New Zealand women get their ODI preparations underway with win in Chester le Street

New Zealand Women warmed up for their One Day International Series with England with a 70-run victory over an ECB Development XI at the Banks Homes Riverside despite a maiden five wicket haul for Warwickshire’s Phoebe Brett. 

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The slow left-arm orthodox bowler sent back the visitors’ top three batters before returning to finish the innings with two more wickets and land her best figures of 5-27. It took a crucial 65-run partnership between Jess Kerr and Flora Devonshire for the ninth wicket to rescue their side from 119-8 in the 35^th over and reach 200 all out in 47.3 overs and that proved to be sufficient.

The ECB Development XI had early struggles of their own, losing four wickets for 57 with Georgie Boyce making 32. Some accurate and tight bowling from the New Zealanders’ attack saw the ECB team reach 91-6 at the halfway stage before being bowled out for 130 in the 37th over. The two teams then played on to use the remaining 13 overs for match practice.

Following an uncontested toss, Rosemary Mair bowled both Aylish Cranstone and Abbey Freeborn for 1, following the earlier departure of Tilly Kesteven for 11, with the Development XI 54-3 at the start of the 12^th over.

Opener Boyce was going along nicely, having hit six fours in making 32 off 41 balls, before being run out while Ella Claridge and Mia Rogers steadied the innings with a partnership of 28 until the former drove  left-arm spinner Devonshire to Bates at long-on for 18 with the ECB side 91-6 at halfway.

Rogers was then beaten by a lovely turning delivery from Nensi Patel for 21 and the innings subsided from that point with the Development XI 130 all out.

It was Brett who struck two early blows in the New Zealand innings trapping both Suzie Bates, sweeping, and Georgia Plimmer lbw playing back for 19 apeice in the space of five balls of the 12^th over.

Charlotte Lambert trapped Amelia Kerr lbw for 1 and when Brett had Maddy Green caught by Josie Groves at long-off for 1, New Zealand were in early trouble on 49-4 in the 16^th over.