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England beat New Zealand by nine wickets in ODI opener

HAMPSHIRE spinner Charlie Dean tumbled the New Zealand tail order in the sunshine at Durham as England raced to a 9-wicket victory in the opening ODI today.

Dean’s figures were 4-38 as England had the visitors all out for 156 in the 34th over — then Tamsin Beaumont and Maia Bouchier took over to crack them all over the park.

New Zealand opener Suzie Bates went for 16 in the fourth over as a fast Lauren Fidler delivery smashed between middle and off stump to send her bails flying.

Georgia Pilmer was then run out by a great Bouchier throw on 29 after hitting six 4s to leave the scoreboard on 56/2 early in the eleventh.

When Emilia Kerr was caught by Amy Jones off Sophie Ecclestone just nine balls later, the Kiwis were in real trouble. Kerr whacked the left-arm spinner straight up in the air and it dropped for an easy take for the England wicket-keeper.

Skipper Sophie Devine then walked for just 13 when Ecclestone and Jones again combined to take her wicket as she swiped and edged behind.

Soon after Maddy Green went plumb lbw off Nat Scriver-Brunt on 2 before Brooke Halliday steadied things up. She hit a couple of nice sweeping 4s to edge New Zealand up to 95/5 before her batting partner Izzy Gaze was then trapped lbw by a Charlie Dean offspinner on 12.

Hannah Rowe followed her back to the pavilion lbw for a duck when Dean struck again, and she took her third wicket in quick succession when Jess Kerr nicked behind to Jones for 10 after whacking a couple of quick 4s.

Dean then bamboozled a swiping Molly Penfold on 1 with another wicked spinner while Halliday’s brave five-wicket stand took her personal score up to 51, with seven 4s and a 6, including a beautiful reverse sweep to bring up her half century. She was finally caught by Heather Knight off Sarah Glenn.

England came out after the break and the opening partnership of Tamsin Beaumont and Bouchier ran up 50 by the ninth over. Both played some wonderful strokes to send the ball out to the boundary with regularity and Beaumont made her half century by the 14th. Bouchier wasn’t to be outdone and was raising the bat herself soon after.

Although she eventually went for 67, caught by Bates off Halliday, skipper Heather Knight came to the crease and helped Beaumont to 76 as England won it in the 22nd over.

The two sides meet again in the second of the three-game white-ball series at the Visit Worcestershire New Road ground on Sunday starting at 11am.

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