Sophie Ecclestone bowls England to opening ODI win

NICK FRIEND AT DERBY: No player reached fifty as the hosts reached 243 for 9, before left-arm spinner Ecclestone took charge in the middle overs

Derby: England 243-9, Pakistan 206-9 - England win by 37 runs

England began their three-match ODI series against Pakistan with a comfortable, if at times imperfect, victory in Derby.

No player reached fifty as the hosts reached 243 for 9, before restricting their visitors to 206 for 9 on a breezy, dank afternoon.

Alice Capsey top-scored for England, making 44 – her highest ODI score – as all of the home top seven made starts but failed to go on. Maia Bouchier was trapped in front for 17, Tammy Beaumont missed a sweep on 33, Heather Knight – dropped twice along the way to 29 – and  Nat Sciver-Brunt (31) were both caught behind of Aliya Riaz, while Amy Jones top-edged a sweep for 37 and Charlie Dean – batting at No.7, with Danni Wyatt unwell – cleaned up for 20 for one of Nida Dar's three wickets.

That none of those capitalised on strong starts allowed Pakistan a sniff at a first ODI win over England, and they started well, with Sadaf Shamas dominating an opening partnership of 37 in 7.3 overs.

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^{Alice Capsey top-scored for England in Derby (Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)}

But Sidra Ameen edged behind a beauty from Lauren Bell, who was often wayward early on, before Sophie Ecclestone took charge in a manner that she often does.

Shamas dragged on attempting to cut the left-arm spinner, who then drifted a perfect arm-ball through Ayesha Zafar's gate, before Muneeba Ali edged a drive off Bell.

Pakistan got within 100 with six wickets still in hand, but Dar slog-swept Dean to deep midwicket and the pack of cards tumbled thereafter, with a third wicket for Ecclestone and a first for Kate Cross.

England were far from their best, though. There were 26.2 overs of dot-balls in their batting innings and 25 wides when they bowled, while the normally flawless Jones also shelled an early opportunity off Bell.

Nevertheless, they had too much for Pakistan, who weren't bowled out but never threatened to overhaul a 244-run target, as the series moves on to Taunton on Sunday.

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