Bell leads England to ODI clean sweep over New Zealand

Third ODI, Bristol

New Zealand 211-8 (42 overs): Kerr 57 (82); Bell 5-37

England 212-5 (38.4 overs): Sciver-Brunt 76* (84), Jones 50 (50); Rowe 2-38

England won by five wickets, win series 3-0

Scorecard

Lauren Bell's career-best 5-37 set up England's five-wicket win over New Zealand in the third one-day international at Bristol.

After afternoon rain delayed the start and reduced the game to 42 overs a side, the White Ferns were restricted to 211-8.

England slipped to 33-3 in reply but were rescued by Nat Sciver-Brunt and Amy Jones' fifth-wicket stand of 90.

Sciver-Brunt finished with 76 not out and Jones made a run-a-ball 50 as England got over the line with 20 balls remaining.

The win secures a series clean-sweep for England, with a five-match T20 series to follow, starting at Southampton on Saturday.

England's triumph was instigated by Bell, 23, who bowled Sophie Devine for 43 for her first wicket, breaking a crucial third-wicket stand of 68 between the New Zealand captain and Amelia Kerr.

Kerr was then pinned lbw for 57, New Zealand's only half-century of the series, before Brooke Halliday was caught behind for 31 and both Izzy Gaze and Lauren Down were caught at mid-on.

It was the visitors' highest total of the series after being skittled for 156 and 141, but they still lost a flurry of wickets with four for 27 falling at the end of the innings.

An impressive powerplay with the ball then saw England's middle order exposed for the first time this series, with Tammy Beaumont trapped lbw for a duck, Heather Knight caught and bowled for nine and Maia Bouchier falling for 19.

Sciver-Brunt was dropped on 63 shortly after Jones' departure in the 31st over which added a few nerves, but she eventually paced her innings to perfection with Alice Capsey, unbeaten on 35, to calmly steer them to victory.

With the partnership between Kerr and Devine accelerating after the early departures of openers Suzie Bates and Georgia Plimmer, it seemed like it was proving to be third time lucky for New Zealand in terms of batting first in the series.

After two poor displays that had visibly frustrated captain Devine, the experienced campaigner was leading from the front with an aggressive, run-a-ball 43 before Bell’s reintroduction in the middle overs changed the course of the game.

Bell’s early career saw her sharp in-swing take most of the attention but she has matured impressively, her variations evident in this match-winning spell where she stepped up in the absence of the world's best spinner Sophie Ecclestone, who was rested.

Devine played on to a short ball, which forced Kerr into taking the aggressive role and she was trapped in front after swinging across the line following another important stand of 65 with Halliday.

Halliday was a little unlucky to glove a short ball behind to Jones, but both Gaze and Down were deceived by canny slower balls as England squeezed the pressure on the White Ferns’ out-of-sorts middle to lower order.

The slip from 181-4 to 211-8, though an improvement, mirrored New Zealand’s series so far which has consisted of some solid starts, glimpses of resistance from Kerr, Devine and Halliday, before wilting without one of those three at the crease.

But Bell’s form has come at a great time for England – she may not play all five of the T20s, depending on her workload, but they will be grateful for the time she has to continue gathering momentum and confidence before October's World Cup in that format.