The world No 2 Silver Ferns bounced back with a well-executed outing after losing three of their last four against the fourth-ranked Roses.
In their eighth test of a hectic end-of-season international campaign, the Silver Ferns showed their growing stature and ability to stay the distance in a tight contest.
Shooter Grace Nweke, with 53 goals from 57 attempts, was an immense figure under the hoop.
The Silver Ferns impressed with their game smarts in closing out the tight tussle through effective hustle on defence, where Kate Heffernan and Kelly Jackson were key spoilers, and the necessary composure on attack proved key.
"It felt really good out there and the team felt really connected," Silver Ferns captain Karin Burger said.
"There’s a few one-percenters that we probably need to look at, but now that we’ve had that first game against them, we have a bit more to go off in analysing what the next game needs to look like," she said.
The Silver Ferns opted for the midcourt pairing of Maddy Gordon (centre) and Mila Reuelu-Buchanan (wing attack), and Georgia Heffernan at goal attack.
The Roses welcomed several established players back into the fold, including prolific shooter Helen Housby for her 112th test. They also introduced 1.88m goalkeeper Jaz Brown for her test debut.
The first quarter provided a close contest with England having a slightest of edges. Defenders Funmi Fadoju and Brown kept a tight grip on the danger of Nweke.
Quick ball into key strike weapon Nweke started to pay off for the New Zealanders, who grabbed the opportunity late to snatch a 15-14 lead at the first break.
With Gordon moving to wing attack, and Kimiora Poi taking over at centre, the Silver Ferns attack end moved up a gear.
The speedy midcourt pairing delivered a flurry of precision ball into Nweke’s hands as the towering 1.93m shooter started to get the upper hand.
The Heffernan twins were key contributors, with Georgia playing at excellent hand in the play-making role at goal attack while Kate was a key distributor and disruptor from wing defence.
The Silver Ferns defence end provided more pressure on England’s first phase play, which opened the door to turnover opportunities.
It helped them lead 33-30 at halftime.
The Roses made a strong start to the second half with midcourt changes including Jess Shaw moving from centre to wing attack and Amy Carter (centre) and Beth Cobden (wing defence) coming off the bench.
Big defensive pressure also helped England make a big push forward to regain the lead and build a three-goal buffer. Showing their growing composure, there was no panic from the Silver Ferns who steadied and responded.
With Amelia Walmlsey taking over at goal attack in the third stanza, the Silver Ferns lifted across the court.
Walmsley combined neatly with Nweke to slot the last goal of the quarter to leave the game delicately poised at 47-47 and the prospect of an exciting run to the line.
The teams played again overnight.
International series
The scores
Silver Ferns 61
Grace Nweke 53/56, Georgia Heffernan 4/4, Amelia Walmsley 4/4
England 58
Olivia Tchine 32/34, Helen Housby 19/21, Eleanor Cardwell 7/10
Quarter scores: Silver Ferns: 15-14, 33-30, 47-47.
— Allied Media
