NZ vs ENG: “We Really Want To Keep Trying To Dominate Teams And Win Series”- Tammy Beaumont

NZ vs ENG: In a riveting encounter at the Oval, England secured a decisive victory over New Zealand in the second ODI of the series. The English team, spearheaded by a stellar performance with both bat and ball, emerged victorious, leaving New Zealand chasing shadows.

With the series now firmly in England’s grip at 2-0, the anticipation for the final showdown is palpable. Tammy Beaumont, the cornerstone of England’s batting lineup, exhibited sheer grit and determination on the field.

In a post-match interaction, while replying to Neha Shetty of Women’s CricInsight, the right-handed batter shed light on the team’s strategy and her batting prowess that propelled England to a formidable total.

Addressing the collective effort, Tammy Beaumont acknowledged New Zealand’s formidable bowling attack, stating, “Credit to New Zealand bowlers, they had really clear plans and executed really well.” 

She further added, “It was a case of trying to set a score for the team. I actually thought at one point we’re probably going to fall a little bit short, but that partnership between Kate Cross and Amy Jones, who’s in fine form at the minute really put us up to that 250. Then we just back our bowlers on any wicket in any conditions to get the job done and they certainly did that with the way Nat Sciver-Brunt and Sophie Ecclestone, in particular really kept the lid on the scoring rate and really put the pressure on, I thought was exceptional.”

Despite the initial challenge posed by the pitch, Tammy Beaumont praised her teammates, especially Kate Cross and Amy Jones, whose partnership bolstered England’s total to a competitive 252.

Reflecting on her innings, Tammy Beaumont confessed, “I found it really tough through the middle. I spent a lot of time questioning whether it was me or whether it was the wicket.”

She also observed, “I think New Zealand really squeezed, then we obviously had that partnership with Heather and once she got out, we lost a couple of wickets back to back, but I found a bit of fluency afterwards that after that. So, maybe in future, I need to just take stock and think about what the team needs. I’m happy with how I was batting just before I got out, but as an opening batter you always want more and I think in particular, in the situation I was in, I needed to play that senior role and bat a lot longer.”

However, Tammy Beaumont’s knock of 81 proved pivotal in setting the stage for England’s triumph. While she expressed satisfaction with her performance, she lamented her dismissal, acknowledging the responsibility of playing the senior role and anchoring the innings further.

Yet, she lauded Amy Jones’s elegant batting display, emphasizing the depth in England’s lineup. She said, “Fortunately we’ve got someone like Amy Jones and Heather Knight which meant me getting out didn’t actually cause too much drama. It just meant that somebody else got an opportunity to score some rounds and I thought she batted beautifully.”

Assessing the conditions, Beaumont commended the pitch’s balanced nature, asserting, “It was a wicket that had a bit in it for both bat and ball. If you really apply yourself with discipline with the bat you can score runs, I think you saw if you got in then it was quite easy to score on myself and I think it was Brooke Halliday and Izzy Gaze from the opposition and Amy Jones I think all looked pretty good.”

She further remarked, “I also think if you’re a bowler and you kept your distance and you bowled a good length on the stump it was really tough to score and I think in particular the way Sophie Ecclestone showed her class. She can make it turn and bounce on a wicket like that and I think it’s going to be tough for any opposition and so I think it was a good wicket for kind of everyone involved really.” She highlighted Sophie Ecclestone’s bowling prowess, underscoring England’s confidence in their bowling attack.

When asked about the defendable total of 252, Beaumont weighed the team’s performance against the backdrop of the match dynamics. “Yeah, I think probably at one point when I was batting with Alice Capsey, you’re probably thinking, oh, we could probably push past that 250, maybe even get 270,” she began, reflecting on the partnership during the innings.

Applauding the efforts of England’s bowling she said, “But with our bowling attack, we’ve got so much confidence in how they bowl on all conditions, they really find a way to do the job for us. So we almost know, even if we think we should have got more runs with the bat, that the bowlers always come through for us. So yeah, so much confidence with our bowling attack at the moment.”

Tammy Beaumont played a steady knock in the second match

However, she astutely analyzed the pitch conditions and the subsequent pressure exerted by New Zealand’s middle-order partnership.

She also added, “But actually, the way the pitch played throughout and in the second innings, I think 250 was probably par and it showed the class of our bowlers kind of getting those four early wickets. I think they were 80 for four, it’s tough to come back from that. But that partnership in the middle for them really put us under a bit of pressure and I think they played really well. From my point of view, probably need to close out the game a little bit more,” she concluded, acknowledging the equilibrium between bat and ball.

Despite the initial advantage gained by England’s bowlers, Tammy Beaumont acknowledged the resilience of New Zealand’s middle order, indicating areas for improvement in closing out the game.

Regarding the potential for experimentation with newer players in the next game, Beaumont adopted a pragmatic yet ambitious approach. Recognizing the depth of talent within the squad, she emphasized the importance of maintaining dominance while keeping an eye on future tournaments.

“On the plus side, we know what our bench strength is and we know we’ve got some great players missing out in this series already. But at the same time, I think for us, we really want to keep trying to dominate teams and win series like three in if we can and keep pushing our cricket on and putting pressure on and really trying to practice those big moments of, must win series and must win games for what’s coming up with World Cup, you know, knockout cricket not too far away. So we’ll be desperate to win no matter which 11 is on the pitch,” she remarked, acknowledging the versatility of the squad and highlighting the team’s unwavering commitment to excellence and preparation for the challenges ahead, including the impending World Cup.

With the series virtually sealed, Beaumont hinted at maintaining the team’s dominance, expressing a desire to experiment while keeping an eye on the overarching goal of ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025.

She said, “In the last 18 months before this series, we’ve only played six ODIs. So when you come back to ODI cricket, like with that little cricket. You have to remind yourself of how to play the game, the right tempo, the right way to build a spell, all those kinds of things. So we’re always trying to think about, OK, this is where we are now, but this is where we want to get to before that World Cup in India. There’s certainly always a big picture thinking with our squad because we just want to keep pushing forwards and playing fun cricket, but also winning games of cricket as well,” she remarked.

Izzy Gaze Shares Her Perspectives on the 2nd ODI

While England basked in glory, New Zealand’s Izzy Gaze emerged as a beacon of hope amidst the storm. Her valiant effort, alongside Brooke Halliday, showcased New Zealand’s resilience despite the eventual defeat.

In a candid exchange, Gaze expressed satisfaction with her performance, stating, “Pretty happy to get a few runs on the board for myself. Plenty of learnings for the team today and I think what me and Brooke were able to do out there just would have been nice to do that for a little bit longer and hopefully set that into the next game.” 

She highlighted the importance of partnerships, crediting Halliday for her support and guidance during their innings together. She said, “Yeah, she’s good, she keeps me calm and tells me to back my strengths which is important I think, so how I play. But yeah, I think to start with we just looked at rotate strikes and then push the runway a bit and then try to keep it under eights and over and I think once we were able to find a boundary after a while it was just quite nice to be able to go over.”

Reflecting on the bowling performance, Gaze praised her teammates for hitting the right areas and emphasized the need to replicate their success in the upcoming game. Reflecting on the same, she shared, “ I think we bowled some really good areas and I think our variations worked well and got some wickets off that so we’ll just need to back that in our next game and it just shows that we can take some early wickets and we’ll be on our way.”

With a focus on maintaining high energy levels on the field, she singled out Georgia Plimmer for her exceptional fielding prowess.

She said, “A big thing for our team is just to bring as much effort and energy in the field and I think that showed today that Georgia Plimmer is definitely a standout and she’s always hustling for the ball and she probably saved us a lot of runs. I think if we look at her and keep that as a standard.”

Looking ahead, Gaze emphasized the need to approach each game with renewed focus, acknowledging the importance of accumulating points for the ICC standings.

She said, “ It’s just can we bring that to the third game and potentially get another one and we know that points are really important for us with the ICC standings. It’s really crucial to get some points on the board for that in the final series with the one”.

Despite the loss, her determination remains unwavering as she gears up for the final showdown. As England celebrates a well-deserved victory, New Zealand’s resolve remains unshaken, setting the stage for a thrilling finale in the upcoming ODI.

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