England celebrate the final wicket to win the game and series during the second One Day International women's cricket match between New Zealand and England at Seddon Park in Hamilton. Photo: Aaron Gillions / www.photosport.nz
The England women's cricket team's tour of Aotearoa has one game remaining, but a 56-run win in the second ODI on Thursday cemented the visitors' dominance over the White Ferns.
Having already won the T20 series, England have now also sealed the one-day series with a game to play.
The odds were stacked against an understrength White Ferns side, who were missing captain Sophie Devine as she continued to recover from a leg injury picked up earlier in the series, coupled with the late withdrawal of bowler Rosemary Mair with a back injury on the morning of the match.
England chose to bat first at Seddon Park and set the White Ferns a total of 253 to chase, which was the largest total New Zealand has had to chase in a couple of seasons.
New Zealand dismissed England for the first time this tour when they were all out in the 49th over, but the damage had already been done.
England opener Tammy Beaumont generally has success when she plays against the White Ferns and it was no different in Hamilton as she brought up her 19th ODI 50 - and her 8th against New Zealand - before getting out for 81 in the 34th over.
Beaumont held her ground while losing four batting partners, including Maia Bouchier (20) and Heather Knight (37), before playing a lofted shot off Hannah Rowe which was caught with ease by Georgia Plimmer.
Wicketkeeper Amy Jones was the next best with the bat for the visitors as she hit seven boundaries before she fell just short of a half century when Lea Tahuhu had her caught by Brooke Halliday for 48 in the 48th over.
Pace and spin got wickets for New Zealand as all six bowlers used took a scalp. Spinner Fran Jonas took 2-47 from her 10 overs and medium pacer Jess Kerr had 2-50 from her full complement of overs while Lea Tahuhu took 2-50 from 8 overs.
Stand-in captain Amelia Kerr's spin got 1-35, making her the most miserly of the New Zealanders.
New Zealand's chase started strongly with Suzie Bates scoring 10 runs off the first over, but she would be out for 28 as the second wicket to fall.
While New Zealand's top order struggled and lower order could not guide the side to victory, a 100-run fifth wicket partnership between Brooke Halliday and Izzy Gaze gave the hosts hope.
Gaze was run out for 47 in the 40th over. It was her highest ODI score, bettering her previous top score of 26.
Halliday followed three overs later for 57 after she was stumped. The Auckland representative has now scored three of her four 50s against England.
The White Ferns' run-rate was ahead of England's until around the 10th over when it dipped and New Zealand never caught up.
Medium pacer Nat Sciver-Brunt took 3-21 from her 7 overs to be England's best with the ball.
The final match of the ODI series is in Hamilton on Sunday.
