England's best battled to the end yesterday but their reign as the champions of women's cricket is over. They were beaten by 20 runs by New Zealand in the World Cup semi-final in Madras, in a match that showed their improvement but also their limitations.

For the Kiwis, the result helped erase the memory of defeat at Lord's by England in the 1993 final. But for England, it left a bitter taste.

England were penalised by one over for the slow bowling rate after New Zealand put them into bat. But the umpires Perumal Benkacusan and Natarajan Murlidhram included the two five-minute drinks breaks in their calculations which managers and coaches had agreed would not be counted before the tournament began.

Furthermore the innings was halted several more times for drinks in a 30-degree heat. There were also stoppages when dogs roamed onto the pitch.

"I talked to the umpires after the innings and they agreed to reinstate the 50 overs and we shook hands on it," England's coach Megan Lear said. "Then with 12 overs left I was told we only had 49. Their decision was wrong. Of course it affected the players who need to go onto the field knowing how many over they have left."

But for a three over 25-run barrage at the end of the New Zealand innings, England could have won the match. They limited Debbie Hockley, the world's highest run scorer, to 43 off 104 balls after captain Karen Smithies took the wicket of Emilie Drumm, the other key scalp, in the fourth over.

It was the batting which failed England, as it did against Australia, however. England matched New Zealand's scoring rate for most of the game but once Barbara Daniels had gone, leg before for 30 in the 29th over, England had no big hitters left.

Charlotte Edwards and Daniels struck four boundaries each of England's 12 but while the Kiwis picked up their run rate as their innings progressed, England could not follow suit.

Sue Metcalfe and Jan Brittin have not found their stride in the championship and Jane Cassar, whose style could soon rival that of Brittin who has been prolific in the past, went to a direct hit from mid-wicket by Maia Lewis for six.

With only Clare Connor, an opener for Sussex, and strike bowler Clare Taylor to take England through the last three overs, victory was out of sight.