Duncalf successful but England beaten

Duncalf, the world No 2, performed well under pressure to level the tie in Palmerston North, seeing off world No 5 Rachael Grinham 11-7 11-4 11-9 in 35 minutes.

That had followed Sarah Kippax's 11-4 11-4 11-4 defeat at the hands of Sarah Fitz-Gerald, the five-time world champion who came out of retirement to play the event.

Duncalf's victory then sent the final into a decider between team-mate Laura Massaro, the world No 9, and Kasey Brown, the Australian No 2 ranked two places higher. Brown, who played in 2006 when the team finished 10th and again in 2008 when they finished sixth, won 11-6 11-9 8-11 11-8 after a gruelling 77 minutes.

"This is the first time I've been part of the winning team – we've had such a big history in squash, it feels amazing to be part of it," she said.

Elsewhere, it was a disappointing final day for hosts and fourth seeds New Zealand who had gone close to beating England in the semi-finals but had to settle for fourth, following a 2-1 loss to Malaysia.

Shelley Kitchen finished the event unbeaten after an 11-5 11-9 11-6 win over Malaysian Sharon Wee, but Jaclyn Hawkes was predictably beaten in straight games by world No 1 Nicol David.

Low Wee Wern and Joelle King were left to decide the bronze medal with the Malaysian securing an 11-13 11-2 11-8 11-1 victory, clinching Malaysia's third successive third-place finish in the event.

Leeds-based former world

No 1 Vanessa Atkinson helped her native Holland secure victory in the ninth-place play-off, her 11-2 9-11 13-11 7-11 11-6 win over Tenille Swartz helping set up a 2-1 victory over South Africa.