England’s women will be looking to iron out the rough edges when they take on New Zealand in the second ODI at Northampton on Wednesday, with seamer Lauren Bell insisting the side’s patchy display in the series opener was largely down to first-game nerves rather than any deeper structural concerns.
The hosts scraped home in dramatic fashion in Durham on Sunday, winning by just one wicket with 10 balls to spare in a match that was equal parts thrilling and uncomfortable to watch. England hadn’t played international cricket in over six months, and it showed — three debutants, a string of unfamiliar combinations, and fielding that, at its worst, was frankly sloppy. Yet somehow, they got the job done.
New Zealand were bundled out for just 210 inside 49 overs, a total that looked below par from the moment it went up. The White Ferns’ innings never truly found its footing, and England’s bowlers, to their credit, stayed disciplined enough to keep the target manageable. Experienced seamer Lauren Bell and 18-year-old debutant Tilly Corteen-Coleman both claimed two wickets each, providing the backbone of a bowling effort that punched above its weight given the circumstances.
With the bat, England were anything but clinical. Only two batters passed 30 — Maia Bouchier, a late call-up replacing injured captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, top-scored with 59, while stand-in skipper Charlie Dean held her nerve with an unbeaten 31 to guide the tail across the line. It was scrappy, it was tense, but it counted.
England vs New Zealand Second ODI: Bell Eyes Cleaner Performance as Series Shifts to Northampton
Bell, speaking on the eve of the Northampton fixture, was candid about where the team fell short but also clear-eyed about what it meant to win ugly. “It was the first international game of the summer and there was probably a lot of nerves,” she said, noting that the fielding struggles were expected given how long England had been out of the international spotlight. She added that fielding is “definitely a sector where we’ve worked really hard” and expressed confidence the team would show a sharper version of themselves in the second match.
The 73-cap seamer was also at the centre of one of the match’s most gripping moments, sharing a 35-run stand for the eighth wicket with Dean that dragged England back into contention when all looked lost. Bell described feeling “relatively calm” throughout, saying the required run rate was never the issue — it was simply a matter of occupying the crease. “I’ve never been in a situation before, especially for England, where I can help the team get over the line with the bat,” she admitted. “I was actually quite excited for the opportunity.”
Her reflections go beyond personal satisfaction, though. Bell framed the win as evidence of a cultural shift within the squad — a new ability to grind out results in moments that would previously have slipped away. “In the past, maybe we wouldn’t have got over the line,” she said. “It shows a real change of character and a real push forward in this team.” With tournament cricket on the horizon, those kinds of moments matter enormously.
From the New Zealand camp, Maddy Green — who top-scored with 88 in a century stand alongside captain Melie Kerr — was honest about where the White Ferns left runs on the table. She acknowledged that her side’s bowlers “did an excellent job to keep them in the game” but conceded there were batting lessons to learn, particularly around building depth partnerships and adapting to English conditions. “Hopefully we can take some of the things we didn’t do so well and turn it around tomorrow,” she said.
Wednesday’s match in Northampton shapes up as a genuine test of whether both teams can convert early-series lessons into cleaner, more complete performances — and with a series on the line, neither side can afford another afternoon of unforced errors.