Good Knight for England, bad night for NZ

Heather Knight’s masterful century inspired England to their highest run chase to clinch the one-day international series against the White Ferns yesterday.

England captain Knight scored 101 from 107 balls, hitting 10 fours, as the hosts won the fourth ODI by three wickets in Derby to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the fivematch series.

The White Ferns posted a competitive 244-8, led by Katey Martin’s unbeaten 65 from 83 balls and Amy Sattherwaite’s 54 from 86 balls, but Knight’s second century in 111 ODI

matches ensured her side won despite a late scare, chasing 245.

Hannah Rowe troubled the English batters in their chase with 4-47 from her 10 overs, but New Zealand could only get the prized wicket of Knight in the penultimate over as England were coasting to victory.

The skipper almost singlehandedly guided England to their highest ODI run chase, bettering the total of 243 they reached to beat the White Ferns in Lincoln in 2008, but she was caught in the deep by Brooke Halliday for the first of Sophie Devine’s two late wickets in a frantic finish.

Knight’s departure gave the White Ferns an outside chance as Danni Wyatt was then out LBW for

27 off the last ball of the 49th over, with England 239-7, needing six from six balls. However, Anya Shrubsole’s four down the ground eased English nerves to start the last over. The hosts won with three balls to spare after Leigh Kasperek’s wide was the winning run.

Amy Jones (40) was England’s next highest scorer and Sophia Dunkley’s duck, when she was trapped lbw by Sattherwaite, ensured the match was in the balance with 10 overs left, with England 185-5.

The White Ferns had bounced back from losing the first two ODIs to win the third after a matchwinning display from star pace bowler Lea Tahuhu, who was rested for the fourth, but their bowling attack lacked firepower in the closing stages after Rowe completed her 10 accurate overs of tricky medium, swinging pace.

After being sent into bat by the hosts, New Zealand’s middle order revived their innings and an 84-run,

fifth-wicket partnership between Martin and Satterthwaite lifted the Kiwis to 173-5 after wobbling on 33-3 in the 10th over.

The opening batters, Suzie Bates (17) and Lauren Down (11), and No 3 Maddy Green (0) all failed in another difficult start for New Zealand’s top order.

The White Ferns kicked on with captain Devine’s 41 from 48 balls and 50s for Sattherwaite and Martin, who batted together for 16.3 overs to put New Zealand in a strong position for a late push in the final overs.

When Sattherwaite fell in the 39th over, Halliday hit four fours and one six in a breezy 28 from 19 balls.