Charlie Dean insisted England never doubted they would beat New Zealand after guiding her side to a tense one-wicket victory in the first ODI in Durham. Standing in as captain for the injured Nat Sciver-Brunt, Dean held the chase together with an unbeaten 31 as England reached their target with ten balls remaining.
For long periods, the result looked uncertain. England had bowled New Zealand out for 210, but a poor fielding display and a top-order collapse left the chase far more difficult than it should have been. The hosts slipped to 42 for 3 and later 160 for 7, with Dean the last recognised batter at the crease.
Still, Dean remained convinced England would finish the job.
“I had a lot of trust in our lower order,” Dean said. “Belly was fantastic. I think our lower order – nine, ten, 11 – faced at least 40 [41] balls, which was fantastic and helped us to win the game.”
Dean Holds Chase Together
England needed 51 runs when Dean was joined by the lower order. Lauren Bell, Lauren Filer and 18-year-old debutant Tilly Corteen-Coleman all played their part as Dean managed the closing stages.
There were still nervous moments. Dean was dropped by Nensi Patel at backward point on 27, with seven runs still required. She then failed to keep strike at the end of the over, but England eventually crossed the line through singles, with Dean scoring the winning run.
“I’ve batted in a few of those situations before,” Dean said. “Started to learn how to manage myself, trying to take low-risk options and high rewards. But for me, there was no way that we were losing that game.
“To get ourselves into such a good position, it’s always good when you can win the tight games. I had no doubts that we would pull through and I guess that sort of mindset is what helped me in that situation.
“I like to be busy and get off strike. It’s hard to unlearn that in a way. So I think if I have an idea and a role, I’d like to commit and stick to that a bit more. But equally, it wasn’t just on me out there to get those runs and the girls stepped up really nicely.”
England Forced Into Changes
Dean was not originally expected to play the ODI series, with England planning to manage her workload ahead of T20I assignments against New Zealand and India, as well as the home T20 World Cup.
However, Sciver-Brunt’s calf injury brought Dean back into the squad as captain. England were also without several other players, with Sophia Dunkley and Danni Wyatt-Hodge rested, Alice Capsey ruled out of the first match through illness, Issy Wong suffering hamstring tightness in the warm-up, and Em Arlott unavailable after being concussed in the nets.
That created opportunities for new faces. Corteen-Coleman made her international debut alongside Jodi Grewcock, while Dani Gibson played her first ODI after 22 T20Is.
Corteen-Coleman Impresses on Debut
Corteen-Coleman was the standout among England’s debutants. She took 2 for 49 with the ball, supporting Dean and Bell, who also claimed two wickets each. She then stayed with Dean at the end of the chase, finishing unbeaten on 3 from six balls.
She credited Dean’s presence for keeping her calm in the final moments.
“I can’t lie, I was a bit nervy,” Corteen-Coleman said. “I had a lot of faith in the batters and, as Deano said, I honestly didn’t think we were going to lose that game, but there’s always a small part of you that puts a lot of pressure on yourself and wants the best for the team.
“Having Deano out there with me, I just had such a sense of clarity, really felt like I knew what my role was. I felt like we committed to that well. It was a good partnership. I can’t say I contributed too much to it, but hopefully did my part.”
Fielding Concerns Remain
Despite the win, England’s fielding remained a concern. Maia Bouchier, who top-scored with 59 after being called up as batting cover, dropped Georgia Plimmer at gully, and several misfields followed.
Dean admitted England had not been at their best in the field but backed the group to improve.
“A few fumbles, a drop, but it really excites me what I see at training and I can’t wait to see what we achieve in this series because we still have lots of learnings and we can definitely get better,” she said. “That only excites me. I think there were a few nerves around today, but we’re a better fielding unit than that and I’m looking forward to seeing it.”
England ultimately opened the series with a win, but the performance left clear areas to address as they build towards the home T20 World Cup.
