Amelia Kerr stars as New Zealand cruise past India

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All-rounder Amelia Kerr starred with bat and ball as New Zealand continued their excellent form in the lead-up to next month's ICC Women's Cricket World Cup with an emphatic 63-run victory over India in the fourth ODI in Queenstown on Tuesday.

While rain played spoilsport with the contest by reducing the match to 20 overs per side, the hosts maintained their recent dominance over India by cruising to another easy victory to make it 4-0 in the five-game series.

Kerr stole the show with an unbeaten 68 for New Zealand as the home side compiled a massive total of 191/5 from their allotted 20 overs before the star all-rounder returned with the ball to pick up the final three wickets as India were bowled out for 128.

Richa Ghosh (52 from 29 balls) was the one shining light for the visitors as she scored the fastest ever half century by an Indian woman in an ODI to save some embarrassment for the tourists.

After a lengthy delay due to rain, skipper Sophie Devine (32) and Suzie Bates (41) got New Zealand off to an excellent start as they scored with ease to take the score to 53/0 in the sixth over.

Devine fell to Renuka Singh (2/33), but Amelia Kerr joined Bates and the duo continued to put pressure on the Indian bowlers by finding the boundary with ease.

Amy Satterthwaite (32 off 16 balls) got in on the act to smash consecutive sixes from Deepti Sharma (1/49) and Amelia Kerr kept the momentum going as the White Ferns set India a massive target.

India lost Shafali Verma (0) to a soft dismissal to Frances Mackay (2/22) in the opening over of the chase and when Yastika Bhatia (0) fell to Jess Kerr (2/11) in the next over it was not looking good for Mithali Raj's side.

Pooja Vastrakar (4) was Hayley Jensen's (3/32) first victim in the next over to make it 12/3 before Smriti Mandhana (13) picked out Amelia Kerr on the deep midwicket fence to ensure the hosts were firmly in control.

Ghosh and Raj combined to put on 77 from just 49 balls for the fifth wicket to breathe some life into the contest, but it was all in vain as Amelia Kerr (3/30) returned to the attack to put the final stamp on a dominant New Zealand victory.

The fifth and final game of the series will be held at the same ground in Queenstown on Thursday.