debut: 3/6/03
9,995 runs
England's experiment with Amy Jones at the top of the order paid dividends as she and opening partner Tammy Beaumont scored centuries in a 108-run victory over West Indies in the first ODI in Derby.
It was Jones' maiden international century after 12 years and more than 200 games across formats for England, helping to set a lofty victory target of 346 after captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, who chimed in with a 35-ball fifty, won the toss.
Linsey Smith, the left-arm spinner on ODI debut following a career resurgence in 2024 after nearly five years on the outer, claimed a five-wicket haul to bowl West Indies out for 237 with 10 balls to spare despite a 91-run opening partnership between Hayley Matthews and Qiana Joseph.
Jones and Beaumont both scored at better than a run a ball and shared a 222-run stand for the first wicket as England reached 345 for 6.
Jones had opened the batting 22 times previously in ODIs, but not since the 2019 Women's Ashes - and 18 times in T20Is, most recently during the World Cup in Australia five years ago.
But perhaps in a sign of what was to come, she had opened with Beaumont in all seven of her innings for The Blaze in this year's domestic one-day cup competition and scored 80, 52 and 41 in her last three outings there.
Jones's innings was chanceless until, on 92, she drove the ball hard back at bowler Jahzara Claxton who couldn't hold on despite getting both hands to it. Karishma Ramharack missed a similarly well-struck return catch off Jones in the next over.
Jones displayed excellent placement and timing, highlighted by a beautiful cover drive off Zaida James for four followed by two more boundaries off the same bowler, threaded expertly between backward and cover point and plundered over mid-on. She brought up her half-century in 59 balls with a single into the leg side off Matthews.
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