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England captain Knight's century sinks NZ

Rory DollardAAP
Heather Knight has produced another captain's innings for England in the win over New Zealand.
Camera IconHeather Knight has produced another captain's innings for England in the win over New Zealand. Credit: AAP

Heather Knight has compiled an inspired captain's century as England's women sealed their one-day series triumph against New Zealand with a record chase at Derby - but only after riding out some late drama in the three-wicket win.

Set a steep 245 for victory - two more than their previous best chase - Knight struck a classy 101 from 106 deliveries to take her team to the cusp of victory.

But she fell just short the line, setting up a final equation of six needed from the final over.

The scorebook ultimately recorded a home win with three balls remaining, but it was a nerve-shredding conclusion as Sophie Ecclestone was stumped off a wide with the scores tied.

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Leigh Kasperek lost the wicket along with the match, in a cruel moment.

The roller-coaster finish could not detract from Knight's efforts, though, with her fourth international hundred - and second in the 50-over format - a match-winning knock that underlined her crucial influence as England took an insuperable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.

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Knight's first 50-over ton had come back in the triumphant 2017 World Cup campaign and she admitted: "I'm really pleased tonight. It's a bit of a monkey off my back because I haven't had an ODI hundred since that first one four years ago.

Ever the perfectionist, Knight was kicking herself for not finishing the job.

"I was super frustrated to get out with that many needed to win," she said.

"I got a few expletives out my system sat on the bench. I hate watching. I much prefer being in control out there."

England had changed their seam attack, replacing Katherine Brunt, Tash Farrant and Kate Cross with Anya Shrubsole, Freya Davies and Nat Sciver, and put them straight to work after winning the toss.

After 10 overs, and with New Zealand creaking at 3-35, it looked a perfect ploy, with Shrubsole taking the wickets of Maddy Green and Lauren Down.

But Katey Martin's unbeaten 65 saw her share stands of 56 and 84 alongside Sophie Devine and Amy Satterthwaite.

England put down three catches off Ecclestone, who, for just the fourth time in her ODI career, ended wicketless from her full allocation.

Her new spin-bowling partner Charlie Dean had Devine lbw for 41, foxed Satterthwaite round her legs for 54 and cut Brooke Halliday down in full flight, ending with 3-52.

England's pursuit of New Zealand's 8-244 began at a lively pace, with 52 racked up in 11 overs as Lauren Winfield-Hill hit a flurry of boundaries.

But Hannah Rowe clean bowled Winfield-Hill for 33, had Tammy Beaumont caught down leg and pinned Sciver in front of leg stump.

Knight and Amy Jones (40) wrestled back control with a cool-headed stand of exactly 100.

Jones hacked Rowe to mid-off, her first real misjudgement, and tension peaked as Sophia Dunkley followed for a duck leaving England to score 60 off as many balls.

Knight gave it away with eight still needed, heaving Devine into the deep but not getting enough on it. Wyatt then got her footwork all wrong as she was lbw off the final ball of the penultimate over.

Shrubsole swatted away the mounting nerves by lifting the next delivery for four but Kasperek's wide, and Ecclestone's near-miss, brought things to a head to secure the silverware for England.

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