Drumm leads from the front

New Zealand captain Emily Drumm was the difference between the two teams as her aggressive 59 steered the home side to a third straight victory over the touring England side at Auckland with two matches left in the five-match series.

England won the toss and captain Clare Connor set the visitors off to a slow start with fellow opener SC (Claire) Taylor against the tight bowling of the New Zealand opening attack of Katrina Keenan and Rachel Pullar. They took until the seventh over to get into double figures and it was not until the first bowling change in the 11th over, the 15-year-old Munokoa Tunupopo replacing Keenan at the city end, that the first boundary came, a Connor drive through extra cover. drumm made it a double change with medium pacer Haidee Tiffen replacing Pullar at the scoreboard end, and immediately going for another Connor specialty through extra cover.

However, in the 14th over, just when the England pair were looking to build on their foundation, the grand dame of New Zealand cricket, Debbie Hockley, produced the necessary magic, scoring a direct hit from short mid-wicket at the bowler's end, leaving a backing-up Connor just short of her ground. The captain gone for 16 with the score at 41.

New arrival Charlotte Edwards punished a wild full toss from Tunupopo through mid-wicket but otherwise Connor's departure put a brake on the scoring. It was also helped by Catherine Campbell's off spin replacing Tunupopo, whose three overs had cost 17 runs.

The 50 came up in the 18th over. However, celebrations did not last long, Taylor on 29 being given out lbw, stretching forward to Campbell with the score at 52.

Nicky Shaw did not last long, failing to beat a Tunupopo throw from square leg. Nor did Jane Cassar, caught behind by Rebecca Rolls, standing up to Campbell, in the 21st over with the score on 58.

Tight fielding and bowling, with Kathryn Ramel on for Tiffen, maintained the scoring restraint. Edwards finally gave in to frustration, tried to force the pace and succeeded only in guiding Ramel to first slip where Tiffen took a smart catch. England 67 for five in the 26th over, Edwards having contributed nine.

The new pair, Laura Newton and Kathryn Leng, set about rebuilding the innings. However, difficulties in piercing the field kept the scoring to a minimum. drumm kept ringing the changes. She brought Keenan back for a couple of overs at the city end before replacing her with Pullar. At the scoreboard end she tried Tunupopo, much to the pleasure of the England pair, who took 11 off the youngster's two overs before she was replaced by Campbell.

The 100 came up in the 38th but just as the last 40 overs beckoned with England in improving shape, Pullar got one through Newton, whose departure on 24 ended a 35-run partnership with the score on 102.

Leng and new arrival, Melissa Reynard, attempted to accelerate the scoring but a pull by Leng off Pullar went straight down Tunupopo's throat at backward square leg. Leng gone for 18 with the score at 112 for seven. Chasing quick runs brought about Reynard's demise, her despairing dive failing to beat substitute Helen Watson's throw from mid-on with the score at 120 in the 46th over.

Tiffen had replaced Campbell, whose 10 overs had cost just 25 runs, and Ramel came on at the city end for an injured Keenan. But they were unable to restrict the new pairing of Dawn Holden and C.E. (Clare) Taylor. The duo produced an unbeaten partnership of 26 off 27 balls as England fair raced to 146 for 8, Taylor's 13 coming off 14 balls.

It was a total that did not look likely when England lost their fifth wicket with the score at 67 in the 26th over.

Campbell and Pullar, with the same figures of two for 25 off their 10 overs, were the best of the New Zealand bowlers. Ramel with one for 22 off eight was the other wicket-taker while the three runouts were testimony to the team's fielding effort.

New Zealand, in the form of Kate Pulford and Nicola Payne, started the chase for 147 slowly and quickly found trouble against the opening pace of Lucy Pearson and Clare Taylor. With the score at 15, Taylor bowled Pulford, who had looked to be middling the ball well, and Pearson had Payne superbly caught at short mid-wicket by the substitute Barbara Daniels.

The new partnership of drumm and Tiffen did not last long. Another superb catch, this time in the gully by Newton, removed Tiffen with score at 18 in the 12th over.

drumm and Rolls set about resurrecting the innings, quick singles and a four apiece increasing the run rate. However, a double bowling change, the introduction of left-arm spin of Holden and Connor, ended Rolls stay, having a big heave and being bowled by Connor for five with the score at 34 in the 18th over - and New Zealand in some strife.

What better time for the arrival of Hockley at the crease? The experienced pair stepped up the pace. Holden in particular suffered, Hockley sweeping full tosses through mid-wicket and drumm square driving through extra cover.

Nine came off one over, expensive in any match but particularly so in a lowscoring one and it was not surprising to see her replaced at the city end by left-arm medium pacer Reynard midway through the innings.

By the 26th over with the score at 66 New Zealand had finally caught up with the England rate. Drumm and Hockley continued to dominate the bowling. Their 50 partnership came up off 78 balls in the 31st over as drumm milked runs from guided shots through third man. However, Hockley's attempt to cut through the same area brought about her demise, caught behind by Cassar standing up to the medium pace of Reynard. Hockley gone in the 33rd over for 22 in a partnership of 56 with the score on 90.

Ramel joined Drumm, who drove through extra cover to bring up her 50 in 77 balls and the team's 100 in the 35th over. With quick singles and the occasional blow in anger, they entered the final 10 overs needing 28 to win.

But just when New Zealand looked to be doing it easily Drumm, on 59, hauled Pearson behind square where a leaping Holden took a fine catch high above her head. It was just reward for Pearson, who was in the process of completing her 10 overs for 20 runs and two wickets.

Pullar joined Ramel with 27 runs required from nine overs. No nervous crawl to victory here. The pair went for lofted straight drives to cut big holes in the deficit.

Connor tried first herself and then Reynard at the city end while the dependable Taylor bowled out her 10 from in front of the scoreboard, ending up with two for 29. But they could not stop the New Zealand march towards the target, reached in the 47th over with Ramel not out 22 and Pullar not out 13 off 16 balls.

Connor, one for 20 off seven, and Reynard, 1 for 25 off 7.2, were the other wicket-takers as England competed in all areas of the game. But they just could not get past the Drumm factor.