Defending champions England earned a hard-fought 15-run victory over New Zealand in their inconsequential Super Six match at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup here on Wednesday.  

England and last edition’s runners-up New Zealand were knocked out of the tournament after West Indies upstaged Australia in an earlier match.

With the current match rendered inconsequential, England and New Zealand will now be pitted for a third place play-off. 

In a match that almost seemed to be a rehearsal for the third place play off on Friday, chasing England’s 266 for six, New Zealand were guided by skipper Suzie Bates (79) and vice-captain Amy Satterthwaite (103), but the team from Down Under could manage only 251 for nine. 

Score board

ENGLAND: Charlotte Edwards c Perkins b Browne 8; Danielle Wyatt c Browne b Nielsen 16; Sarah Taylor c Browne b Bates 88; Lydia Greenway st Priest b Doolan 22; Laura Marsh b Nielsen 11; Arran Brindle c McGlashan b Doolan 1; Heather Knight (not out) 28; Jennifer Gunn (not out) 23; Extras: (LB-2, W-10, NB-1) 13; Total: (for 6 wkts, 50 overs) 266

Fall of wickets: 1-59, 2-127, 3-186, 4-209, 5-213, 6-228

Bowling: Sian Ruck 9-1-41-0, Rachel Candy 6-0-30-0, Suzie Bates 9-1-53-1, Morna Nielsen 10-0-57-2, Nicola Browne 10-0-58-1, Lucy Doolan 6-0-25-2.

NEW ZEALAND: Lucy Doolan st Taylor b Brindle 1, Suzie Bates b Gunn 79, Amy Satterthwaite c Edwards b Wyatt 103, Sophie Devine c Taylor b Colvin 17, Sara McGlashan c Gunn b Brunt 15, Nicola Browne b Colvin 1, Katie Perkins b Wyatt 8, Rachel Priest c Knight b Colvin 1, Morna Nielsen b Gunn 0, Rachel Candy (not out) 4, Sian Ruck (not out) 6. Extras (B-1, LB-5, W-10) 16. Total (for 9 wkts, 50 overs) 251.

Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-145, 3-196, 4-214, 5-216, 6-225, 7-232, 8-235, 9-237.
Bowling: Katherine Brunt 10-1-50-1, Arran Brindle 6-0-30-1, Laura Marsh 9-0-57-0, Jenny Gunn 10-1-26-2, Holly Colvin 10-0-48-3, Danielle Wyatt 5-0-34-2.