England won the series with a clinical performance against New Zealand.
England defeated New Zealand by 49 runs in the second ODI to clinch the three-match series with a game in hand. Batting first, England got a strong start thanks to a 96-ball 70 from opener Tammy Beaumont. Captain Heather Knight chipped in with 36 as the two put on 70 runs for the first wicket.
However, a middle-order collapse followed with the loss of four wickets for 41 runs. Amy Jones’ counter-attacking 48 helped England post a competitive 252.
Chasing 253, New Zealand found themselves in a hole early on despite the best efforts of Brooke Halliday and Izzy Gaze, who added 100 runs for the fifth wicket. The duo’s partnership gave the White Ferns hope, but England brought back their seamers to break it.
Nat Sciver-Brunt was the pick of the bowlers with 3/21 as New Zealand were bundled out for 196 in the 45th over. The result ensured England took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
Beaumont acknowledged the difficulty of batting but credited England’s depth for the victory. New Zealand displayed a fight through Halliday and Gaze’s batting, but the inexperienced side failed to capitalize on opportunities created.
England will look to complete a whitewash when the teams meet in the dead rubber third ODI on Sunday at the same venue. Their clinical performances overall, despite batting failures, indicate their status as the top-ranked ODI team.
