2nd over: England 9-1 (Grewcock 0, Knight 0) Heather Knight arrives early into the piece. Illing is searching for the pronounced movement and slings down a couple of wides. Knight is solid in defence to a couple of balls on the stumps and thats the over, New Zealand on top in tricky conditions for batting.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a>WICKET! Emma Lamb c Gaze b Illing 7 (England 7-1)<\/p>\n Bree Illing starts from the other end and her first ball is over pitched and driven away nicely by Lamb for four. Gone! Lamb nibbles at a ball that holds its line and a thin edge is taken behind the stumps by Izzy Gaze. Decent ball from Illing and England lose an early one.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 1st over: England 3-0 (Lamb 3, Grewcock 0) Big swing early up, Kerr gets one to hoop into Lamb\u2019s pad but she\u2019s outside the line. More of the same follows, the ball drifting in from waaaay outside the off stump initially. After four dots Lamb opens England\u2019s account with a drive through cover for three.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Here come the players! Leaden skies in Cardiff but crucially no rain falling at the moment. Emma Lamb and Jodi Grewcock will open the batting, their powder blue kit looking luminous in the lunchtime murk. We haven\u2019t lost any overs as yet but will start to from now on if there ary further delays.<\/p>\n Right, Jess Kerr has the ball in hand. Let\u2019s play!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Charlie Dean admits that England weren\u2019t at their best in Durham and that it is tricky to balance the side with a T20 World Cup looming. \u201cIt was important to show that grit (In Durham). To get over the line was really important.\u201d<\/p>\n Lauren Filer and Jodi Grewcock come in for Maia Bouchier and Tilly Corteen-Coleman.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>New Zealand win the toss and choose to bowl first<\/p>\n There are some ominous looking grey clouds in the background but for now it is fine and we should get some play in. Charlie Dean admits she would have bowled first in these conditions too.<\/p>\n New Zealand are unchanged, today will be Suzie Bates\u2019 184th and last ODI. What a player she has been for the White Ferns. \u201cProbably New Zealand\u2019s best ever, and the best team-mate you could ask for.\u201d says Amelia Kerr. \u201cMy greatest mentor since coming into the White Ferns.\u201d<\/p>\n Teams:<\/p>\n England: Emma Lamb, Jodi Grewcock, Heather Knight, Alice Capsey, Freya Kemp, Amy Jones (wk), Dani Gibson, Charlie Dean (c), Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Lauren Bell<\/p>\n New Zealand: Suzie Bates, Georgia Plimmer, Melie Kerr (c), Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Izzy Gaze (wk), Izzy Sharp, Jess Kerr, Nensi Patel, Rosemary Mair, Bree Illing<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Ali has been casting his eye over the men\u2019s Test set up with a few weeks to go until the first Test of the summer against New Zealand at Lord\u2019s:<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Toss at 11:40 and scheduled start for 12pm<\/p>\n Good news! If the rain stays away we\u2019ll be underway in a little over half an hour with no overs lost. Big IF but we\u2019ll take it.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The inspection has taken place out in the middle and it currently isn\u2019t raining. We haven\u2019t had any official confirmation of a toss and potential start time yet though\u2026<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n It is brightening up in Cardiff, the covers are off and the stumps are being put in place. Promising signs ahead of the inspection in five minutes.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Time to get acquainted with one Douwe Egberts. While we wait for news, why not have a read of this week\u2019s Spin:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Tanya is on the County Blog tools, not everywhere is as wet as Cardiff thankfully.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n There\u2019s an inspection due at 11:15am. We have an hour before we start to lose overs, Ian Ward and Tash Farrant have got their cagoule and winter coat on respectively. They seem to be hopeful we\u2019ll get some play at some point.<\/p>\n
![\"James](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1778930409_334_James_Wallace.png\")
James Wallace<\/p>\n