Lee Tahuhu’s five-wicket haul and 19 not out helped New Zealand women beat England by three wickets to bring the tourists back in the five-match One Day International series at the Grace Road ground here on Tuesday evening.
England lead the series 2-1.
Needing a win to keep the series alive, New Zealand elected to field first and restricted England to 178, with Tahuhu scoring 5/37. Tahuhu again followed suit, scoring an unbeaten 19 with ‘Player of the Match’ Maddy Greene (70 not out) as the tourists got home in the 46th over.
New Zealand made two changes to their XI after consecutive defeats. Molly Penfold was handed her ODI debut in place of Jess Kerr, while Hayley Jensen replaced Hannah Rowe. For England, Nat Sciver was rested for the game with Katherine Brunt and returned to the XI.
Tahuhu struck early and regularly for New Zealand with the new ball, removing Tammy Beaumont (1), Lauren Winfield-Hill (4), Heather Knight (6) and Sophia Dunkley (6), as England were 27/ was confined. Before the 10th over.
Debutante Penfold then acted on the act, beating Amy Jones (21) and Danny Wyatt (10) in successive overs, before Tahuhu cleaned up Charlotte Dean (10) to register her first ODI for five runs. left England. Hole on 78/7 on the 23rd.
However, New Zealand failed to clear the tail. Brunt and Sophie Ecclestone (8) took England past 100 and were later trapped in front of the stumps by Leigh Kasperek (1/28).
Kate Cross then joined Brunt in the middle and the duo put on a vital 53-run partnership for the ninth wicket. Cross’s innings of 29 came to an end when she was caught backing up at the non-striker’s end. Brunt’s fierce drive flicks Kasperek’s fingers and goes to hit the stumps with a cross near his crease.
Tash Farrant and Brunt added 24 runs for the final wicket to take England to 178, who were at one point 78/7. Brunt remained unbeaten and fell one run behind the half-century.
Brunt (4/22) struck twice with the new ball, bowling Suzie Bates (5) in the fifth over and accounting for Lauren Down (7) in the seventh, putting New Zealand in trouble at 13/2 Continuing your great match.
Green and Amy Satterthwaite rebuilt the innings with a 72-run partnership before Dean (1/38) played straight into the hands of mid-off. Satterthwaite was soon brought back into the pavilion by captain Sophie Devine, whose stumps were trampled by Brunt for three in the 27th over.
With the double out, the momentum was back with England, but Greene and Brooke Holiday brought New Zealand back into a 52-run partnership that took them within 33 runs of victory.
But from a position of strength, New Zealand slipped to 158/7 at 146/4. Tahuhu, who has been in good form with the bat, steps up again to see him take the win with Green.
The next meeting of the two sides will be on 23 September.
Brief Scores: England Women 178 in 48.3 overs (K Brunt 49 not out; L Tahuhu 5/37) lost to New Zealand 181/7 in 45.5 overs (M Green 70 not out, A Satterthwaite 33; K Brunt 4/22) by 3 wickets.
get all IPL news and cricket score Here
.