Former champions England delivered a clinical all-round performance to thrash New Zealand by eight wickets in their final Women’s World Cup league fixture at Visakhapatnam on Sunday.
The dominant win lifted England to second place on the points table with 11 points, just behind defending champions Australia. They will now face South Africa in the semi-finals.
With a semi-final spot already secured, England used the match to fine-tune their combinations, particularly their spin attack — and it paid off brilliantly.
The spin quartet of Linsey Smith, Charlie Dean, Alice Capsey, and Sophie Ecclestone shared seven wickets between them, dismantling New Zealand’s batting lineup. After a solid start at 89-1, the White Ferns collapsed spectacularly, losing their last five wickets for just 13 runs to be bowled out for 168 in under 39 overs — their lowest total of the tournament.
England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt hailed the effort, saying, “We wanted to put in a strong performance, and this gives us a lot of confidence heading into the semis.”
However, the day wasn’t flawless for England. Star spinner Sophie Ecclestone suffered a shoulder injury after taking the crucial wicket of Brooke Halliday, forcing her to leave the field mid-over. Her fitness remains a concern ahead of the knockout stage.
Part-timer Sophia Dunkley took over bowling duties, adding variety with her wrist spin to England’s already potent spin arsenal.
During the chase, England never looked troubled. Tammy Beaumont and Amy Jones added 75 runs for the opening wicket, before Jones partnered Heather Knight in an 83-run stand to seal the win with 124 balls remaining.
Amy Jones remained unbeaten on 86, reaching her 16th WODI half-century with a huge six off Suzie Bates, and finishing the job with a classy cover drive.
It was also an emotional outing for New Zealand legend Sophie Devine, who retired from WODIs after a distinguished 19-year career. Though she couldn’t contribute with the bat, she bows out as New Zealand’s third-highest run-scorer (4,279) and second-highest wicket-taker (111). Both teams gave her a guard of honour in a fitting farewell.
New Zealand ended their campaign sixth on the table, with just one victory, as two of their matches in Colombo were washed out due to rain.
Devine reflected, “We wanted to finish on a high, but today’s performance was disappointing. I’m humbled to have represented my country for 19 years — we came with big hopes, but we just weren’t good enough.”
