News

England women bounce back with victory

Laura Newton top-scored with 57 from 90 balls, as England's women bounced back from their disappointing Twenty20 defeat with victory in the first one-day international at Hove

Wisden Cricinfo staff
06-Aug-2004
England Women 221 for 9 (Newton 57) beat New Zealand 176 (Fahey 64) by 45 runs at Hove
Scorecard
England's women bounced back from their disappointing Twenty20 defeat yesterday, by overwhelming the world champions, New Zealand, by 45 runs in the first one-day international at Hove.
After winning the toss and batting first, England posted a competitive 221 for 9 in their 50 overs, with Laura Newton, who opened the innings, top-scoring with 57 from 90 balls. She lost her partner Charlotte Edwards early on, but added 78 for the second wicket with Claire Taylor, whose 41 from 51 balls was a more rumbustious affair.
The pick of New Zealand's bowlers was Louise Milliken, who bowled Edwards in her first spell, and later returned to remove Dawn Holden as the final overs petered out disappointingly for England. But throughout their innings, England owed much to some slipshod fielding from the Kiwis, who missed several catches and run-outs, and were regularly embarrassed by their groundwork. That would eventually be the difference between the sides.
England would have been aiming at a total nearer 250, but they began their defence in the perfect fashion. Rebecca Rolls, yesterday's Player of the Match, fell to Lucy Pearson for a duck, as New Zealand limped to 7 for 1 after six overs. Jenny Gunn, who was unfortunate not to take a wicket, conceded just 16 runs in her ten overs.
Much rested on New Zealand's third-wicket of Maria Fahey and the captain, Maia Lewis. But when Lewis was run out for 24, the innings floundered, and Rosalie Birch, whose four wickets had taken England to the brink of victory in the Twenty20 match, chipped in with a further three scalps. Birch, who had earlier made 34, was named as Player of the Match, after Clare Connor, the captain, had taken the final wicket.