New Zealand gave Suzie Bates a winning farewell from ODI cricket as they defeated England by 17 runs at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff to draw the three-match series 1-1. Rain repeatedly shaped the contest, first reducing it to 33 overs per side and then bringing the chase to an early finish, but the White Ferns were clearly ahead of the required DLS mark when play was abandoned.
The match was Bates’ 184th and final ODI for New Zealand, closing a career in the format that began in 2006 and made her one of the leading run-scorers in women’s one-day cricket. A former captain at two Cricket World Cups and also an Olympian in basketball, Bates ends her ODI career with more than 5,800 runs and a significant place in New Zealand sport. She has already indicated that this year’s T20 World Cup will be her final appearance in the silver fern.
Her final ODI innings did not last long. Chasing a DLS-revised target of 184 in 33 overs, New Zealand lost Bates lbw to Lauren Bell early in the reply, with the England seamer earning a close decision. Bell then had Amelia Kerr and Georgia Plimmer dismissed leg-before as well, leaving the visitors under pressure at 40-3 on a surface that kept England in the contest.
Brooke Halliday and Isabella Gaze then steadied New Zealand’s chase with a composed stand. Halliday remained unbeaten on 42 from 54 balls, controlling the innings with patience and clarity, while wicketkeeper Gaze made 22 not out from 23 deliveries. Their unbroken 44-run partnership kept New Zealand ahead of the required rate before the second rain delay arrived.
When the players left the field for the last time, New Zealand were 141-4 after 24.4 overs, needing 43 from 50 balls. With the weather showing no sign of improving, the umpires ended the match, and the DLS calculations confirmed the White Ferns were 17 runs in front. After losing the first ODI by one wicket and seeing the second match washed out, New Zealand had done enough to level the series.
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England had earlier posted 181-7 from their 33 overs after Kerr won the toss and chose to bowl. Alice Capsey led the innings with 45 from 45 balls, while Heather Knight made 28 off 42 and Amy Jones added a lively 27 from 21 lower in the order. Although England never fully accelerated, their total gave them something to defend on a slow surface carrying moisture.
Rosemary Mair played a key role with the ball for New Zealand, finishing with 2-41 from seven overs and also contributing a run-out. Bree Illing, on her first international tour, impressed with 2-29 from seven overs, using a wicket-to-wicket approach that suited the conditions. Eden Carson also added a wicket as New Zealand’s bowling unit produced an encouraging display.
“At 40-3 on a tricky wicket, we absorbed that pressure, and it was brilliant to watch,” Kerr told reporters after the match.
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For England captain Charlie Dean, who had guided her side to a one-wicket win in the opening ODI with an unbeaten 31, the series finished level after her batters had given the hosts a defendable score in difficult conditions.
For New Zealand, the drawn ODI series in England offered both encouragement and areas to address. Their bowling looked more settled, with Mair and Illing showing signs of forming a useful pace combination. The batting, however, remains a concern after the first ODI collapse in Durham, where the White Ferns lost their last seven wickets quickly and allowed England to edge home by one wicket.
The result also marked the end of a major chapter for New Zealand cricket. Bates has been part of the White Ferns’ most important campaigns since the mid-2000s, and although her ODI farewell came on a rain-hit afternoon in Cardiff, her teammates were able to send her out with a victory.
New Zealand will now turn their focus to the T20I series against England, which begins later this week, before the T20 World Cup later in the year. Bates is set to make that tournament her final appearance in a New Zealand shirt, while Halliday and Gaze, the unbeaten pair in Cardiff, are likely to have important roles as the team continues its rebuild.
