Record Partnership Between Jones and Dean Secures Unlikely Victory for England
ICC Women’s Championship Standings 2022-25
In the first ODI of the ICC Women’s Championship, New Zealand, batting first, were off to a promising start with Suzie Bates (50) and Bernadine Bezuidenhout (35) at the crease.
However, the dismissal of Bates by Amy Jones and the subsequent leg-before-wicket of Bezuidenhout led to a collapse of the White Ferns’ innings.
The team was bowled out for 207 in 48.2 overs, with Charlie Dean (3/57), Lauren Bell (3/41), and Kate Cross (2/24) leading the charge for England. Dean’s three-wicket haul took her past 50 ODI wickets in just 26 innings, making her the fastest woman to reach this milestone. She surpassed the 37-year-old record held by Australia’s Lyn Fullston, who achieved it in 27 innings.
Fastest Women to 50 ODI Wickets
| Player (Fastest to 50 Women’s ODI wickets) | No. of innings |
|---|---|
| Charlie Dean (ENG) | 26 |
| Lyn Fullston (AUS) | 27 |
| Rajeshwari Gayakwad (IND) | 28 |
| Laura Marsh (ENG) | 28 |
| Charmaine Mason (AUS) | 29 |
| Dane van Niekerk (SA) | 29 |
An unbeaten century stand between Amy Jones and Charlie Dean powered England to victory in the first ODI. You can continue watching the #NZvENG ODI series live and free on https://t.co/CPDKNxoJ9v (in select regions). Check the scorecard here.
Despite Maia Bouchier’s run-a-ball 31, England found themselves in a precarious position, losing wickets at regular intervals. New Zealand seemed to have the game in hand at 79/6. However, Jones and Dean steadied the ship, crafting an unbeaten 130-run stand for the seventh wicket. Jones (92*) led the attack, while Dean (42*) held her end, ensuring their team’s victory without further losses.
The partnership between Jones and Dean also set a new record for the highest seventh-wicket stand in women’s ODIs.
Highest Partnership for the seventh wicket in Women’s ODIs
| Player 1 | Player 2 | Team | Year | Partnership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlie Dean | Amy Jones | England | 2024 | 130* |
| Sneh Rana | Pooja Vastrakar | India | 2022 | 122 |
| Aliya Riaz | Fatima Sana | Pakistan | 2023 | 114 |
| Nicola Browne | Sarah Tsukigawa | New Zealand | 2007 | 104* |
| Danielle Hazell | Nat Sciver-Brunt | England | 2016 | 104 |
In the post-match press conference, Jones described the knock as a high point in her career, saying, “I rate it pretty highly, it was obviously a tricky situation to walk out on. Over the last week, I’ve had some good reflections on the areas I want to improve, in terms of being there at the end. It’s something I’ve been falling short over a period of time, and I put some thought into it. Did some work around my mental game. For that to pay off today, it ranks quite highly, I’d say.”
With this victory, England has gained crucial points, moving to the third spot in the ICC Women’s Championship standings. They now lead the three-match ODI series 1-0.
The second ODI will be played in Hamilton on Wednesday, 3 April.