Terrific bowling from Charlie Dean. She started with three dot balls to Gaze, who succumbed to the growing pressure. She charged the fourth delivery, missed a hack across the line and was bowled.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n 7th over: New Zealand 56-2 (Gaze 12, Devine 34) The left-arm seamer Freya Kemp comes on for Gibson. Devine hits her for consecutive fours, a tuck off the hip and a blast down the ground that just evaded the diving Gibson at long-on. Gibson may have got a touch but it was another extremely tough chance.<\/p>\n Devine, who looks in scarily good form, has raced to 34 from 17 balls.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Devine hits Ecclestone for three sixes in an over<\/p>\n 6th over: New Zealand 45-2 (Gaze 10, Devine 25) Time for England\u2019s best bowler, Sophie Ecclestone. And she\u2019s still England\u2019s best bowler despite disappearing for 18 in her first over. Sophie Devine slog-swept Ecclestone\u2019s first ball for six, and then the third, and then the sixth! That\u2019s outrageously good batting.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a013.56 EDT<\/p>\n 5th over: New Zealand 27-2 (Gaze 10, Devine 7) Danni Gibson, one of two seam-bowling allrounders in the team along with Freya Kemp, replaces Lauren Bell. She almost strikes second ball when Devine cuffs a short ball just wide of the diving Bell at mid-on. In fact it goes down as a dropped catch because Bell got a touch, but it was a seriously tough chance. <\/p>\n The ball runs away for four, and later in the over Gaze clatters a lower-risk boundary through extra cover.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 4th over: New Zealand 16-2 (Gaze 5, Devine 1) Sophie Devine is in at No4. She misses a slog sweep and is hit on the pad; England enquire for LBW but that would have swung past leg stump.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>WICKET! New Zealand 13-2 (M Kerr c Bell b Smith 8)<\/p>\n A big wicket for England. Melie Kerr tries to blast Linsey Smith over the top but doesn\u2019t clear Lauren Bell, who takes an excellent running catch at mid-off.<\/p>\n England’s Lauren Bell (left) celebrates catching out New Zealand’s Melie Kerr with teammate Linsey Smith. Photograph: Mike Egerton\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a013.51 EDT<\/p>\n 3rd over: New Zealand 13-1 (Gaze 4, M Kerr 8) Gaze plays the first shot of authority, clouting a short ball from Bell through midwicket for four. She\u2019s beaten by the next ball, then misses a premeditated ramp that is spilled by Jones for a bye.<\/p>\n That brings Kerr back on strike; she lifts Bell sweetly to deep backward square for a one-bounce four. A much better over for New Zealand.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 2nd over: New Zealand 2-1 (Gaze 0, M Kerr 2) No surprise to see Linsey Smith share the new ball with her stump-threatening left-arm spin. It\u2019s a fine first over, a maiden to Gaze that includes a couple of false strokes.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 1st over: New Zealand 2-1 (Gaze 0, M Kerr 2) The New Zealand captain Melie Kerr clips her first ball through midwicket for a couple. But she\u2019s beaten by the next two deliveries, the first after walking down the track.<\/p>\n It\u2019s been a scruffy start form New Zealand, and Izzy Gaze is almost run out without facing off the last ball of the over. She was sent back by Kerr and was barely in the frame when Bouchier\u2019s throw from backward point bounced past the stumps.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>WICKET! New Zealand 0-1 (Plimmer b Bell 0)<\/p>\n Gone first ball! Georgia Plimmer, shaping to cut with an angled bat, drags Bell back onto the stumps to give England the perfect start.<\/p>\n New Zealand’s Georgia Plimmer is bowled by England’s Lauren Bell. Photograph: Mike Egerton\/PABell celebrates with her teammates. Photograph: Mike Egerton\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a013.46 EDT<\/p>\n England captain Charlie Dean flicks the ball to Lauren Bell, who will open the bowling. She\u2019s the only specialist seamer in the team.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Team news<\/p>\n Alice Capsey opens for England in the absence of Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who is awaiting the birth of her first child. Maia Bouchier, who is not in the World Cup squad, takes Sciver-Brunt\u2019s place at No3. There\u2019s no place yet for Tilly Corteen-Coleman.<\/p>\n New Zealand make one change from their win over South Africa at Wellington in March: Bree Illing replaces Lea Tahuhu.<\/p>\n England Dunkley, Capsey, Bouchier, Knight, Kemp, Gibson, Jones (wk), Dean (c), Ecclestone, Smith, Bell.<\/p>\n New Zealand Plimmer, Gaze (wk), M Kerr (c), Devine, Halliday, Green, Sharp, Bates, J Kerr, Mair, Illing.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a013.14 EDT<\/p>\n England win the toss and bowl<\/p>\n Charlie Dean says Nat Sciver-Brunt\u2019s absence is \u201cpretty precautionary\u201d and that England aren\u2019t worried. Oh, and that England would like to field first.<\/p>\n Melie Kerr says New Zealand would also have bowled.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a013.05 EDT<\/p>\n There\u2019s been a bit of rain in Derbs today but tonight\u2019s forecast is good, so we should get a full game.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> Every cricket-loving parent will know the feeling. Not a feeling, exactly, more a tiny flicker of hope. A ridiculous, irrational hope that the gods who once reached down and gently kissed the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Ellyse Perry might one day do the same to your little sprog.<\/p>\n You hold your breath the first time you wrap their chubby hands around a plastic bat. You start dreaming absurd dreams when you softly lob a tennis ball in their direction and they accidentally smoke one into the couch.<\/p>\n Maybe, despite all available evidence, despite the fact that you were, at best, a middling club cricketer with an exaggerated pull shot and a weakness against anything spinning away, maybe your child will be different.<\/p>\n In all likelihood they won\u2019t become the next superstar. And that\u2019s fine. Because what you\u2019re really hoping for has little to do with fame or contracts or Test caps. What you\u2019re really hoping for is that they fall in love with the game.<\/p>\n![\"Daniel](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Daniel_Gallan.png\")
Daniel Gallan<\/p>\n