Stand-in captain Charlie Dean held her nerve in a tense finish as England edged past New Zealand by 1 wicket in the opening ODI in Durham.
England chased down 211 with 10 balls remaining despite another shaky fielding display, with Dean finishing unbeaten on 31 and guiding the lower order through a nervy finale alongside debutant Tilly Corteen-Coleman. Earlier, late call-up Maia Bouchier top-scored with 59 while Freya Kemp added a valuable 30.
New Zealand looked set for a much bigger total after Maddy Green and Melie Kerr stitched together a 105-run partnership, but England triggered a dramatic collapse as the visitors slipped from 147 for 2 to 210 all out. Debutants Corteen-Coleman, Jodi Grewcock and Dani Gibson all impressed with the ball.
England’s fielding, however, once again came under scrutiny after multiple dropped chances and misfields allowed New Zealand to recover during the middle overs. Despite the errors, Dean’s calm leadership and late composure ensured England opened the series with a hard-fought victory.
