England batting lets down Guha the Super trouper

England 98 v New Zealand 161 New Zealand win by 63 runs

The big strides being claimed in the progress of English women's cricket found an impressive advocate at Chester-le-Street yesterday when 17-year-old Isa Guha played a major role in dismissing world champions New Zealand for 161 in the final of the Tri-Series one-day international tournament.

The Berkshire teenager's three wickets were at the heart of a sound performance with the ball from the side Australian coach John Harmer is developing, although its value was somewhat undermined when England's batters could muster only 98 in reply, the Kiwis winning by 63 runs.

Harmer's aim is to reach the final of the 2005 World Cup and, while time might be on his side, the evidence here is that he has much to teach his players about one-day batting.

Only opener Claire Taylor, with 32, scored above 10 as New Zealand easily defended their total. The best hope of support for the Berkshire player lay with skipper Clare Connor and Charlotte Edwards, but after they were out cheaply, England subsided.

Too many players appeared to be thinking only of hitting boundaries, limiting the opportunity to take ones and twos. The outcome was disappointing, especially given the promise shown by the bowlers, in particular Guha, who had not played senior international cricket before this competition and last year might not have emerged from a system offering few chances for players to develop.

The introduction of a spring tournament involving only the cream of county players appears to have created an important bridge between the domestic game and the world stage.

Guha, not selected for England's tour to India last winter, was one of 48 players chosen for the Super Fours competition, brainchild of the ECB's director for women's cricket Gill McConway, which enabled four squads of equal ability to compete against one another. Guha's impressive performance in that event gained her recognition and vital experience.

"There is a huge gap in class between our domestic club cricket and international teams and too often in the past our players were not ready to step up," McConway said. "If we had not had the Super Fours, Isa would not have been ready to play at this level."

The High Wycombe A-level student, a right-arm medium-pacer, took a wicket in her first over yesterday and returned figures of 3 for 28 from 7.5 overs against some of the most accomplished batters in women's cricket, who have not lost to England since 1993.

Although beaten by New Zealand in a group match in Jersey earlier in the month, England won the chance to avenge that result after the round-robin stage by virtue of their victory over India. That was England's first success in a one-day international since they defeated Ireland in the 2000 World Cup, which prefaced a run of nine consecutive defeats.

England's matches against New Zealand last Tuesday and India on Friday were lost to bad weather and there was further disruption yesterday, although thankfully only briefly after Connor's side endorsed her decision to field first by making a dream start.

They dismissed both Kiwi openers within the first seven balls without a run scored and this despite the absence of Lucy Pearson, the side's outstanding new-ball specialist, with a foot injury.

Guha struck the initial blow when Nicola Payne edged the fifth delivery of the match to wicketkeeper Mandi Godliman. The first ball of the second over, bowled by Laura Spragg, sparked more celebrations as Rebecca Rolls skied an attempted pull.

New Zealand captain Emily Drumm, with over 2,000 runs in one-day internationals, also fell cheaply, pulling to midwicket as Guha bagged a second victim. However, young Kate Pulford rescued her side with 55 off 106 balls.

A brisk partnership between Sarah McGlashan and Aimee Mason gave the innings further momentum, but England responded well, Guha returning to claim her third victim when Mason hit to mid-off and Taylor picking up two successes as New Zealand lost their last four wickets in three overs.