Persistent rain forced abandonment of the second ODI between England and New Zealand at Northampton, with not a single ball bowled in the match. Originally scheduled for a 13:00 BST start, heavy delays pushed the toss until 15:30, with New Zealand captain Melie Kerr electing to field first. However, another downpour began just before play was set to resume at 16:00, prompting umpires to call off the match entirely at 16:45.

England maintain a 1-0 series lead after their dramatic one-wicket victory in the opener at Chester-le-Street. The washed-out match leaves the three-match series finale at Cardiff on Saturday as the decider. Both teams will now shift focus to the subsequent three-match T20 series, where New Zealand's White Ferns enter as defending world champions in the format.

The weather disruptions mean England's ODI squad has yet to face New Zealand in proper match conditions during this tour, with the series decider set to provide the only competitive action in the 50-over format before the teams transition to the more explosive T20 matches. Cardiff's forecast looks clearer for Saturday's crucial encounter.