Pressure on hosts and holders as New Zealand and England prepare for win-or-bust battle

They are two of four teams locked on three defeats, safe in the knowledge that a fourth loss at the most competitive Women's World Cup on record will all but end their chances of progression

By the time England and New Zealand leave the Eden Park field on Sunday, either the holders or hosts will be all but out of the World Cup.

Locked in the most tightly contested tournament on record, the equation is now that simple. They are two of four sides to have lost three times already, safe in the knowledge that a fourth defeat will – barring an unlikely set of results – end all hopes of a semi-final berth.

Australia's victory over India has added Mithali Raj's team to that congestion, while West Indies – twice beaten – are also ominously placed with a poor net run rate and a clash against South Africa still to come.

Katherine Brunt was part of the England team that heeded an early wake-up call in 2017 after losing their opener against India, before recovering to win the tournament. And having experienced that pressure of a home World Cup, she insists that all eyes will be on New Zealand in their win-or-bust encounter.

"I would say that would definitely add some tension, especially with it being at Eden Park," said Brunt, "and I have no doubt there will be a very good outpouring of people for that game to support their country, so 100 per cent that will add to the pressure on them."

Consecutive defeats against Australia, West Indies and South Africa have forced England into this corner; they were close games, but it was their own sloppiness that meant they came out on the wrong end of all three. Extras have been a major issue with the ball, while dropped chances have been particularly costly.

They improved exponentially in beating India, knowing that anything but a positive result would have ended their campaign, though the batting was still brittle and reliant on performances from Heather Knight and Nat Sciver after a poor start.

^{Marizanne Kapp played a match-winning hand to beat New Zealand in their last game (Michael Bradley/AFP via Getty Images)}

The decision to shift Danni Wyatt to the top of the order alongside Tammy Beaumont has backfired: not only has Wyatt's career record as an ODI opener been mostly mediocre, the decision to drop Lauren Winfield-Hill has meant moving Wyatt away from her role at No.7, shortening an already-misfiring batting line-up in the process.

Whether England feel as though they can return to Winfield-Hill so soon – or hand a chance to Emma Lamb in a must-win game – must surely be on the minds of Knight and Lisa Keightley.

There might also be calls to be made around the formation of their bowling attack, with the Eden Park pitch offering little to either the spinners or seamers in Australia's high-scoring win over India on Saturday.

Australia aborted their recent tactic of picking two leg-spinners, leaving out Amanda-Jade Wellington. It would be harsh on Charlie Dean to exclude her after a match-winning display against India last time out, but how England approach Eden Park – with its unusual dimensions – could go a long way to deciding the outcome of a game in which neither can afford to slip up.