect as New Zealand's chase wobbled along for a bit. However, Brooke Halliday (57 off 90) and Isabella Gaze (47 off 48) soaked in the pressure to build a well-paced century partnership that brought life into the chase.

Halliday was lucky to be dropped very early on in her innings by Cross against Ecclestone but soon grew in confidence as she anchored the chase. Gaze, meanwhile, played her shots and her inventive batting put England's bowlers under pressure. An unfortunate run out to Gaze ended the partnership and once that happened, England gradually closed the game out with some solid defensive bowling.

Brief scores: England 252 in 49 overs (Tammy Beaumont 81, Amy Jones 48; Suzie Bates 2-24, Fran Jonas 2-47) beat New Zealand 196 in 45 overs (Brooke Halliday 57, Isabella Gaze 47; Nat Sciver-Brunt 3-21) by 56 runs

April 1 - 1st ODI, Basin Reserve, Wellington

Amy Jones scripts stunning turnaround to give England lead

A stunning unbeaten 92 from Amy Jones helped England turn things around in the first ODI against New Zealand and take a 1-0 lead. New Zealand were on course to wrap up a win by a huge margin when they had England reeling at 79/6 in the run chase of 208. However, Jones joined forces with Charlotte Dean to turn the game on its head. Dean played the ideal foil at the other end and remained unbeaten on 42 off 70 balls as their unbroken 130-run stand stunned the home side at the Basin Reserve.

England actually lost Tammy Beaumont for a duck in the first over of the chase and even though Maia Bouchier hit a crisp 31, the visitors fell apart and were stung by regular strikes. The game appeared to be dead and buried at 79/6 before Jones led a stunning fightback.

Earlier in the day, New Zealand actually made a contrasting start with the bat. Bernadine Bezuidenhout helped them lay a solid platform as she held one end up whereas Suzie Bates hit a fifty as the openers put on 90 for the first wicket. With almost 20 overs remaining in the innings, the hosts were well placed at 139/2 and looked good to finish with a score in excess of or at least closer to 250.

However, a double strike from Kate Cross hurt New Zealand and from thereon, they slid in dramatic fashion. Lauren Bell ran through the lower order and Charlie Dean picked up a couple of wickets as well having already dismissed Bates earlier. Eventually, they lost their last eight wickets for the addition of just 70 runs as the collapse cost them the game.

Brief scores: New Zealand 207 in 48.2 overs (Suzie Bates 50; Lauren Bell 3/41) lost to England 209/6 in 41.2 overs (Amy Jones 92*, Charlotte Dean 42; Amelia Kerr 2/46) by 4 wickets

March 29 - 5th T20I, Basin Reserve, Wellington

Sciver-Brunt, Ecclestone star as England complete 4-1 drubbing

An all-round show from Nat Sciver-Brunt (2-24 and 31) and typically frugal spell from Sophie Ecclestone (3-30) were the major talking points of England's five-wicket win over New Zealand in the final T20I in Wellington on Friday (March 29). The result meant that the five-match series ended 4-1 in favour of England who had sealed the series in the previous T20I at the same venue.

Opting to bat, New Zealand's innings struggled for momentum from the outset. Sciver-Brunt struck in the first over of the game to remove Bernadine Bezuidenhout and also got rid of Amelia Kerr to set the tone for England's bowling performance. Ecclestone then ripped through the middle order to leave New Zealand at 69/5 in the 13th over. It took a 56-run stand between Brooke Halliday and Isabella Gaze to resurrect the White Ferns innings, with the latter stroking her way to a 28-ball 51 to push the total past the 135-run mark. On a slightly two-paced Wellington surface, the score was respectable, though still under-par.

The hosts got the perfect start to the second half when Lea Tahuhu dislodged the in-form Maia Bouchier early. However, Danielle Wyatt and Alice Capsey kept the momentum going with timely boundaries to ensure that England stayed in check with the required run rate. After their dismissals, the senior duo of Sciver-Brunt and skipper Heather Knight (35 off 28) put on 57 for the fourth wicket off just 46 balls to effectively kill the chase off. Both batters fell towards the end, keeping the flicker of hope alive in New Zealand's camp, but Amy Jones and Sophia Dunkley duly completed the formalities. Amelia (3-30) shone with the ball for New Zealand but didn't find much support from the other bowlers.

Brief scores: New Zealand 136/6 in 20 overs (Isabella Gaze 51*, Brooke Halliday 33; Sophie Ecclestone 3-30, Nat Sciver-Brunt 2-24) lost to England 138/5 in 18.5 overs (Heather Knight 35, Nat Sciver-Brunt 31; Amelia Kerr 3-30) by five wickets

March 27 - 4th T20I, Basin Reserve, Wellington

Bouchier fires England to series win

Maia Bouchier (91 off 56) led a sparkling batting performance from England who claimed the series with a thumping 47-run win over New Zealand in the fourth T20I at Wellington on Wednesday (March 27).

Put into bat, the visitors lost Danielle Wyatt early to Rosemary Mair but Bouchier gave the innings impetus with a supreme knock on what wasn't the easiest of pitches to start on. She put on a 75-run stand with Alice Capsey (25 off 32) although the latter wasn't at her fluent best. The partnership allowed the likes of Nat Sciver-Brunt (29* off 14) and skipper Heather Knight (21* off 9) to give the perfect finishing touch to the innings.

Bouchier used his 360 degree range by manipulating the field with power and finesse to trouble New Zealand's bowlers who lost the plot, particularly at the death where boundaries kept leaking. Bouchier had a century for the taking but perished for the team's cause while trying to up the ante. A total of 160-165 seemed in the offing throughout but Sciver-Brunt and Knight pushed the total past the 175-run mark. With Sophie Devine injuring herself on the field, New Zealand were already crippled even before the chase began and it needed something special from their senior batters to make a game of this.

Unfortunately for the hosts, that wasn't to be. England's bowlers were disciplined right from the new-ball burst and that resulted in wickets due to the scoreboard pressure. Charlie Dean (4-26) was the most successful bowler for the tourists as she ripped through New Zealand's middle order. Those strikes effectively rendered the game of any life and the match was over as a contest much before it was officially completed.

Brief scores: England 177/3 in 20 overs (Maia Bouchier 91, Nat Sciver-Brunt 29*) beat New Zealand 130/7 in 20 overs (Brooke Halliday 25; Charlie Dean 4-26) by 47 runs

March 23 - 3rd T20I, Saxton Oval, Nelson

England choke to keep NZ alive

England messed up a good opportunity to close the series and instead lost to New Zealand by three runs in a dramatic turn of events. Sophie Devine (60 off 27 and 2-23) was the point of difference between the sides.

At one point, England needed only 33 runs from 30 balls with as many as eight wickets in hand. Maia Bouchier (71 off 47) was going strong and making a mockery of the 156-run target set by New Zealand. But once she got out, caught in the deep off Sophie Devine's bowling, England suffered a collapse from 123/2, losing 6 wickets for 25 runs, all in the space of 22 balls.

Earlier in the day, New Zealand's Sophie Devine and Amelia Kerr (44* off 35) added 99 runs for the third wicket after opting to bat and took New Zealand to a par total.

England's Sarah Glenn hit her head on the ground while fielding and had to be replaced by Hollie Armitage, who made her international debut as a concussion substitute.

Brief Scores: New Zealand Women 155/3 (Devine 60, Kerr 44*; Danielle Gibson 2-22) beat England Women 152/8 (Bouchier 71; Bates 2-4) by 3 runs

March 22 - 2nd T20I, Saxton Oval, Nelson

Knight's England make it 2-0

England clinched victory by 15 runs in the second T20I, thus securing a commanding 2-0 series lead.

After being sent in to bat, England were off to a shaky start and were tottering at 77/6 when captain Heather Knight came up with a stunning knock of 56* and drove her side to a competitive total of 149-7 in Nelson.

New Zealand looked promising in the chase at 100 for 3 but a collapse triggered by the dismissal of Amelia Kerr (44) saw the hosts falter to 134/8. Lauren Bell put up a stellar bowling performance and claimed 2 for 24. The spinners too weren't far behind and picked four wickets among them.

Brief Scores: England 149/7 (Knight 56*; Mair 2-25, Devine 2-30) beat New Zealand 134/8 (Kerr 44; Bell 2-24, Dean 2-28) by 15 runs

March 19 - 1st T20I, University Oval, Dunedin

Heather Knight gives England 1-0 lead

A swashbuckling half-century from Heather Knight was instrumental in England taking a 1-0 lead in the T20I series against New Zealand. While Tammy Beaumont fell early for 15, Sophia Dunkley set herself up for a long haul at the crease after smashing six boundaries. However, she fell for 32 by the end of the eighth over, forcing England to rebuild. Knight then joined forces with Maia Bouchier to revive the innings as the duo ended up adding 91 for the third wicket. While Bouchier couldn't accelerate as much as she would have liked, Knight was fluent in her stay at the crease as she hammered 63 before departing in the penultimate over as England finished with a strong 160 on the board.

In reply, New Zealand were handed a blow very early in the game as 19-year-old Isabella Gaze fell in the first over for a duck. Georgia Plimmer and Suzie Bates then added 60 for the second wicket but they allowed the required rate to climb up. Maddy Green's 14-ball 8 added to their woes as the onus was now on Bates to help the hosts get closer to the target. While she did hit a fifty, needing 71 from the final five overs proved to be too much for New Zealand as they fell well short of the target by 27 runs.

Brief scores: England Women 160/4 in 20 overs (Heather Knight 63, Maia Bouchier 43*; Jess Kerr 1/26) beat New Zealand Women 133/5 in 20 overs (Suzie Bates 65; Lauren Bell 2/29) by27 runs