New Zealand Women vs England Women Match 28 Full Commentary

Welcome back for the second essay. The players return to the ground. Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Amy Jones will open the innings for England Women. It will be Bree Illing to start with the ball for New Zealand Women. Here we go!

... THE RUN CHASE ...

Chase coming up - Chasing 164, England Women will be confident of getting the job done. Can they maintain their unbeaten run, or will New Zealand Women produce a spirited bowling display to defend this total in a must-win contest? We'll find out shortly. Stay tuned for the chase.

What does Sophie Devine have to say? Devine says they lost a couple of wickets soon after she arrived at the crease and jokes that she thought she might have jinxed it. She adds that rebuilding the innings alongside Brooke Halliday was crucial before they were able to shift gears and play their shots. She admits the change of pace made batting tricky, highlighting the spells from Freya Kemp and Lauren Bell, and says the team will take valuable learnings from the conditions. Reflecting on Ireland's win earlier in the day, she jokes that a few members of the squad are now 'half Irish' but stresses that New Zealand's fate remains in their own hands and the team is focused on giving its best.

All-round bowling effort - For England Women, Lauren Bell, Linsey Smith, and Sophie Ecclestone bowled disciplined spells, while Danielle Gibson and Freya Kemp picked up wickets despite proving a touch expensive. The hosts were sharp in the field, with excellent ground fielding complemented by safe catching and a solid bowling effort overall.

Good battle between bat and ball - An impressive batting performance from the New Zealand Women powered them to a competitive 163/6 in their 20 overs. After electing to bat first, openers Amelia Kerr and Isabella Gaze laid a solid foundation with a 70-run partnership for the first wicket. However, the White Ferns suffered a brief collapse, losing three wickets in quick succession. Sophie Devine and Brooke Halliday steadied the innings with a brisk half-century stand, keeping the scoreboard moving. Late cameos from Maddy Green and Suzie Bates, after the top five batters had departed, provided the finishing touches and lifted New Zealand past the 160-run mark.

Lauren Bell to bowl the final over. New Zealand Women will look to reach 170 here.

Sophie Ecclestone to bowl the penultimate over.

Time to sign off - That wraps up a one-sided contest where England Women complete the group stage with a perfect record, while New Zealand Women's campaign comes to an end. But the excitement is far from over as all eyes now turn to Group A, where both semi-final spots are still up for grabs mathematically, but the Aussies have one foot in with four wins. A blockbuster double-header awaits on Sunday, 28 June. First, South Africa Women face Bangladesh Women at 9.30 am GMT, with a Proteas victory putting them in a strong position to qualify. That would leave India Women needing a win over Australia Women in the second match at 1.30 pm GMT (7 pm IST), though Net Run Rate could still prove decisive. For all the qualification permutations and live coverage, make sure to join us for both games. Until then, cheers and goodbye!

The victorious skipper of England Women - Charlie Dean is delighted with England finishing the group stage unbeaten, saying the team achieved exactly what it set out to do by topping the group in front of a packed crowd. She heaps praise on Danni Wyatt-Hodge, joking that despite barely sleeping, she keeps scoring runs, and says her transformation into a genuine 360-degree batter has been incredible to watch. She believes England's success has come from different players stepping up at different moments, with both the batting and bowling units understanding their roles and executing them well. Reflecting on the conditions, she notes that The Oval offers extra bounce, leaving bowlers with very little margin for error, while batters can trust the bounce and play their shots. Looking ahead, she hopes the team can head to a pub to watch England's FIFA World Cup match, joking that they'll all be enjoying a Diet Coke.

The captain of New Zealand Women - Amelia Kerr says the hardest part of the defeat is seeing three legends of the game - Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine and Lea Tahuhu - bring their international careers to an end, adding that their contribution to New Zealand and world cricket will be deeply missed. She feels fortunate to have shared a dressing room with them and is grateful for everything she has learned from the trio. Reflecting on the match, she believes Ireland's victory gave New Zealand a lifeline, but despite posting 160 after a strong platform, the team lost wickets at crucial moments and failed to bowl with enough discipline. She credits Danni Wyatt-Hodge for a superb innings and admits England were allowed too much width. She acknowledges it has been a disappointing tournament but believes the young squad has plenty of talent. She says there is significant room for improvement in all three departments and feels that even small gains with the bat, ball and in the field can make a big difference going forward.

Time to hear from the two captains now...

End of the road - New Zealand Women never truly looked like defending 163 as, apart from an early missed chance off Danni Wyatt-Hodge, they struggled to create opportunities. The bowlers were far too inconsistent, offering plenty of loose deliveries, with Nensi Patel the lone wicket-taker. However, their exit was shaped long before this match, with costly dropped catches in the opening games proving decisive. Those missed chances ultimately ended their semi-final hopes and brought the illustrious international careers of Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu to a heartbreaking close.

New Zealand recovered to post a fighting total - Earlier in the game, New Zealand Women posted a competitive 163/6 but would have hoped for a few more. Amelia Kerr and Izzy Gaze laid the perfect platform with a 70-run opening stand before England struck back with three quick wickets. Sophie Devine's explosive 30 off 14 and her partnership with Brooke Halliday revived the innings, while late cameos from Maddy Green and Suzie Bates lifted the White Ferns past 160. Danielle Gibson led England's bowling effort, with Lauren Bell and Freya Kemp providing excellent support.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - No prizes for guessing, as it is Danni Wyatt-Hodge who wins the award for her incredible knock of 89* off 53. She says T20 cricket is a fickle format where every innings is a fresh start and adds that she thoroughly enjoyed batting alongside Sophia Dunkley. She feels the pitch played beautifully, with the ball coming on nicely, allowing England to back their strengths and play with positive intent. She reveals that her ability to hit through the covers comes from an unusual childhood accident, joking that a fall from a tree at the age of 10 left her wrist in a position that helps her access that region. She also pays an emotional tribute to Suzie Bates, one of her childhood idols, while praising Sophie Devine and Lea Tahuhu for their incredible careers. Looking ahead to the semi-finals, she says England will wait to find out their opponents after the Australia-India clash before putting their feet up, enjoying some football and preparing for the knockout stage.

England chase with ease - England Women made light work of the chase despite losing Amy Jones early. Danni Wyatt-Hodge, in the form of her life, unleashed a stunning array of shots and never allowed the New Zealand bowlers to settle. She found the perfect partner in one of her closest friends, Sophia Dunkley, as the duo dominated the attack with an outstanding unbeaten 128-run stand. Even a brief rain interruption failed to halt their momentum; if anything, they shifted into another gear after the restart. Wyatt-Hodge starred with a magnificent 89 off 53, while Dunkley calmly finished unbeaten on 49, sealing a commanding victory with 16 balls to spare.

End of an era for the White Ferns - England Women make it five wins in a row as they march into the semi-finals in dominant fashion, but it is the end of the road for the defending T20 World Cup champions, New Zealand Women. The result also confirms West Indies' place in the last four alongside the hosts from this group. It is a heartbreaking end not only to the White Ferns' campaign but also to an era in New Zealand cricket, as Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu bid farewell to international cricket. Both teams form a guard of honour after the match, with emotions running high and tears flowing as three iconic careers came to a touching close.

Lea Tahuhu returns to the attack.

Sophie Devine comes back for her second over.