Unfortunately we will now lose overs to the rain having had an hour delay to the start of play. Cardiff isn’t alone in languishing under leaden skies, there’s plenty of rain around the shires. Tanya also has some play to supply updates on. Not jealous at all.
They’ve gone off, covers on. Now we wait.
17th over: England 77-3 (Capsey 19, Kemp 3) Amelia Kerr brings herself on for a twirl in the gloom. Her second ball is a drag down and Capsey doesn’t miss out, pulling away behind square for four. Capsey then cuts for three, Freya Kemp looks to be hobbling a bit, running in damp conditions is never nice. Time for drinks… I’m not sure we’ll be back for much longer after them mind.
16th over: England 68-3 (Capsey 11. Kemp 2) Knight couldn’t get through to what feels like an inevitable rain delay any moment. Freya Kemp arrives in the swirling rain and gets off the mark with two off her toes. Umpires twitchy but keeping them out there, New Zealand rattling through their deliveries to maximise these conditions.
That’s a big moment! With rain falling and in increasingly murky conditions Heather Knight gets a thin edge behind and walks!
15th over: England 66-2 (Knight 28, Capsey 11) It is very gloomy out there now, not nice conditions for batting. Rosemary Mair may as well be licking her lips.
14th over: England 61-2 (Knight 27, Capsey 8) Jess Kerr beats Knight on the outside edge but the old pro lines up the next ball properly. drives down the ground classily for four. Rain falling but the umpires are staying out there for now.
13th over: England 56-2 (Knight 23, Capsey 7) Mair serves up a full bunger to Capsey. she slaps it away through midwicket for four.
12th over: England 50-2 (Knight 22, Capsey 2) Jess Kerr switches ends and the keeper is up to the stumps. Pressure on and some spots of rain falling. Capsey gets forward and picks up a couple through cover to get off the mark. We might be in for some rain unfortunately…
11th over: England 47-2 (Knight 21, Capsey 0) Both openers back in the hutch, here’s Alice Capsey at number four.
There is another wicket! Grewcock aims a drive to Mair. a thin edge is held just above the turf by Gaze behind the stumps. Grewcock lingers for a moment before hauling herself from the middle.
10th over: England 45-1 (Grewcock. Knight 20) England have done well to only lose one wicket in the first ten overs, Knight has looked the most comfortable at the crease, she opens the face to guide Illing away for four more past point.
9th over: England 39-1 (Grewcock 9, Knight 14) Shot! Mair gives width with her last delivery and Grewcock gets her first boundary with a flash through point.
8th over: England 33-1 (Grewcock 5, Knight 13) Both teams are scrapping away, plenty in the pitch. a fast outfield sees value for shots. A first change coming for New Zealand, Rosemary Mair is replacing Jess Kerr.
7th over: England 30-1 (Grewcock 4, Knight 12) Heather Knight looks in fine touch, Kerr strays onto the pads. is worked away with aplomb to the midwicket fence.
6th over: England 25-1 (Grewcock 3, Knight 8) Another probing over from Illing sees Grewcock nick off but wide of the slips. safe.
5th over: England 21-1 (Grewcock 2, Knight 8) Five dots from Kerr. the sixth is a juicy half volley that Knight strokes away for four. You can’t bowl there to Heather.
4th over: England 17-1 (Grewcock 2, Knight 4) Shot! Knight pounces on some width from Illing and square drives for four in the Cardiff gloom.
3rd over: England 11-1 (Grewcock 2, Knight 0) Jodi Grewcock struggles to lay a bat on Jess Kerr’s outswingers, playing. missing at a couple before nicking one that just lands short of Gaze behind the stumps. Grewcock then drives compactly for a couple down the ground. Hang about. the TV replay shows that Grewcock actually got a feather on the very first ball of the over that was caught by Gaze behind the stumps. Neither bowler nor keeper appealed but there is a clear spike. Curious and Curiouser.
2nd over: England 9-1 (Grewcock 0, Knight 0) Heather Knight arrives early into the piece. Illing is searching for the pronounced movement and slings down a couple of wides. Knight is solid in defence to a couple of balls on the stumps. thats the over, New Zealand on top in tricky conditions for batting.
Bree Illing starts from the other end. her first ball is over pitched and driven away nicely by Lamb for four. Gone! Lamb nibbles at a ball that holds its line. a thin edge is taken behind the stumps by Izzy Gaze. Decent ball from Illing and England lose an early one.
1st over: England 3-0 (Lamb 3, Grewcock 0) Big swing early up, Kerr gets one to hoop into Lamb’s pad. she’s outside the line. More of the same follows, the ball drifting in from waaaay outside the off stump initially. After four dots Lamb opens England’s account with a drive through cover for three.
Here come the players! Leaden skies in Cardiff but crucially no rain falling at the moment. Emma Lamb and Jodi Grewcock will open the batting, their powder blue kit looking luminous in the lunchtime murk. We haven’t lost any overs as yet but will start to from now on if there ary further delays.
Right, Jess Kerr has the ball in hand. Let’s play!
Charlie Dean admits that England weren’t at their best in Durham. that it is tricky to balance the side with a T20 World Cup looming. “It was important to show that grit (In Durham). To get over the line was really important.”
Lauren Filer and Jodi Grewcock come in for Maia Bouchier and Tilly Corteen-Coleman.
There are some ominous looking grey clouds in the background but for now it is fine. we should get some play in. Charlie Dean admits she would have bowled first in these conditions too.
New Zealand are unchanged, today will be Suzie Bates’ 184th and last ODI. What a player she has been for the White Ferns. “Probably New Zealand’s best ever, and the best team-mate you could ask for.” says Amelia Kerr. “My greatest mentor since coming into the White Ferns.”
England: Emma Lamb. Jodi Grewcock, Heather Knight, Alice Capsey, Freya Kemp, Amy Jones (wk), Dani Gibson, Charlie Dean (c), Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Lauren Bell
New Zealand: Suzie Bates. Georgia Plimmer, Melie Kerr (c), Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Izzy Gaze (wk), Izzy Sharp, Jess Kerr, Nensi Patel, Rosemary Mair, Bree Illing
Ali has been casting his eye over the men’s Test set up with a few weeks to go until the first Test of the summer against New Zealand at Lord’s:
Good news! If the rain stays away we’ll be underway in a little over half an hour with no overs lost. Big IF but we’ll take it.
The inspection has taken place out in the middle and it currently isn’t raining. We haven’t had any official confirmation of a toss and potential start time yet though…
It is brightening up in Cardiff, the covers are off and the stumps are being put in place. Promising signs ahead of the inspection in five minutes.
Time to get acquainted with one Douwe Egberts. While we wait for news, why not have a read of this week’s Spin:
Tanya is on the County Blog tools, not everywhere is as wet as Cardiff thankfully.
There’s an inspection due at 11:15am. We have an hour before we start to lose overs, Ian Ward. Tash Farrant have got their cagoule and winter coat on respectively. They seem to be hopeful we’ll get some play at some point.
Hello and welcome to the third ODI between England and New Zealand from Cardiff. After squeaking over the line by one wicket in Durham last weekend, despite a ropey display in the field (once again), England would have been hoping for the same result but with a more polished. clinical performance in Northampton in the week.
Sadly, the inclement English spring weather put the kibosh on any play in the second ODI. today’s match in Cardiff looks to be a hostage to the Welsh weather gods too.
Sunshine. showers this morning lead to a more murky outlook on the weather radar but I’ll be here to bring you any and all updates as they happen. We were due to have a toss any moment now but the covers are firmly in place in. the coin flipping has officially been delayed.
Hmmm, it could be one of those days folks. Fingers crossed we get some play in and can get a game on ‘mongst the showers.
As ever, you can get in touch at the link on the left flank of this page. Thoughts and theories most welcome, especially if the rain continues to fall…
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