Charlie Dean marked her first ODI as England captain with a tense one-wicket victory over New Zealand in the opening match of the three-game series in Durham. England bowled the White Ferns out for 210, then stumbled in the chase before Dean’s unbeaten 31 guided them home with 10 balls remaining.
The win came despite another untidy fielding display from England and a strong New Zealand recovery built around Maddy Green and Melie Kerr. Green made 88 and Kerr added 55, but the visitors collapsed from 147 for 2 to 210 all out.
Dean Guides England Through Late Drama
England’s chase looked uncertain after they slipped to 149 for 6. Maia Bouchier, a late addition to the squad, had earlier steadied the innings with 59, but her dismissal left the lower order with plenty to do.
Dean then took charge, adding 35 with Lauren Bell, who had been promoted to No. 9. After Bell was removed by Rosemary Mair’s yorker and Lauren Filer was bowled by Jess Kerr, England still needed 10 runs with one wicket left.
Tilly Corteen-Coleman, one of three debutants, joined Dean for an unbeaten final-wicket stand. Dean survived a dropped chance at backward point when seven were required, before steering England to victory.
England’s New-Look Batting Order Tested
England had chosen to bowl first after winning the toss, fielding a reshaped side that included debutants Jodi Grewcock, Dani Gibson and Corteen-Coleman. Dean was recalled from workload management after Nat Sciver-Brunt was ruled out with a calf tear, while Bouchier was called up as batting cover.
With Tammy Beaumont left out of the series, Amy Jones moved into the middle order and Emma Lamb opened alongside Grewcock. However, England struggled early in pursuit of 211, losing three wickets inside 13 overs with only 43 on the board.
Bouchier rebuilt with Freya Kemp, who was playing her first ODI since September 2024. Their 68-run stand revived the chase, but Kemp was run out for 30 and Jones was caught at cover off Melie Kerr. Gibson made 19 before Bouchier fell soon after reaching 59, leaving England under pressure.
Corteen-Coleman Impresses on Debut
Earlier, Corteen-Coleman made a strong start to international cricket with the ball. She struck with her eighth delivery, drawing Georgia Plimmer down the pitch before the batter lifted a catch to Bell at mid-off.
Dean also used herself effectively, returning to dismiss Brooke Halliday lbw after overturning the on-field not-out decision. Gibson then claimed her maiden ODI wicket by having Izzy Gaze stumped.
Corteen-Coleman later removed Green, with Gibson taking a good catch in the deep. That wicket triggered a dramatic collapse as New Zealand lost five wickets for seven runs in 3.1 overs.
New Zealand Collapse After Green-Kerr Stand
New Zealand’s innings had been rebuilt by Green and Kerr, who added 105 runs from 138 balls after early trouble. Their partnership put the White Ferns in a promising position, but the lack of support from the rest of the lineup proved costly.
Apart from Green, Kerr and Plimmer, who made 20, no other New Zealand batter reached double figures.
England’s fielding remained a concern despite pre-series emphasis on improvement. Bouchier dropped Plimmer on 17, while several misfields allowed New Zealand to keep the scoreboard moving. Still, England’s bowlers recovered well enough to keep the target within reach.
Dean finished with 2 for 21, Bell took 2 for 38, and Corteen-Coleman claimed 2 for 49 as England began the series with a narrow but important win.
