Dominant openers, experienced seamers and unknown quantities: The key battles as England face New Zealand

The Cricketer looks ahead to some of the major match-ups that could decide the ODI series between New Zealand and England

Sophie Devine v Katherine Brunt

On current form, Sophie Devine might just be the best female cricketer in the world. Only Meg Lanning and Beth Mooney scored more runs during the winter’s Women’s Big Bash, before Devine smashed the fastest T20 hundred in women’s cricket history against Otago.

Playing for Wellington, she and Maddy Green chased down 129 inside nine overs. Only, Green contributed just 20, with Devine – top of the ICC’s T20I allrounder rankings – making 108 off just 38 balls.

The T20 Player Index also has Devine far and away as the global game’s leading player, 80 points clear of Mooney at the top of the ladder. Over the table’s rolling three-year period, no one has scored as many runs as Devine and only Megan Schutt has picked up more wickets.

England’s job, therefore, is to prevent her from making hay. And that responsibility might lie with Katherine Brunt, the tourists’ ageless spearhead.

She was the shining light among the seamers in two warmup matches, one of which Heather Knight’s side lost by 30 runs. Without Brunt’s control - and with Anya Shrubsole missing this tour through injury, Nat Sciver, Freya Davies, Tash Farrant and Kate Cross emerged with combined figures of 4 for 317 in just 47 overs. England will hope that any cobwebs accrued in recent months are now out of the way.

^{Brooke Halliday impressed in England's warmup fixtures}

Brooke Halliday v Sophie Ecclestone

England might not have known much about Brooke Halliday until a week ago, but the batsman was in brutal form during the visitors’ second practice match, smashing 79 off just 56 balls for a New Zealand Development XI in an innings that included eight fours and three sixes.

There was particular punishment for Davies and Cross, with Halliday’s leg-side power-hitting taking her side to a final total of 316 for 5 – more than the highest total ever conceded by England in an ODI.

Where has she come from? The uncapped left-hander is the second-highest run-scorer in the 50-over Hallyburton Johnstone Shield and comes into a squad missing Suzie Bates, who is absent with a shoulder problem.

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“Brooke and Fran both deserve their call-ups on the back of strong domestic form,” said head coach Bob Carter, referring as well to 16-year-old left-arm spinner Fran Jonas. “Brooke's done a superb job at the top of the order for the Spirit and offers a point of difference as a left-hander.

“This is a great chance for them to come in and develop their games. We've selected them for a reason and look forward to welcoming them into the group.”

Typically, it was England’s spinners – Sophie Ecclestone and Sarah Glenn – who enjoyed the most success in controlling her as the rate threatened to get out of hand. The pair’s partnership through the middle overs has been England’s strongest point since Glenn made her international debut in Kuala Lumpur in December 2019.

Ecclestone, the leading spinner in the women’s game, added a fine counter-attack with the bat, making a 48-ball half century.

“Sophie was brilliant,” Heather Knight said afterwards. “She’s actually worked really hard on her batting over the last six months or so, so I was really pleased to see her get the rewards today.

“She’s got the potential to be a genuine allrounder in the future, to play that Katherine Brunt role and move herself up the order, so really good signs for her. She hits one of the cleanest balls in the team, to be honest, so chuffed for her and it was really nice to see her contribute runs down the order.”

^{Katherine Brunt continues to spearhead England's bowling attack}

Lea Tahuhu v Tammy Beaumont

After a quiet 2020, during which Tammy Beaumont scored just 181 T20I runs at an average of 16.45, the England opener will want to begin 2021 rather better.

The 29-year-old has a formidable ODI record – and has done since recording her maiden ton in 2016 under the tutelage of Mark Robinson, whose faith unearthed a run machine in the 50-over format.

“I do think that the moment you get an international hundred, no one can take that away from you no matter what,” she told The Cricketer last week as part of a special feature to be published on Monday. “Even if you don’t play again ever, no one can take that away from you. That is a really special moment because it is an elite club.”

Since reaching three figures for the first time against Pakistan, she has added centuries in each year – other than 2020, when England didn’t play a 50-over game. Only Meg Lanning, Suzie Bates, Charlotte Edwards, Claire Taylor and Karen Rolton have made more ODI hundreds.

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Her battle with Lea Tahuhu, therefore, will be an intriguing subplot to the series. Tahuhu has dismissed Beaumont just once before in ODIs – that was during a heavy defeat for New Zealand in 2018, who well know the importance of her wicket. She averages 44.5 in six innings against Devine’s side.

Opening partner Danni Wyatt, however, has enjoyed less success against the White Ferns: she is yet to pass 30 in eight games. But after a difficult season in 2020 when she averaged just 11.25, she has started this tour in fine touch, making 54 in the second practice game.

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