Key events
The players are on their way! The legend Suzie Bates is opening up, 36 years young. She has 13 tons, the better part of 6000 ODI runs and has done everything she can to keep this New Zealand team there and thereabouts. Sheâs opening with Bernadine Bezuidenhout, who, by contrast, averages 18 in 18 ODIs. They need Bates. Kate Cross is going to take the new ball, Englandâs best in this format over the last few years.
National anthems for an ODI? Really? Okay. Anthems. Here we go.
Letâs get into the mood for this with some New Zealand indie.
England team as named: Tammy Beaumont, Maia Bouchier, Heather Knight (c), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Alice Capsey, Danni Wyatt, Amy Jones (wk), Sophie Ecclestone, Charlie Dean, Kate Cross, Lauren Bell.
New Zealand: Suzie Bates, Bernadine Bezuidenhout, Melie Kerr (c), Georgia Plimmer, Maddy Green, Brook Halliday, Izzy Gaze (wk), Hannah Rowe, Jess Kerr, Lea Tahuhu, Fran Jonas.
We have sound! A triumph. Sadly, thereâs no way to find out what the skippers said at the toss but the graphic on the screen confirmed that Melie Kerr is leading New Zealand in an ODI for the first time today in the absence of injured Sophie Devine.
Wellington looks just as I left it when there for a Test a few weeks ago. Currently 13 degrees, scheduled to reach the lofty heights of 17. No rain forecast. Cloudy, as per.
Heather Knight has won the toss and England are bowling. I wish I could tell you more but there has been no sound on the broadcast since it began five minutes ago. Fun!
Welcome to the 1st ODI between New Zealand’s Women and England
Adam Collins
One series ends; another begins â modern cricket is no sport for finish lines. After Heather Knightâs side easily won the T20s 4-1 â shouldâve been a clean sweep, they botched the chase in the loss â itâs back to the 50-over fare at an interesting time in the cycle, at roughly the halfway mark of the four-year cycle.
I mention that off the top as this is how national teams set up in ODI cricket these days â ultimately, it is all about having the right players prepared to the right levels by the time the quadrennial festival rolls around, 18 months from now in India.
Dealing first with England, they have won seven of their 11 ODIs since the last World Cup in early 2022, the highlight a 2-1 home victory against the Australians last summer. Somewhat depleted during the first leg of the tour due to commitments in India at the Womenâs Premier League, theyâre back to (more or less) full strength here. On paper, theyâre the far stronger team. They will, however, be without legspinner Sarah Glenn who was concussed while fielding in the final T20 win.
As for the hosts, who have been dreadful at global tournaments over the last decade, but in pretty good nick in their home ODIs during this ICC Championship Cycle â i.e. since the last World Cup, where they failed to make the semis at home. Itâs unclear whether their superstar captain Sophie Devine has recovered from her quad strain â weâll find out at the toss shortly. Typically, to seriously push England, they need her firing.
Iâll leave it there for the moment â more thoughts after the toss with the first ball due at 11pm BST. Drop me a line any time.