Cricket World Cup: England beat New Zealand in Auckland thriller

England are on course for a place in the semi-finals of the Women's World Cup after somehow completing a nerve-shredding one-wicket win over hosts New Zealand in Auckland.

Chasing 204 to win at Eden Park, defending champions England were being taken to victory by a stand of 70 between Nat Sciver and Sophia Dunkley.

But Dunkley's dismissal for 33 was the beginning of a chaotic collapse of five wickets for 20 runs, leaving England 196-9.

Amid unbearable tension and with rain falling — play could have been stopped with England ahead on the DLS method — England needed last-wicket pair Charlie Dean and Anya Shrubsole to find eight runs.

Number 11 Shrubsole, who was England's hero in both the final and semi-final five years ago, drove Brooke Halliday for four to bring the scores level, then hit the winning run from the next ball.

England draw level on four points with India and New Zealand and are likely to reach the semi-finals if they beat Pakistan and Bangladesh, the bottom two teams in the group.

New Zealand, who have played a game more than England, need an unlikely series of results to go their way in order to make the last four.

England have put up a helter-skelter defence of the trophy they won in 2017, winning only one of their first four games. This was so close to being a shambolic exit.

With New Zealand hampered by on-field injuries to Lea Tahuhu and Sophie Devine, England needed 28 runs with six wickets in hand and more than nine overs remaining. What followed defied belief.

Dunkley played down the wrong line to be bowled by Frankie Mackay, while Sciver played an awful cut at Jess Kerr to be bowled after an otherwise faultless 61.

Panic set in. Sophie Ecclestone was bowled, Kate Cross was lbw, both to off-spinner MacKay,