ENGLAND Women bounced back from defeat to South Africa earlier on Saturday to beat New Zealand by 54 runs in Taunton, backing up a solid batting performance with a lethal display in the field.

Nat Sciver top scored in England's 172-8 off their 20 overs, and Sophie Ecclestone took four wickets as the White Ferns were all out for 118, no player getting past 23.

England came into the match off the back of a six-wicket reverse to South Africa earlier in the day, whereas this was New Zealand's first match since Wednesday.

Tammy Beaumont survived a run-out off the very first ball, after an umpire's review, making the most of that close call by striking two consecutive boundaries to finish the first over.

More was to follow, Beaumont racing to 16 off eight balls, and Wyatt joined the party with a couple of slick boundaries of her own.

Wyatt's innings ended on 15, however, as Suzie Bates took a straightforward catch off Leigh Kasperek.

That left England on 37-1 after five overs, and that became 42-2 when Sarah Taylor was run out by Hayley Jensen, the bowler diverting Beaumont's drive onto Taylor's stumps.

Sciver helped her side past 50 with a couple of boundaries and a dash for two - just about avoiding the run-out.

But New Zealand claimed a big scalp soon after, Beaumont trying one scoop shot too many and being bowled by Jensen, gone for 23 at 58-3 in the eighth over.

England needed a big innings from captain Heather Knight, and she and Sciver began to rebuild with some smart running.

Some sloppy fielding helped England's cause, as they reached 74-3 after 10 overs, and Sciver punished a dropped catch with a driven four through square leg.

The pair were working together well, moving towards 100, but then Knight was well caught in the deep by Lea Tahuhu, going for 19.

Sciver and Katherine Brunt did take England up past 100, and Brunt found the boundary with a miscued shot which just evaded being caught, before another - more decisive - four, as the home side made it to 113-4 after 14 overs.

Sciver reached her half-century (off 31 balls) in the 16th over, with her first of two successive fours, and England were up to 132-4 with four overs left.

Brunt then got a bottom edge to Sophie Devine's delivery and was bowled for 14, before the same fate befell Amy Jones (0), meaning Anya Shrubsole came in to face the hat-trick ball.

The Somerset star swept it away for four, though, moving her side onto 139-6.

But England's bad patch continued, Sciver caught by Jensen off Anna Peterson, her innings ended at 59 (off 37 balls, with seven 4s).

From 143-7 with two overs left, Shrubsole and Ecclestone took their team's total up past 150 with a couple of lusty blows.

Shrubsole struck the first six of the innings into the Sir Ian Botham Stand, but then sent a shot straight into Amelia Kerr's hands to fall for an 11-ball 22.

Danielle Hazell hit a boundary from the next ball, and she and Ecclestone (9no) took England to a final score of 172-8.

For New Zealand, Kasperek took 3-35 off four overs and Devine 2-42 off four.

That looked to be about par for the wicket, but England's struggle to clear the rope was made to look like it could cost them when Devine smashed Shrubsole's second ball for six.

Soon she had another, but attempting a third she was snared by Wyatt on the boundary, off the bowling of Tash Farrant, to depart for 13.

That was the starting pistol for captain Bates, cracking consecutive fours off Farrant and then dealing out further punishment to Shrubsole.

Katey Martin was struggling, though, unable to score off the fifth over, giving Ecclestone a maiden.

Brunt then dealt a huge blow to the White Ferns, trapping Bates (23) lbw, to leave the away side 39-2.

Amy Satterthwaite did not last long, caught and bowled by Knight for two, and New Zealand were 47-3 in the eight over.

Martin and Maddy Green counter-attacked with a couple of boundaries, reaching 68-3 after 10 overs (at which point England were on 74-3).

Green raced to 23, but then lost Martin (16), clean bowled by Ecclestone at 77-4.

That became 79-5 when Green was caught by Shrubsole off Knight, and then 80-6 when Kerr (2) was pouched by Farrant off Sciver in the 13th over.

Brunt dropped Peterson on two, and she and Bernadine Bezuidenhout made it to 87-6 at the end of the 14th over.

Ecclestone continued her impressive performance by bowling Bezuidenhout (5) at 91-7, and then having Kasperek (0) stumped by Taylor to leave the White Ferns 93-8 after 15 overs.

Jensen was off to a quick start, taking her side past 100, but Ecclestone returned and had Peterson (7) caught in the deep by Sciver.

From 106-9 in the 17th over, New Zealand were all out for 118 in the 19th, giving England victory by 54 runs, after Jensen (14) was bowled by Farrant.

Ecclestone was the star with the ball for England, taking 4-18 off eight overs, while Knight chipped in with 2-17 off four and Brunt with 1-7 off two.

The sixth and final match of the series sees England face New Zealand again, at 5.40pm on Thursday (June 28), at the Bristol County Ground.