Visitors England and New Zealand A, ahead of their respective bilateral series, are set to face off in a Twenty20 (T20) warm-up fixture scheduled for 3:30 AM Indian Standard Time (IST) on the 14th of March, 2024, at the Sir John Davies Oval, Queenstown.
Squads:
New Zealand A – Kate Anderson, Sarah Asmussen, Bernadine Bezuidenhout, Prue Catton, Flora Devonshire, Claudia Green, Mikaela Greig, Bree Illing, Polly Inglis, Hayley Jensen (C), Leigh Kasperek, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer
England – Heather Knight (C), Hollie Armitage, Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Lauren Filer, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath, Amy Jones, Linsey Smith
Players to watch out:
Bernadine Bezuidenhout
The 30-year-old keeper-batter hasn’t had much success in T20 Internationals (T20Is), accumulating 240 runs, including the highest of 44, from 22 outings. In a couple of warm-up games against England A, Bernadine managed scores of 17 and 30, and it’ll be expected of her to capitalize on these starts, leading the scoring in this game.
Eden Carson
The 19-year-old off-spinner, from 22 T20Is, has scalped 16 wickets, including the best of 3/16, at an economy rate of 5.18. Continuing on her domestic success, Eden proved effective in a couple of warm-up games against England A, returning figures of 2/11 and 1/19, and it’ll be hoped she continues with this momentum.
Tammy Beaumont
The 33-year-old opening batter, from 83 T20I innings, has amassed 1721 runs, including the highest of 116, at a strike rate of 108.37. On the back of 290 runs in The Hundred from 8 games and 191 runs from 6 T20 games, Tammy has earned a spot in the T20I team for the first time since 2022. It’ll be hoped she kicks off this tour with a good score.
Linsey Smith
The 29-year-old spinner made her T20I debut back in 2018 and has 13 wickets to her name from 9 outings; however, she hasn’t played a game with the senior national team since 2019. From the Big Bash (11 wickets) in Australia to the Super Smash (8 wickets) in New Zealand, Linsey has been in notable form and will be banked upon for the goods.
Pitch:
The 22 yards at the Sir John Davies Oval provide a somewhat neutral playing field as the conditions favor both batters and bowlers. Pacers in particular benefit from the conditions, and a score in the 150s can be deemed as a competitive one on this wicket.
Weather:
With a partly cloudy sky and a very low chance of rain, it will be a good day for cricket at Sir John Davies Oval, Queenstown. The temperature is expected to hover around 10°C, with light winds and a humidity level of 72%.
Fantasy playing XI:
Bernadine Bezuidenhout, Heather Knight, Tammy Beaumont, Sophia Dunkley, Maia Bouchier, Leigh Kasperek, Kate Anderson, Charlie Dean, Hayley Jensen, Lauren Bell, Sarah Glenn
Match details:
Date – March 14, 2024
Time – 3:30 AM IST
Venue – Sir John Davies Oval, Queenstown
Broadcast – Access live scores for the game on the nzc.nz match center web portal.