Sarah Taylor steers England women to New Zealand ODI series win

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/feb/28/sarah-taylor-england-women-new-zealand

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England women claimed a five-wicket win in the one-day international series decider against New Zealand in Lincoln. Sarah Taylor, the player of the series, hit 93 from 99 balls – including 15 runs from one Sophie Devine over – before Natalie Sciver’s unbeaten 65 steered the team to victory with five overs to spare.

New Zealand had posted 230 for eight on the back of Katie Perkins’ 70 not out. Becky Grundy claimed three for 36 while Laura Marsh and Kate Cross chipped in with two wickets apiece. England were 70 for three in reply after the captain, Charlotte Edwards, was trapped lbw for 20, but Taylor took charge and looked on course for a century until she was run out.

Sciver finished the job by clubbing a four to the mid-wicket rope to secure the series 3-2. England won the Twenty20 series 2-1 earlier in the week.

Edwards said: “I’m really pleased with how strongly and quickly we got back into this tour after a slow start,. The manner in which the results have swung between the two teams across the eight matches shows what an exciting and enthralling tour this has been to play in.

“There have clearly been elements of inconsistency within our performances at times during this tour, but along with today’s run chase, the way we played to secure the nine-wicket win in the fourth ODI was superb, and it is that type of collective team effort that we need to take away and replicate on a regular basis.”

England women will next be in action when they host Australia for the Ashes in July and August. The multi-format series starts with an ODI in Taunton on 21 July and builds to a four-day Test in Canterbury from 11-14 August.