England’s international summer officially kicks off on Sunday, May 10, when the Women’s side takes on New Zealand in the first One Day International (ODI) at the Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street. 

England have not played an international game since their 2025 World Cup semi-final defeat at the hands of South Africa towards the end of October 2025. The series will also see them with a new captain in Charlie Dean, with Nat Sciver-Brunt unavailable for selection after sustaining a calf injury.

New Zealand, on the other hand, come into this series after beating South Africa 2-1 on home soil. Their last ODI was back in April when they defeated the visitors by 66 runs in Wellington.

ENG W vs NZ W: Match Details

Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street: Pitch Report

The Riverside Ground, like any other ground in England, does offer assistance to the fast bowlers early in the innings, thanks to the weather conditions. The side winning the toss, however, should decide to bat first and make the most of the fresh wicket. In men’s ODI, the average first innings score at the venue is 242.

ENG W vs NZ W: Head-to-Head ODI Record

ENG W vs NZ W: Predicted Playing XIs

England Women:

Amy Jones (WK), Kira Chathli, Heather Knight, Alice Capsey, Emma Lamb, Charlie Dean (C), Danielle Gibson, Issy Wong, Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell

New Zealand Women:

Melie Kerr (C), Suzie Bates, Georgia Plimmer, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Isabella Gaze (WK), Izzy Sharp, Jess Kerr, Nensi Patel, Rosemary Mair, Molly Penfold

ENG W vs NZ W: Probable Best Performer of the Match

Probable Best Batter: Melie Kerr

New Zealand captain Melie Kerr has been in sensational form with the bat ever since he took over the captaincy earlier this year. During the second ODI against South Africa, the right-handed batter scored an unbeaten 179 to help her side chase down 347, the highest in the women’s game. 

Probable Best Bowler: Lauren Bell

Following a successful stint in the Women’s Premier League, Lauren Bell went on to represent Hampshire in two Metro Bank One Day Cup matches. She had an excellent start to her summer, taking a career-best 5 for 22 against Durham in Southampton. The 25-year-old will once again be tasked to lead England’s seam-bowling attack. 

Sunrisers Hyderabad will face Punjab Kings in a reverse fixture on May 6 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in the Indian Premier League 2026.

SRH currently sit third on the points table with six wins from 10 matches. Having lost the earlier encounter against PBKS, they will be eager to bounce back and settle the score. However, a recent defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders means they need a quick turnaround to regain momentum.

On the other hand, PBKS are at the top of the table with six wins in nine matches. Despite their strong position, back-to-back losses against Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans have slightly dented their rhythm. They will be keen to return to winning ways and register their seventh victory of the season.

SRH vs PBKS: Match Details

Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad: Pitch Report

The surface at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium is generally known to favor batters, with the ball coming nicely onto the bat, allowing for free-flowing stroke play and high scores. However, bowlers can still find success if they maintain disciplined lines and lengths. The previous match being a day game saw slightly different behavior from the pitch. In a night fixture, conditions are likely to change, dew could play a role, making batting easier in the second innings.

SRH vs PBKS: Head-to-Head T20 record

SRH vs PBKS: Predicted Playing XIs

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH):

Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (WK), Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Salil Arora, Aniket Verma, Pat Cummins (C), Shivang Kumar, Harshal Patel, Sakib Husain

Impact Player: Eshan Malinga

Punjab Kings (PBKS):

Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (C), Marcus Stoinis, Suryansh Shedge, Nehal Wadhera, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.

Impact Player: Vijaykumar Vyshak

SRH vs PBKS: Probable Best Performers of the Match

Probable Best Batter: Abhishek Sharma

Abhishek Sharma could be the key batter in this clash. He has been in outstanding form, scoring 440 runs in 10 innings at an impressive average of 48.89. Given the batting-friendly conditions at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, his aggressive approach at the top can set the tone for Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Probable Best Bowler: Eshan Malinga

Eshan Malinga could prove to be the key bowler in this clash. With 15 wickets in 10 matches, he has been a consistent performer and a genuine wicket-taking option. On a batting-friendly surface like the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, his ability to strike at crucial moments can shift momentum. If he delivers a tight and impactful spell, he could play a decisive role in guiding his team toward victory.

Today’s Match Prediction: Chasing team to win the match

The action gets spicier in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 as Delhi Capitals (DC) cross swords against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Match No. 48 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi, on Tuesday, May 05. This game is slated to be a night fixture and will be played under lights.

Delhi Capitals have had a mixed run in their IPL 2026 campaign thus far. They have played nine encounters so far, winning only four and losing five. The Axar Patel-led franchise currently finds itself in the seventh spot on the leaderboard, with all of their remaining games being extremely crucial with an eye on the spot for the playoffs.

Chennai Super Kings, on the other hand, started quite poorly this season but have made a terrific comeback in the tournament. Out of their last five games, the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led team has won three matches, including a comprehensive victory against arch-rivals Mumbai Indians. With form and confidence in the dressing room, CSK will look to better their standings on the table after the match on Tuesday.

DC vs CSK: Match Details

Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi: Pitch Report

Teams batting first have usually enjoyed their time playing at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. The way matches have fared at the venue, with the first innings total averaging around 178 this season, is a testament to the fact that the surfaces here offer a balanced track, with the bowlers also getting a decent amount of assistance. Spinners are likely to dominate here. Any total in excess of 200 can be considered a defendable one.

DC vs CSK: Head-to-Head T20 record

DC vs CSK: Predicted Playing XIs

Delhi Capitals

Pathum Nissanka, KL Rahul (WK), Nitish Rana, Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Sameer Rizvi, Axar Patel (C), Kyle Jamieson, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan

Impact Player: Karun Nair

Chennai Super Kings

Sanju Samson (WK), Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Urvil Patel, Kartik Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Prashant Veer, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary

Impact Player: Gurjapneet Singh

DC vs CSK: Probable Best Performers of the Match

Probable Best Batter: KL Rahul

KL Rahul started his IPL 2026 campaign poorly, but he has shown everyone he is the man of comebacks with terrific form in the middle of the tournament. With a daddy hundred and three half-centuries to his name already, Rahul has 433 runs from nine innings and poses a real threat to CSK at the Kotla deck. Chennai bowlers will have to be wary of the stroke play Rahul possesses, as he can thwart any bowling attack with utmost ease.

Probable Best Bowler: Anshul Kamboj

Anshul Kamboj, the bowler from Haryana, has been the best pacer, not only for CSK, but also overall in the ongoing nineteenth edition of the tournament. He is the joint-highest wicket-taker thus far, tied alongside Bhuvneshwar Kumar with 17 wickets in nine matches. Kamboj’s ability to nail his yorkers in the death overs has made him an extremely lethal weapon for CSK, as the franchise has been assisted quite well by the pacer in their comeback story this season.

Today’s Match Prediction: Team batting first to win the match