Key events
20th over: New Zealand 91-3 (Devine 1, Halliday 1) England right back on top again, and Ecclestone hasn’t even bowled. The fabulous Sophie Devine in the middle for the last time in ODIs and possibly the last time ever in a New Zealand shirt.
WICKET! Plimmer lbw Dean 43 (New Zealand 89-3)
Two in two! Dean floats one in, clonks the retreating Plimmer on the knee roll and she doesn’t bother to review.
WICKET! Kerr c Dean b Capsey 35 (New Zealand 89-2)
Kerr licks her lips, tries to smash Capsey down the ground but instead picks out Dean, who plucks it out of the air. with one hand.
19th over: New Zealand 89-2 ( Plimmer 43)
Ecclestone back on the field
18th over: New Zealand 85-1 ( Plimmer 41, Kerr 33) Not too many in the ground today, and quite a wind whistling across. A hot wind. Dean continues – Kerr slog sweeps but can’t reach the rope and another decent over.
17th over: New Zealand 81-1 ( Plimmer 39, Kerr 31) The cameras spot Ecclestone on the boundary, wrinkling her nose as she rolls her left over. Capsey replaces NSB, her first ball is edged for four. And, to everyone’s relief, they take DRINKS.
16th over: New Zealand 76-1 ( Plimmer 34, Kerr 31) Dean, elegantly dishevelled as always, aviator shades, wayward bun, whistles through a tidy over – fast arm, on the money.
15th over: New Zealand 75-1 ( Plimmer 33, Kerr 31) The fifty partnership come up as Plimmer, bat hovering as she waits, tonks NSB straight into the bluebell blue sky for four. An otherwise neat over.
14th over: New Zealand 70-1 ( Plimmer 28, Kerr 31) Dean stems the boundaries, finds her rhythm. My nephews, visiting from London, have joined me on the sofa.
13th over: New Zealand 67-1 ( Plimmer 26, Kerr 30) On the rope, England put ice packs round their necks, gulp at frozen water. A pretty good over from NSB till the penultimate delivery, a drag down, and Plimmer tucks in, pulled to the boundary.
12th over: New Zealand 61-1 ( Plimmer 21, Kerr 29) Dean finds her line too, just three singles dabbed .
11th over: New Zealand 58-1 ( Plimmer 20, Kerr 27) Better from Sciver-Brunt, just a single from it. It’s hot, hot, hot out there – 40 degrees in the middle.
10th over: New Zealand 57-1 ( Plimmer 20, Kerr 26) Charlie Dean replaces the struggling Smith, and Kerr sweeps her immediately and with gumption for four. Eccleston is still off the field after hurting her left shoulder fielding on the rope earlier in the innings.
9th over: New Zealand 52-1 ( Plimmer 20, Kerr 21) Nat Sciver-Brunt replaces Bell and also struggles to hit her straps, Plimmer slams her last two balls to the rope.
8th over: New Zealand 43-1 ( Plimmer 12, Kerr 3) Smith has the most wickets in the power play, but something is amiss today. Kerr cracks her second ball to the rope, her third is a wide full toss that Kerr plonks behind square also for four, the free hit is spatulated through extra cover for four, and the next purred through cover for four more. Definitely time for a break.
7th over: New Zealand 25-1 ( Plimmer 12, Kerr 3) A handful of singles off Bell.
6th over: New Zealand 22-1 ( Plimmer 11, Kerr 1) Smith pockets a wicket despite not really finding her rhythm and the majestic Bates leaves the crease for possibly the final time.
WICKET! Bates c Lamb (sub) b Smith 10 (New Zealand 21-1)
A waist high full toss does for Bates who muscles it to mid off. The umpires check for a no ball – the players have their waist measurements checked before the tournament started – who knew? – but the ball is good. A pie, but good.
5th over: New Zealand 21-0 (Bates 10, Plimmer 11) Bell gets clonked for two fours by Plimmer.
New Zealand win the toss and bat – Wyatt-Hodge in
Argghgh I got my times totally wrong there, done by the clocks going back. Apologies. Danni Wyatt-Hodge plays for Emma Lamb. New Zealand unchanged.
Preamble
Good early morning and hello GMT for another year. It’s still black here, but not in broiling Visakhapatnam where England will be in top spirits – South Africa, their opponents in Wednesday’s semi-final, bundled out for 97 by Australia.
This is a dead game for both England and New Zealand – though England can leapfrog South Africa to finish second behind Australia in the group stage – an ego-boost, but no more. New Zealand, who have had a disappointing tournament, stalked by rain and just one win, against Bangladesh, say farewell to faithful captain Sophie Devine who plays her final ODI of a stonking career of 158 matches, 4,256 runs and 110 wickets.
On paper, this also seems a good chance for England to give a game to some of the drinks carriers – to Danni Wyatt Hodges, mysterious bench warmer as the middle order implodes, or Lauren Filer. But Charlotte Edwards has not been moved so far.
Play starts at 5.30am GMT, grab an early morning brew and join us.
