Taylors Guide England To Series-Clinching Victory

Taylors Guide England To Series-Clinching Victory

Claire Taylor stroked an unbeaten 51 to see England to a series-clinching win

©Action Images / Andrew Couldridge Livepic

England Women 139-1 (C Taylor 51no, S Taylor 49no) beat
New Zealand Women 136-9 (Watkins 42, Brunt 3-31) by nine wickets
Fourth One-Day International, Barnsley
Scorecard

England Women moved into an unassailable 3-1 series lead over New Zealand Women with a patient nine-wicket victory in the fourth One-Day International at Barnsley.

Katherine Brunt marked the first international match at her home ground to take three for 31 as New Zealand struggled to make 136 for nine and it took England into the 47th over of their reply to knock off the winning runs thanks to an unbroken second-wicket partnership of 98 between Claire and Sarah Taylor.

For the second time in as many matches, New Zealand captain Aimee Watkins top scored to get her side out of trouble after they were reduced to 53 for four and then 96 for seven as Brunt's triple strike and a pair apiece from Jenny Gunn and Holly Colvin left the tourists reeling.

Natalie Dodd's 22 proved to be the next best score for New Zealand and Watkins' was the final wicket to fall when she was caught by Lydia Greenway off of Colvin.

England then made a steady start to the run chase, Sarah Taylor and Heather Knight putting on 41 for the first wicket before Knight was bowled by Sophie Devine for 18 in 48 balls.

The experienced pair of Sarah and Claire Taylor then stepped things up and England imposed themselves on the game before clinching it with Sarah unbeaten on 49 in 131 balls having played the anchor role and Claire on 51 in 99 balls, hitting six fours and a six.

"It was great batting with Claire Taylor, she kept me going," Sarah Taylor said after the match. "The Kiwi’s bowled well, but we were patient and the runs just came."

Brunt added: "I never thought we would play here, it has been a dream come true for me. The conditions haven’t suited me in recent matches, but today it was a nice little seaming wicket.

"It meant the world to me to pick up a few wickets in front of my family."

The fifth and final match will be played at Lord's on Tuesday 20th July.

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