No over-confidence in White Ferns camp after series win

New Zealand's CLEAR White Ferns will not be suffering from any over-confidence as the result of their clear sweep over England when going into next week's opening game against Australia at the CricInfo Women's World Cup.

While managing a comfortable eight wicket win to complete the third win of the series today in Timaru, the memory of Tuesday's two wicket win when chasing 135 to win was still fresh enough in the mind to be a valuable lesson for the side.

"It was a really beneficial series for us," White Ferns captain Emily Drumm said after the win.

"We still have to do the hard work. Yesterday we were too complacent and because England are such a young team they don't know the meaning of giving up. They do fight hard.

"It was really pleasing for us to get together as a team, we still have heaps to do," she said.

Australia would be in a completely different league to England. It was the tournament favourite and New Zealand wouldn't be able to afford to spill catches, to play bad shots or to bowl below their ability.

"The Aussies will come out firing. We know that. We know their game so well and we also know where we have to be to be competitive.

"The difference is that we have the ability and the experience. Having Clare Nicholson back is a big advantage as we can put out a good side," she said.

The Australia-New Zealand game would not be a warm-up for anything.

"The warm-up is over," she said of the England series.

It was disappointing that the middle-order didn't get another chance for a bat, and they would have had the chance had New Zealand won the toss.

But as Drumm said they couldn't keep compensating for batsmen who didn't take their chance as was the case in the rejigged batting line-up on Tuesday.

England captain Clare Connor said she believed New Zealand would be strong contenders for the world title.

"They have improved since earlier this year. They are a good outfit and they have the belief. Their batsmen play aggressively and they are not afraid to hit the ball in the air.

"But I truly believe that player for player we have as much talent as New Zealand, but our team is that much younger," she said.

Drumm agreed with that and said that inexperience had let them down when they needed to know how to go on and win a game.

"Cricket can be a cruel game when inexperience lets you down. Young batsmen have to learn to put together an innings of more than 20 overs and getting that experience takes time," she said.

"They have the enthusiasm and spirit, they are such a young side and they have a promising future but they have to make sure they learn from it all," she said.

To do better in the World Cup England needed to start building its partnerships, Connor said.

"We had a better opening partnership here today than we've had. There is too much class in the side not to come good soon.

"We have a week off and will have lots of practice sessions. We've got to start hitting over the top and believing in ourselves," she said.