England’s nine-wicket win in the curtain raiser of the ODI series against the White Ferns exemplified the hosts’ ideal style of play. Heather Knight-led England is currently hosting Sophie Devine’s New Zealand from 26 June to 17 June for a three-match ODI series followed by a five-match T20I series. Opener Tammy Beaumont hopes England’s ‘ruthless’ victory over the visitors in the 1st ODI signals more inspiring performances ahead, acknowledging the unique pressure from her absence in the T20I squad.
Previously, despite winning their ODI and T20I series against Pakistan with 2-0 and 3-0 respectively earlier in the summer, England lacked a ruthless touch. However, in this 1st ODI, England dismissed the White Ferns by bowling them out for 156 in 33.3 overs, with Charlie Dean claiming a 4-wicket haul for 38 runs and then chased down the target in the 22nd over with just one wicket lost. Beaumont, unbeaten on 76 from 69 deliveries, and Maia Bouchier, with 67 off 50 balls, powered England’s innings.
Beaumont and Bouchier’s 137-run opening stand off just 106 deliveries brought England to within 20 runs of victory. England’s spinners, Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, and Sarah Glenn, who collectively took seven wickets, rounded off the comprehensive performance they had been seeking.
In comparison, England’s earlier matches against Pakistan were more challenging. In the T20I series, Danni Wyatt’s quickfire 87 at Leeds was the standout performance, as Amy Jones and Dani Gibson rescued the team from 11/4 in the opener at Edgbaston, and England defended a modest total of 144 by bowling Pakistan out for 79 in the second match. They narrowly won the first ODI by a margin of 37 runs, with Nat Sciver-Brunt starring in the third, scoring a century and claiming two wickets as well after a wash-out in the second.
Beaumont highlighted that England aimed to transform scrappy wins into more dominant victories, aligning with their ‘inspire and entertain’ mantra that has driven their efforts over the past two years.
Tammy Beaumont expressed the team’s desire to enjoy their cricket while showcasing their skills and talent within the dressing room. She emphasized the importance of winning games and dominating the competition. Beaumont believed that having fun and being ruthless on the field could coexist, which was evident in their performance. She noted that their display was both enjoyable and a strong statement at the start of the series.
Tammy mentioned, “We want to enjoy our cricket, we want to show off, we want to show our skills and how much talent there is in that dressing-room, but actually we want to also win games of cricket and really dominate at the same time, and the two can definitely being mutually exclusive. So, I think it was still a lot of fun today but still incredibly ruthless, and a bit of a statement for the start of a series.”
Maia Bouchier’s rapid fifty, scored at well over a run a ball, highlighted England’s batting depth. England’s performance showcased their potential given the depth of talent in their squad. Heather Knight barely needed to contribute after arriving with just 20 runs required, while Sciver-Brunt and Wyatt went unused. Alice Capsey and Sophia Dunkley were left out of the starting XI altogether, with Dunkley earning her spot back after a disappointing tour of New Zealand.
Beaumont noted that Dunkley’s return has increased competition for places, a situation mirrored across the team. This was exemplified by Ryana MacDonald-Gay’s call-up after an impressive domestic season, covering for the injured seamer Kate Cross. Both Beaumont and Cross find themselves in a challenging position, on the fringes of T20I selection with a World Cup looming in just over three months, yet crucial to England’s 50-over campaign in 2025 and the Test setup.
While the series against Pakistan and New Zealand lacked the excitement of last year’s Women’s Ashes where Tammy Beaumont scored the first-ever double-century by an English player, scoring 208 runs at the Trent Bridge Test against Australia and expressed she was playing with more freedom now. Last year, England overcame a 6-0-point setback after losing the Test and the first T20I to draw the series by 8-8 points by winning both the T20I and ODI series 2-1, but eventually, Australia retained the ashes because they were the winners of the Ashes 2021-22.
Tammy Beaumont reflected on the challenges she faced during last year’s Ashes. She described the emotional rollercoaster of scoring a double-hundred in a Test match, only to be informed an hour later that she would be sidelined for the next 10 days. Beaumont praised her teammates’ exceptional performance in the T20s but admitted feeling significant pressure when she returned as the opening batter. She highlighted the difficulty of maintaining the team’s momentum and the fear of being the one to falter and lose the Ashes, illustrating the intense mental and emotional demands of the series.
She said, “I found the Ashes quite difficult last year. You have the high of scoring a double-hundred in a Test match and then literally an hour after the end of the Test, you get told you’re not around for the next 10 days… What the girls did in the T20s was incredible, but actually the pressure to come back in, be the opening batter, and keep that roll on and not be the one that messes it up and loses the Ashes, is pretty tough to deal with.”
