Derby [England], September 23 (ANI): New Zealand pacer Lea Tahuhu admits it was touch-and-go as to whether she would be able to play any part in New Zealand's tour of England after undergoing foot surgery.

On Tuesday in Leicester, fast bowler Tahuhu took a career-best 5 for 37 to bowl England out for a below-par 178 and she hit the winning runs as the White Ferns overhauled the target - on the back of Maddy Green's unbeaten half-century - to keep the ODI series alive.

Having missed the T20I leg of the tour, which England won 2-1, after having a pre-cancerous mole removed from her foot over the New Zealand winter, Tahuhu said she wasn't sure she would be able to come back as strongly as she had.

"If you'd asked me if I could put out a performance like that, well you dream of those things don't you? So it's just nice to be able to contribute to a win for the White Ferns," she was quoted as saying as by ESPNcricinfo.

"There was a point where it was looking pretty iffy for me to be on this tour to be completely honest with you," she said. "But look, I'm a pretty stubborn person, as most fast bowlers are, so I worked pretty hard to prove that I would be able to be an option for these one-day games.

"The T20s were a bit too early on in the rehab, but to be able to be there and be available for selection for the one-day games sort of only became realistic probably by the time we landed here in England.

England still lead 2-1, but Tahuhu believes the victory will give her side an important confidence boost with two matches left to play, in Derby on Thursday and Canterbury on Sunday. (ANI)