England Beat New Zealand In Final Super Six Game

England Beat New Zealand In Final Super Six Game

Sarah Taylor's 88 helped set up England's 15-run win over New Zealand

©ICC/Solaris Images

England Women 266-7 (Taylor 88) beat
New Zealand Women 251-9 by 15 runs
Women's World Cup Super Six, Mumbai
Scorecard
Report by John Pennington

England Women beat New Zealand Women by 15 runs in the final Super Six match of the Women's World Cup in a match that was a repeat of the final four years ago.

Events elsewhere in Mumbai, where the West Indies beat Australia, confirmed that neither of this sides can go any further in the tournament, but that didn't stop them producing an entertaining game.

Half-centuries for Sarah Taylor (88) and Charlotte Edwards (54) helped England reach 266 for six and although Amy Satterthwaite scored her maiden World Cup century and Suzie Bates made 79, New Zealand fell short when they closed on 251 for nine.

Left-arm spinner Holly Colvin took three wickets as on a day of batting collapses, New Zealand lost six wickets for 23 runs.

England's opening combination of Edwards and Danielle Wyatt had hitherto struggled to give their side a platform but this time they combined well to put on 59 for the first wicket before Wyatt was caught by Nicola Browne off Morna Nielsen for 26.

It was during Edwards and Taylor's 68-run partnership for the second wicket that news filtered through from the other game that no matter how well the winner of this side would play, the result was academic.

Edwards struck nine fours before falling to Browne while Taylor looked set for a century, hitting 16 fours and a six in 79 balls, only to be caught by Browne off Bates.

New Zealand then wrested back some control, spinners Lucy Doolan (2-25) and Nielsen (2-57) removing Lydia Greenway (22), Laura Marsh (11) and Arran Brindle (1), only for England to finish strongly through Heather Knight's 28 not out in 14 balls and Jenny Gunn's unbeaten 23 in 11 inculding some lusty straight hits in the final over.

With Anya Shrubsole not taking the field due to a migraine, England opened with Brindle and superb work behind the stumps from Taylor had Doolan stumped down the leg side for one.

However, they were not to celebrate another wicket until the 30th over as Bates and Satterthwaite put on 134 for the second wicket. They seldom looked in much trouble as it was England's turn to struggle with the ball. Katherin Brunt was taken out of the attack earlier and even rotating the bowlers proved ineffective. Bates made clever use of her crease to pierce the field while Satterthwaite drove beautifully, reaching her second ODI century in 120 balls.

It was Gunn who finally broke their stand, bowling Bates for 79 and although Sophie Devine (17) and Sara McGlashan (15) briefly offered Satterthwaite support, England had found their discipline and quickly put the pressure back on the 2009 runners-up.

Colvin had Devine caught behind, Wyatt had Satterthwaite caught by Edwards as she drove outside the off stump and then began the clatter of wickets as no other White Fern player could reach double figures.

Colvin bowled Browne (1) as she tried to sweep, Wyatt had Katie Perkins (8) similarly dismissed and Colvin's third wicket came when Rachel Priest (1) was brilliantly caught by Knight in the deep, sliding in on her knees. Brunt, who felt she should have had Satterthwaite early in her innings when a vociferous appeal for an edge behind was turned town, finally got some reward when McGlashan failed to clear the infield and was caught by Gunn.

Gunn bowled Nielsen without scoring to leave final pair Rachel Candy and Sian Ruck, both of whom finished unbeaten on four, with far too much to do. 35 runs required in four overs had not been an impossible task, but the subsequent clatter of wickets certainly made it so.

The two sides meet again, this time with third place at stake, in two days time.

© Cricket World 2013