England beat New Zealand to qualify second for Women’s Cricket World Cup semi-finals after Sophie Ecclestone injury scare
By Tom Bennett
Updated 26/10/2025 at 11:58 GMT
React to this story
Over-by-over updates of the One Day International between England’s women and New Zealand in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup. Nat Sciver-Brunt’s side were already through to the semi-finals, but wrapped up second spot in the league table with victory over the White Ferns.
'England the inventors of cricket - but we love beating them'
Video credit: TNT Sports
England finish second in World Cup table with convincing win
England finished their league phase campaign at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup with a convincing eight-wicket win over New Zealand.
It sealed second spot in the table, meaning England will go into their semi-final against South Africa as the higher-ranked of the two.
The knockout matches in this competition all have reserve days, but should England’s semi-final be unable to be completed, it would be them who progress thanks to their second-placed finish.
But a worry for Nat Sciver-Brunt’s side, going into that semi-final on Wednesday, will be the fitness of key spinner Sophie Ecclestone, who suffered an injury in the field in Visakhapatnam.
The world’s top-ranked bowler in this format looked extremely uncomfortable after falling on her shoulder, was only able to bowl four balls in the game, and will hope to be fully recovered to take on the Proteas.
It was England’s other spinners who did the damage in the game, with Charlie Dean bowling superbly for 1/21 and Linsey Smith returning well after a sloppy opening spell to pick up 3/30, as New Zealand capitulated in the middle overs.
The White Ferns, who had started so brightly with the bat, slid from 89-1 to 168 all out, leaving England with a modest chase as the oppressive heat began to dip in the Indian coastal city.
And the top order made easy work of the target, with Amy Jones starring with an unbeaten 86* from 92 balls.
Tammy Beaumont (40) and Heather Knight (33) also contributed, with the latter dismissed late on by New Zealand legend Sophie Devine in the final ODI match of her illustrious career.
England will regroup before preparing for the crunch knockout game against South Africa, and potentially a meeting with either Australia or India in next weekend’s final.
Ecclestone an injury doubt for the semi-final
The big downside from today’s game for England came in the shape of an injury picked up by Sophie Ecclestone right at the start of the game.
Ecclestone’s knee locked up as she attempted to stop a ball going over the boundary, and she then fell awkwardly on her shoulder.
After a spell off the field receiving treatment, Ecclestone came back on to bowl, but really struggled across four deliveries, picking up a wicket largely due to Brooke Halliday looking to take advantage of a poor ball, and then was not seen back on the field.
England will be hopeful that it is just a knock and that the world’s top-ranked ODI bowler is fit and firing in time for Wednesday’s semi-final against South Africa.
How to watch the Ashes
Remember that England's bid to win back the men’s Ashes for the first time in a decade will be shown live and exclusively on TNT Sports this winter. Every ball will be shown across TNT Sports and discovery+.
Earlier today, the men made a slow start to their ODI series in New Zealand, sliding to defeat despite an incredible Harry Brook century and an impressive bowling effort from Brydon Carse.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2026/01/08/image-8a1e2fa3-95a8-4dcb-ac54-a05a8208afa6-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
'What a way to bring up a hundred!' - Brook scores century in first ODI
Video credit: TNT Sports
ENGLAND WIN! England 172-2 (Jones 86, Wyatt-Hodge 2) Target: 169, Overs bowled: 29.2
Amy Jones hammers Devine for back-to-back fours, with the game ending in fun fashion as the White Ferns end their tournament with an extremely experimental field. Almost everyone is there for the straight shot, but Jones picks a gap anyway to win the game in style.
Devine is embraced by her teammates and receives handshakes from the England batters and the umpires, and all the players line up for a guard of honour – something she doesn’t look massively comfortable with, but a fitting show of respect for one of the game’s greats.
For England, this was an impressive win that sends them through into the semi-finals in second spot. They were sloppy early on with the ball, but from that moment on, England have been excellent.
England 164-2 (Jones 78, Wyatt-Hodge 2) Target: 169, Overs bowled: 29
It’s a bit of a testimonial feel to it now, with Devine bowling from one end and Bates from the other, with both (probably) coming to the end of their ODI careers.
England are on the brink of victory now – one hit away.
WICKET! England 159-2 (Jones 75, Wyatt-Hodge 0) Target: 169, Overs bowled: 28
Heather Knight, lbw b Devine, 33 (40)
What a moment for Sophie Devine, who has a wicket in her final One Day International. She traps Knight on the pads and up goes the finger. Knight opts not to review, with a smile to the bowler.
It’s an amazing moment for Devine, who is one of the defining batters of her generation, and has now also taken 111 wickets in an ODI career that has spanned 20 incredible years.
Wyatt-Hodge is up the order to get some, brief, time in the middle. She’s replaced Emma Lamb in the XI today.
England 158-1 (Jones 75, Knight 33) Target: 169, Overs bowled: 27
England inch even closer as Jones flicks Kerr off her pads and away for four more. It’s not overly aggressive from England, who aren’t in any rush, but Jones is looking particularly dominant.
England 151-1 (Jones 70, Knight 31) Target: 169, Overs bowled: 26
Pure class from Amy Jones, who hits a hat-trick of fours off Mair – mid-on, mid-wicket and mid-off are all peppered by the opener. That’s the 150 up and the winning post is closing in.
England 136-1 (Jones 57, Knight 29) Target: 169, Overs bowled: 25
This is a slow death for New Zealand, who know they won’t be ending their tournament with a win.
In fact, they will depart with just one win from seven games. Two washouts, against Pakistan and Sri Lanka, hurt their chances of reaching the semi-finals significantly. But they have lost to all of the top four, and so can have few arguments about an early exit.
England 130-1 (Jones 54, Knight 27) Target: 169, Overs bowled: 24
Jones and Knight exchange singles off Mair as they tick towards their target. Down in the dugout, Sophie Ecclestone takes a seat next to Capsey and looks in reasonable spirits. She’ll be hoping the shoulder is back in working order for Wednesday’s semi-final.
FIFTY! England 125-1 (Jones 52, Knight 24) Target: 169, Overs bowled: 23
Amy Jones brings up her second fifty of the tournament with a maximum, hammering Bates away over log on.
She’s been impressive since moving to the top of the order and will be crucial for England in the knockout stages.
England 115-1 (Jones 44, Knight 22) Target: 169, Overs bowled: 22
Are England trying to up the ante? Knight launches Kerr over the rope for six with a real shot of intent.
England 107-1 (Jones 43, Knight 15) Target: 169, Overs bowled: 21
Is this an indication that Suzie Bates is also bowing out as an ODI player? She is given a relatively rare opportunity to turn her arm over for New Zealand.
Her first ball is a bit wayward and Jones whips it away to the rope.
England 101-1 (Jones 38, Knight 14) Target: 169, Overs bowled: 20
Melie Kerr thinks she’s got Knight and the finger goes up, but the former England captain reviews. The technology suggests the ball was going a long way over the stumps – something that New Zealand disagree with so much that they’re outright laughing. But Knight’s stay in the middle continues.
England 98-1 (Jones 36, Knight 13) Target: 169, Overs bowled: 19
Tahuhu is bowling really nicely here. Just one run comes from her over. Even the watching England team on the boundary look like they’re struggling to get particularly energised from this match-scenario right now.
England 97-1 (Jones 35, Knight 13) Target: 169, Overs bowled: 18
Carson is punished for two pretty slack deliveries, as first Knight and then Jones hammer her to the boundary. You sense the scoring rate will increase quite dramatically as England get closer.
England 86-1 (Jones 29, Knight 8) Target: 169, Overs bowled: 17
It’s a maiden, our first of the day, as Knight plays out Tahuhu.
England 86-1 (Jones 29, Knight 8) Target: 169, Overs bowled: 16
It’s looking pretty calm here for England as they rebuild in Visakhapatnam. Seven runs come off Carson’s latest over.
WICKET! England 79-1 (Jones 27, Knight 4) Target: 169, Overs bowled: 15
Tammy Beaumont, lbw b Tahuhu, 40 (38)
There’s the breakthrough and Beaumont’s impressive knock comes to an end. She reviews, thinking it may have hit bat first, but it squeezed off pad onto bat instead, impact is just in line, and she has to go.
Heather Knight is the new batter and she gets off the mark first ball with a delicate cut for four. That’s a batter in form!
England 74-0 (Jones 26, Beaumont 40) Target: 169, Overs bowled: 14
Beautiful from Beaumont, who slams consecutive fours at the start of Melie Kerr’s latest over, the first a particular gem, stroked through cover point. England’s required runs is down to two figures and they’re looking very comfortable.
England 62-0 (Jones 24, Beaumont 30) Target: 169, Overs bowled: 13
It’s Tahuhu into the attack and she’s dangerous but a little wayward in her first over. Four runs come from the over, including two wides.
England 58-0 (Jones 23, Beaumont 30) Target: 169, Overs bowled: 12
Three singles come from Melie Kerr’s over and this is all a bit sedate and straightforward for England at the moment.
England 55-0 (Jones 21, Beaumont 29) Target: 169, Overs bowled: 11
Devine continues and England keep things ticking over, with five runs coming from it. Devine thought she had an lbw at the start of the over, but opted not to review and replays show that it was missing.
England 50-0 (Jones 20, Beaumont 26) Target: 169, Overs bowled: 10
It’s Jones dominating the strike at the moment, and she steps into Melie Kerr this time, slamming her over the top for four more.
England 46-0 (Jones 16, Beaumont 26) Target: 169, Overs bowled: 9
This is turning into a nice partnership from England’s opening pair. Jones goes aerial, clears the field, and picks up another four, this time off Devine.
England 41-0 (Jones 11, Beaumont 26) Target: 169, Overs bowled: 8
Melie Kerr is brought into the attack and hits Jones on the pad first up. New Zealand appeal, but it is pretty optimistic and the not out decision stands.
England 40-0 (Jones 10, Beaumont 26) Target: 169, Overs bowled: 7
Just one runs comes from the over as Sophie Devine gets her bowl on her final appearance in an ODI.
England 39-0 (Jones 9, Beaumont 26) Target: 169, Overs bowled: 6
It’s another lovely shot as Beaumont leans into a drive through the covers off Jess Kerr. England will be keen to try and wrap this up relatively comfortably and quickly so that they can turn their focus to the semi-final against South Africa.
A free hit gives Beaumont the chance to keeps the runs flowing, slammed to the rope on the on side, and then she finishes the over with two more boundaries – the first cut away beautifully and the second an open-faced square drive. Lovely batting.
England 22-0 (Jones 9, Beaumont 10) Target: 169, Overs bowled: 5
Beaumont swivels and slams a four through backward point. That’s a lovely shot. Jones is denied a boundary at the end of the over by a brilliant bit of fielding from Bates.
England 16-0 (Jones 9, Beaumont 5) Target: 169, Overs bowled: 4
New Zealand are trying to keep cool in the outfield, using cooling pads for their fielders on the boundary. They keep toiling away with pace, and just three runs come from Kerr’s over.
England 13-0 (Jones 8, Beaumont 3) Target: 169, Overs bowled: 3
England are trying to see out this early movement, knowing that a top-order collapse is their likeliest way of losing this game. There’s no issue with time, they have overs to spare and the weather is exceptionally good.
England 11-0 (Jones 8, Beaumont 2) Target: 169, Overs bowled: 2
Jess Kerr takes the new ball from the other end, looking to hoop it in with her in-duckers.
Some impressive fielding from Carson denies England a boundary in the over, as five runs come from it.
England 6-0 (Jones 6, Beaumont 0) Target: 169, Overs bowled: 1
It’s time for the chase, with England requiring 169 to win. Sophie Ecclestone could potentially bat, but England will hope they’re not required to make that decision.
Just a reminder that there was one change to the XI today, with Danni Wyatt-Hodge replacing Emma Lamb, who hasn’t got going at all in this tournament.
Amy Jones survives a very tight lbw review in the first over from Mair, saved by umpire’s call. And Jones finishes the over with a crunching shot for four.
England require 169 to win
So England require 169 runs to win their final league stage match at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup.
But the big worry for England is the injury to Sophie Ecclestone, who got in a muddle fielding on the boundary in the first over and has hurt her shoulder enough that she managed just four deliveries across this innings.
Nat Sciver-Brunt and her team went into this game knowing that they were already guaranteed to be playing South Africa in the semi-finals, but could still go into the knockouts as the second-placed team, giving them the advantage if their semi-final (and reserve day) are both washed out.
For New Zealand, this was a real wasted effort of an innings, with so many of the dismissals coming from rash shots. They were in a great spot on 89-1, but have lost 79-9 to leave themselves needing something special with the ball in the second innings.
ALL OUT! New Zealand 168 (Carson 1) Overs bowled: 38.2
Smith picks up another as Tahuhu looks to slog her over the top and holes out, with Dean taking an excellent catch over her shoulder. That’s the end of an innings from New Zealand that started brightly but fizzled out in pretty remarkable fashion, with 11.4 overs left unused.
WICKET! New Zealand 168-9 (Tahuhu 2, Carson 1) Overs bowled: 38
Jess Kerr, run out (Dean/†Jones), 10 (12)
New Zealand are capitulating a little here. A poorly-judged single allows Jones the chance to whip off the bails with Jess Kerr well short of her ground. She wasn’t ready for the run and might have got in if she’d been alert, but that’s a ninth wicket for England.
New Zealand 165-8 (Kerr 9, Tahuhu 1) Overs bowled: 37
Three singles come from Smith’s latest tidy over. England will be wanting to get this innings wrapped up as quickly as possible, primarily to get inside and cool off.
WICKET! New Zealand 162-8 (Kerr 2, Tahuhu 0) Overs bowled: 36
Rosemary Mair, lbw b Nat Sciver-Brunt, 0 (3)
Sciver-Brunt is hammered away for four by Jess Kerr at the start of the new over as New Zealand try and boost their total.
But England think they’ve got another as NSB catches Mair back in her crease and reviews immediately when the umpire doesn’t raise the finger. This looks good…
… and it is good! Mair has to depart without scoring and New Zealand’s innings looks to be ending in a hurry.
WICKET! New Zealand 157-7 (Kerr 7, Mair 0) Overs bowled: 35
Isabella Gaze, b Smith, 14 (24)
And another one goes down. New Zealand are melting in the Visakhapatnam heat.
Smith arrows one through the defences of Gaze and that’s a seventh wicket for England.
WICKET! New Zealand 156-6 (Gaze 14, Kerr 1) Overs bowled: 34
Sophie Devine, c †Jones b Nat Sciver-Brunt, 23 (35)
England are baffled that a decision isn’t given and review for a caught behind. And replays show that Devine did get an inside-edge, meaning that her final ODI innings comes to an end.
She receives a generous round of applause at the end of a special 50-over career that spanned 20 years.
New Zealand 154-5 (Devine 23, Gaze 13) Overs bowled: 33
Smith has really hit her stride now. Just one run comes from the over.
Meanwhile, back in New Zealand, their men’s team have just beaten England despite a magnificent Harry Brook century.
'What a way to bring up a hundred!' - Brook scores century in first ODI
Video credit: TNT Sports
New Zealand 153-5 (Devine 23, Gaze 12) Overs bowled: 32
Bell goes through the variations, but these are extremely draining conditions to be bowling pace in, and she is punished by more than just the Visakhapatnam heat, with Devine and Gaze both finding the boundary in the over. The 150 is up, but New Zealand will be frustrated that they’ve given so many wickets away with slack shots.
New Zealand 142-5 (Devine 18, Gaze 7) Overs bowled: 31
Now this is the Smith we know. The England spinner is back in her groove after some wayward overs in the powerplay. Three singles come from her over.
New Zealand 139-5 (Devine 16, Gaze 6) Overs bowled: 30
It’s a very tough day to be bowling with pace on, and thankfully for England they have a quite spin-heavy attack.
Lauren Bell is brought back in for a short spell and three runs come from the over.
England have confirmed that Ecclestone will not bowl again in this innings as she receives further treatment on her jarred shoulder.
New Zealand 136-5 (Devine 14, Gaze 6) Overs bowled: 29
It’s Smith back into the attack, and England will be keen to see her get it right after a disappointing spell first up.
The spinner has been a central part of England’s strategy at this tournament and is bowling really well overall, so hopefully it was just that the ball was slipping out of her hand in the high (40+) temperatures. She has a towel hanging from the back of her trousers.
It’s much better from Smith, with one single coming from the over.
WICKET! New Zealand 135-5 (Devine 13, Gaze 6) Overs bowled: 28
Maddy Green, c & b Capsey, 18 (19)
Capsey gets the breakthrough, and it’s another gift!
Green’s eyes light up at a low full toss, but she succeeds in clipping a low return catch straight back to the bowler, who does very well to get her hands underneath it. The batter remains out in the middle while the umpires decide whether it’s carried, but it did and she has to go.
New Zealand have rather thrown away an excellent position here, and they should lose another, with Capsey putting down a far simpler caught and bowled chance off new batter Gaze from the very next delivery!
A frustrated Capsey takes her cap and the players head for their new positions… but then a no-ball is called and everybody has to return for another delivery, and Gaze hammers the free hit all the way for six.
New Zealand 124-4 (Devine 11, Green 17) Overs bowled: 27
New Zealand continue to milk the England part-timers.
They’d like to end their tournament with a win, particularly for their legendary veteran Devine in her final ODI.
New Zealand 118-4 (Devine 10, Green 12) Overs bowled: 26
New Zealand are quite happy to keep things ticking over, trying to get up to a total that will challenge England on a decent surface.
Seven runs come off Capsey’s latest over, including a beautiful cover drive from Green.
New Zealand 111-4 (Devine 9, Green 6) Overs bowled: 25
Dunkley can’t have been expecting to be used with the ball here today, but after finishing off Ecclestone’s over last time out, Sciver-Brunt gives her a full go. She very rarely bowls at this level, but is a reasonable-enough part time spinner, with a nice floaty action. Five runs come off her over, all in singles.
New Zealand 106-4 (Devine 7, Green 3) Overs bowled: 24
Alice Capsey is proving quite useful for England here, helping them get through the overs.
WICKET! New Zealand 102-4 (Devine 6, Green 1) Overs bowled: 23
Brooke Halliday, c Dunkley b Ecclestone, 4 (14)
England give Ecclestone the chance to roll her shoulder over… but it doesn’t look enormously comfortable for her.
You can see the idea of letting her try and test it out in a match scenario, especially if it’s just soreness. But if it’s making the injury worse then she really should stop, with a semi-final coming up on Wednesday.
With Ecclestone struggling, Halliday looks to take advantage, but hoiks a slog into the air, with Dunkley taking a catch on the rope.
And that wicket prompts Ecclestone to stop bowling. It’s sensible, she was not looking comfortable at all. Dunkley sends down the final two deliveries of the over.
New Zealand 97-3 (Devine 5, Halliday 3) Overs bowled: 22
The overs are rattling along here as Dean continues and three singles come from it.
New Zealand 94-3 (Devine 3, Halliday 2) Overs bowled: 21
It’s handy for England that Capsey is bowling pretty well here. They need her overs given the fitness worries for Ecclestone and the yips suffered by Smith earlier on.
WICKET! New Zealand 91-3 (Devine 1, Halliday 1) Overs bowled: 20
Georgia Plimmer, lbw b Dean 43, (57)
Dean strikes off the very first ball of the over, trapping Plimmer straight in-front with a beauty. England have two in two, and my word did they need that!
Sophie Devine, playing her final ODI, is out in the middle, joined by Brooke Halliday.
WICKET! New Zealand 89-2 (Plimmer 43) Overs bowled: 19
Amelia Kerr, c Dean b Capsey, 35 (43)
England have the breakthrough and it comes off the very last ball of Alice Capsey’s over. It’s not the best delivery, but Kerr doesn’t catch her big heave and picks out Charlie Dean in the field. New Zealand are two down.
New Zealand 85-1 (Plimmer 41, Kerr 33) Overs bowled: 18
We’re back underway and the positive news for England is that Ecclestone is out there and fielding. The less positive news is that she doesn’t look massively comfortable. Dean continues.
New Zealand 81-1 (Plimmer 39, Kerr 31) Overs bowled: 17
Alice Capsey into the attack and it starts with a boundary, scored off a thick edge.
It’s time for some drinks, and England will certainly need them after a sloppy start in sweltering heat in Visakhapatnam.
New Zealand 76-1 (Plimmer 34, Kerr 31) Overs bowled: 16
Tidy again from Dean. Just one run comes from the over.
New Zealand 75-1 (Plimmer 33, Kerr 31) Overs bowled: 15
Glorious from Plimmer, who hammers Sciver-Brunt over mid-on for four. That brings up the fifty partnership between these two.
New Zealand 70-1 (Plimmer 28, Kerr 31) Overs bowled: 14
Charlie Dean is bowling nicely here, and just three singles come from the over, with New Zealand quite happy to sit on her and take the runs on offer elsewhere.
New Zealand 67-1 (Plimmer 26, Kerr 30) Overs bowled: 13
Plimmer punishes a drag-down from Sciver-Brunt and the New Zealand innings is rolling along nicely.
England have given an update about Sophie Ecclestone, confirming that it is her left shoulder that is being assessed after she jarred it when falling in the outfield. That is slightly positive news, as she also locked up her knee in the incident, which could have been nasty.
New Zealand 61-1 (Plimmer 21, Kerr 29) Overs bowled: 12
Dean continues. There might not be a huge amount riding on this league-phase match, but it’s not completely insignificant for England. If they win, then they will finish second, above South Africa, meaning that it is they who will go through if the semi-final between the two teams is rained off.
It is also significant in terms of tuning up ahead of the knockouts, and hopefully getting through without losing anyone to injury – fingers crossed that Ecclestone isn’t too badly hurt!
New Zealand 58-1 (Plimmer 20, Kerr 27) Overs bowled: 11
That’s better from Sciver-Brunt, who keeps it tight. Just one single comes off the over.
New Zealand 57-1 (Plimmer 20, Kerr 26) Overs bowled: 10
It’s Charlie Dean into the attack, replacing Smith. Her first ball is put away to the rope, and England are struggling a little here.
The result of this match doesn’t actually matter hugely, with England already certain of finishing either second or third in the table, meaning that they know they will play South Africa in the semi-finals, with fourth-placed India facing table toppers Australia in the other semi.
New Zealand 52-1 (Plimmer 20, Kerr 21) Overs bowled: 9
This is the first, and only, double-header day in the league phase, and so England are bowling in unusually hot conditions for this tournament. The temperature inside the ground reads over 40 degrees, and England are toiling a little in the heat.
Captain Sciver-Brunt brings herself into the attack, replacing Bell. A drag-down is dispatched by Plimmer, before a thick outside edge also runs away. New Zealand are ticking here.
New Zealand 43-1 (Plimmer 12, Kerr 20) Overs bowled: 8
Smith may have the wicket, but she’s all over the place this morning, struggling to find her length. It may be more than that actually, potentially she’s not getting a decent grip on the ball in these sweaty conditions. Whatever the reason, she offers plenty of scoring opportunities in a poor over, with 18 runs coming from it. A bowling change is needed, but that’s not ideal for England given that Ecclestone is off the field after injuring her knee and shoulder when fielding on the boundary.
New Zealand 25-1 (Plimmer 12, Kerr 3) Overs bowled: 7
Bell has found her flow and beats the edge of Plimmer’s bat towards the end of an excellent over. Three singles are added to the score.
WICKET! New Zealand 22-1 (Plimmer 11, Kerr 1) Overs bowled: 6
Suzie Bates, c sub (Lamb) b Smith, 10 (16)
England have the wicket, and it could be the very last time we see Suzie Bates in an ODI. She’ll be furious that she’s got out this way, plinking a full toss from Smith straight to the fielder in the ring, where Lamb takes a simple catch.
There’s a brief pause while the umpires check whether the full toss was above waist height… and it’s close. But Bates does not get the reprieve and England have their first wicket of the day.
Smith is now the leading powerplay wicket taker in the tournament, with seven to her name, one more than the excellent Pakistan youngster Fatima Sana. Melie Kerr is the new batter for the White Ferns.
New Zealand 21-0 (Bates 10, Plimmer 11) Overs bowled: 5
Beautiful from Plimmer, who pierces the field off consecutive deliveries to hit back-to-back boundaries off Bell. That’s lovely timing.
New Zealand 13-0 (Bates 10, Plimmer 2) Overs bowled: 4
Smith gets away with a couple of full tosses, with Bates missing out on both gifts, and just one run is added to the score.
Emma Lamb, who was left out of the XI today as England look for solutions to their middle-order difficulties, is still on the field as a sub fielder, with Ecclestone off receiving treatment.
New Zealand 12-0 (Bates 10, Plimmer 2) Overs bowled: 3
That’s better from Bell, who gets Plimmer on the back foot with her awkward bounce. Just one single comes from the over.
New Zealand 11-0 (Bates 10, Plimmer 1) Overs bowled: 2
Linsey Smith has been a revelation for England, and she starts superbly with the ball once again. She puts plenty of pace on her left-arm spin, and fires in the darts right on the money first up.
Just one run comes from the over, and Sophie Ecclestone heads off the field at its conclusion. That is a worry.
New Zealand 10-0 (Bates 10, Plimmer 0) Overs bowled: 1
It’s a sloppy first over from England in the field, as Lauren Bell’s opening set yields two boundaries and ten runs, all from the bat of Suzie Bates.
And there’s a slight injury concern for England too, with Sophie Ecclestone making a right pig’s ear of stopping the ball out on the boundary and seemingly hurting both her knee and shoulder in the process. The physios come out to check up on her, and England will be crossing their fingers that it’s nothing serious for a player who will surely be crucial for their chances in the knockout stage. She will continue fielding for now, which is a positive sign.
05:25 – The Teams
England XI: Amy Jones (wk), Tammy Beaumont, Heather Knight, Nat Sciver-Brunt (capt), Sophia Dunkley, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell
New Zealand XI: Suzie Bates, Georgia Plimmer, Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine (capt), Brooke Halliday, Maddy Green, Isabella Gaze (wk), Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Lea Tahuhu, Eden Carson
05:20 – New Zealand won the toss and will bat first
The White Ferns will bat first in this game, which has huge significance for them given it is confirmed as being the final ODI match for the legendary Sophie Devine. It could also be the end of Suzie Bates’ ODI career, although that is yet to be said publicly, and it will be her who faces first up.
05:15 – Hello and welcome
Good morning, welcome to our live coverage of England’s final league stage match at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup. It’s a scorcher of a day in Visakhapatnam, where Nat Sciver-Brunt’s team are taking on a dangerous New Zealand outfit, who are unable to qualify for the semi-finals but are still more than capable of winning this match.
Related Topics
Advertisement
Advertisement