England is still on course for victory
England may not have been at their best as a batting unit, but they have shown the ruthlessness of a team used to winning.
It is a quality lacking in an inexperienced New Zealand side who have taken the initiative in both matches of this series and failed to drive home on each occasion.
When the roles have been reversed, England has been clinical. They took early advantage of a White Ferns batting line-up deprived of Bernadine Bezuidenhout, who pulled up while fielding and was unable to bat.
Even as Halliday and Gaze built their partnership, it never felt like England was getting away from them.
With the tourists in trouble, Bell and Cross returned to the attack, soon followed by Sciver-Brunt, and the pressure was turned up.
That led to Gaze's run out, Halliday fell eight balls later and the game was over as a contest.
England could have done without the batting collapses, but they still have the players with the quality and know-how to produce the goods when the game is on the line.
05 April 2024, 11:36