Following the 3-match Twenty20 (T20) series between New Zealand A and England A, the two will now lock horns in three One-Dayers. The One-Day opener commences at 3:30 AM Indian Standard Time (IST) and will be played at the University of Otago Oval, Dunedin, on the 23rd of March 2024.
Squads:
New Zealand A – Kate Anderson, Caitlin Blakely, Emma Black, Eden Carson, Mikaela Greig, Polly Inglis, Hayley Jensen (C), Leigh Kasperek, Nensi Patel, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Jess Simmons, Saachi Shahri
England A – Georgia Adams, Hannah Baker, Alice Davidson-Richards, Tash Farrant, Kirstie Gordon, Freya Kemp, Emma Lamb, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Sophie Munro, Grace Potts, Paige Scholfield, Grace Scrivens, Seren Smale, Rhianna Southby, Mady Villiers
Players to watch out:
Polly Inglis
The 27-year-old keeper-batter in the 2023-24 Hallyburton Johnstone Shield (HJS), a domestic 50-over competition, amassed 324 runs, including the highest of 73, from 10 outings. Though Polly wasn’t required much in the recently concluded T20 series, registering scores of 20* and 7, she can be relied upon to lead the scoring.
Emma Black
The 22-year-old pacer, averaging 11.58 and striking at 20.5, has scalped as many as 24 wickets from 10 HJS outings this season. She maintained an economy rate of 3.39 and claimed the best of 4/12. However, she wasn’t part of the T20 series, and it’ll be hoped she carries forward the momentum into this series.
Emma Lamb
The 26-year-old top-order batter, from 10 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) at an average of 36.30, accumulated 363 runs, including the highest of 102. On this tour, in the warm-up games, Emma departed on scores of 3 and 18, while in two T20s, managed scores of 1 and 23. She’ll be backed to build on these starts.
Tash Farrant
The 27-year-old left-arm pacer has played only a handful of ODIs, and on return to competitive cricket from injury, she has displayed fine form. Tash returned figures of 1/24, 2/24, and 3/28 in the T20s, while also being handy with the bat. It’ll be expected of the seasoned pacer to continue with this form.
Pitch:
The 22-yard strip at the University of Otago Oval is relatively balanced with an average score in the 220s. While conditions are conducive for batting, the wicket also offers assistance to bowlers, particularly pacers, as reflected by the average score.
Weather:
Despite scattered thunderstorms, the conditions are favorable for a complete game of cricket as the rain is likely to stay away during match hours. The temperature is forecasted to be around 15°C with light winds and humidity of 80%.
Fantasy playing XI:
Rhianna Southby, Grace Scrivens, Georgia Adams, Georgia Plimmer, Emma Lamb, Kate Anderson, Leigh Kasperek, Freya Kemp, Hayley Jensen, Emma Black, Eden Carson
Match details:
Date – March 23, 2024
Time – 3:30 AM IST
Venue – University of Otago Oval, Dunedin
Broadcast – The game will be live-streamed on the New Zealand Cricket YouTube channel, and the scorecard can be accessed on the nzc.nz match center web portal.
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