New Zealand continue winning form

New Zealand 202 for 7 (Fahey 59, McGlashan 55, Goswami 4-26) beat India 201 (Kala 65, Tsukigawa 3-33) by 3 wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Half centuries from Maria Fahey and Sarah McGlashan ensured that New Zealand continued their impressive run in the Quadrangular tournament in Chennai with a three-wicket win over India, who suffered their first reverse in the tournament.

Fahey and McGlashan came together with New Zealand in relative discomfort at 30 for 3, but batted with assurance to add 104 runs for the fourth wicket. Though New Zealand lost a few more wickets towards the end, they were always in control. Earlier, their bowlers, Sarah Tsukigawa and Nicola Browne, right-arm medium bowlers, kept India on a tight leash on a flat batting pitch. No Indian batsman apart from Hemlata Kala, who gave the Indian innings some respectability with a fighting 69, managed to get going.

India got off to poor start when Karuna Jain lost her leg stump walking across the line to a ball from Louise Milliken, a right-arm fast medium bowler, that slanted in to her. Jaya Sharma, a centurion in the last match batted cautiously to add 42 runs for the second wicket. Both Sharma and Raj hit seven fours between them, but Sharma's dismissal - trapped leg before by Browne heralded a mini-collapse that broke India's back. India lost three wickets in the space of 4 overs for 11 runs. Raj ran herself out as she failed to make the crease on Chopra's call for a single and she was soon joined in the dressing room by Chopra who scratched around for 13 balls before pulling Browne straight to Suzie Bates at short midwicket.

Kala joined Thirush Kamini when India were 52 for 4. The two of them added 86 mainly targeting Helen Watson and Suzie Bates, right-arm medium bowlers, and Aimee Mason, an offbreak bowler. New Zealand brought on Tsukigawa in the 40th over and the collapse began. With her first ball, Tsukigawa had Kamini caught behind chasing a wide one. In trying to get quick runs Rumeli Dhar was run out for 10. Tsukigawa's figures were disrupted somewhat when Kala hit her for a six over long off and as New Zealand's fielders fumbled at the boundary. But she eventually got Kala's wicket as the batsman stepped out of the crease to play a pre-meditated shot and was stumped by wicketkeeper Rebecca Rolls. India were bowled out inside 50 overs, Tsukigawa finishing with 3 for 33.

At this stage New Zealand were in the dominant position. But first they had to get past Jhulan Goswami. Though not strongly built like the New Zealand bowlers, Goswami generates more speed than any of them. Bates was frozen at the crease as Goswami's fourth ball zipped into her pads. New Zealand's score at the end of the first over was identical to India's at the same stage - 1 for 1. Rolls didn't see the ball coming and just left the ball alone as Goswami pitched one outside off stump that cut right back to dislodge the bail. Haidee Tiffen just managed to put the edge of her bat to a Goswami delivery that flew back to the keeper. At the end of 10 overs all predictions were on hold as New Zealand were struggling at 34 for 3.

Fahey and McGlashan then came together and took them right out of the danger zone before McGlashan was stumped off Kamini's legbreak for 55. India could have turned the game had they held on to chances offered by Fahey when she was at 8 and then again at 53. She was finally run out at 59, a decision that looked doubtful in the replays. But the tail chipped in with some quick runs and New Zealand were comfortably home.