Maddy Green’s half-century helped the hosts past 200, something that looked to be at a distance after a late collapse
48.5 overs New Zealand Women 203 (Green 52*, Devine 41, Cross 3-35, Ecclestone 3-41) vs England Women
Cross then gave England an opening when she got Bates to miscue one high for mid-off. Soon, Devine had to retire hurt on 37 after going down with a sore back and barely managing to get up and walk off.
While Cross and Sciver kept the lid on the scoring, Dean’s introduction further slowed things down as Amelia Kerr and Amy Satterthwaite struggled to rotate strike. The offspinner, who had returned career-best of 4 for 23 against India, got Amelia Kerr to top-edge a sweep, the shot that she had employed successfully throughout the series against India.
Green then took on Ecclestone after a watchful start, while Satterthwaite, too, began to accelerate with a slight drizzle making an appearance. However, Dean trapped Satterthwaite to start the slide for New Zealand. Brooke Halliday was run-out cheaply with a sharp effort from Sciver at cover while Katey Martin and Lea Tahuhu scored 6 and 0 respectively, the latter falling to a stunning one-handed grab by a diving Knight at covers.
The fall of the sixth wicket saw Devine walk back in the middle. But her stay was a brief one as she holed Cross to long-on after a boundary via a thick outside edge, leaving the hosts reeling at 160 for 7 in the 40th over.
S Sudarshanan is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo