NZ edge home in final game

New Zealand 141 for 8 in 46 overs (Tiffen 35) beat England 129 in 41 overs (Brindle 34*, Milliken 3-29, Steele 3-14) by 18 runs (D/L method); England won series 3-2
Scorecard

New Zealand won the rain-affected final match of the NatWest Series at Old Trafford. It was a timely boost for the world champions, who had already lost this one-day series, ahead of the solitary Test of their tour, at Scarborough next weekend (August 21-24).

It was a low-scoring match, with New Zealand managing only 141 for 8 from 46 overs before the heavens opened. Sara McGlashan made 22, and Haidee Tiffen 35 from 71 balls, as New Zealand struggled to get the bowling away. England's new-ball pair of Lucy Pearson - tight throughout this series - and Jenny Gunn kept the runs down, going for only 29 and 23 runs respectively from their ten-over allocations.

The rain brought a long interruption, and for a while it seemed as if the match would have to be abandoned. But eventually the skies relented, and England came out to bat, facing an adjusted target of 148 from 46 overs. They started slowly, then three run-outs derailed the innings. Arran Brindle (formerly Arran Thompson) applied herself for 34 in 79 balls, but no-one else exceeded Charlotte Edwards's 23 from the top of the order. Louise Milliken and Rebecca Steele both took three wickets, with Steele's costing her only 14 runs from 10 overs.

England eventually fell 18 runs short of their revised target, being bowled out with five overs left, but had the consolation of taking the series 3-2.