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England captain Serena Guthrie's turnover enabled the Roses to take the lead
England won their first series in New Zealand with a win in the final quarter. They defeated world champions 49 to 45 in Christchurch.
After a slow start, the Silver Ferns took a 10-goal advantage at half-time.
England's shooting circle was expanded by Eleanor Cardwell, who allowed them to find their rhythm and went on to score the final 15 goals.
Serena Guthrie's turnover allowed the visitors to take a narrow lead with ten minutes remaining and they won.
Geva Mentor, England's defender, stated that "we showed grit" and that it was something they can build upon. Geva, who is returning to the side after two years, spoke on Sky Sports.
Jess Thirlby, England's head coach, said that the win was a "huge accomplishment" and praised her team's ability to deal with the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus epidemic.
She said that it was a leap of faith to get on the plane without all the information from New Zealand.
It was very frustrating to arrive at the quarantine and find that everyone was in their own rooms. It was very tiring.
"I admire the professionalism and professionalism of the players and staff in handling this situation."
England lost the series by 3-0 in New Zealand last year. After a brief lead at match's beginning, it seemed as though another defeat was coming.
As they tried to get into the shooting circle, the Roses wasted many turnovers. New Zealand took advantage of their opportunity and led 26-16 at halftime.
At the break, George Fisher was replaced by Cardwell as goal shooter. England's attack seemed to be led by Cardwell who helped them reduce the lead to 36-32 at halftime.
Guthrie's defense was decisive, as the captain's tip allowed her side to take control and claim a historic win.
Both sides were unable to prepare for the pandemic coronavirus, and it is not clear if England will be able to continue its planned series against Australia.
Mentor stated, "It is testament of this group and to the resilience we have shown to just get there."
"The S andCs [strength & conditioning coaches] had to create really great plans for us to prepare our rooms. We ran 5 km in our rooms.
"We'll wait and see if we get off to Australia."
Mentor spoke highly of England's "great team" ahead of their Commonwealth Games defense on home soil in 2022. He added: "We all fight for positions, but we're all encouraging one another to get out there to put in our best performances."
Line-ups
New Zealand: Jury, Burger, Winders (capt), Kersten, Saunders, Selby-Rickit, Wilson.
Replacements: Hume, Nweke, Poi, Toeva, Tong.
England: Mentor, Guscoth, Cobden, Guthrie (capt), Malcolm, Drakeford-Lewis, Fisher.
Alternatives: Clarke, Clarke and Joseph.
