2 hours ago
New Zealand’s World Cup title defence came to a soggy extremity astatine nan Oval connected Saturday night, arsenic England danced location by 9 wickets successful a one-sided hammering acknowledgment to a 128-run business betwixt Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Sophia Dunkley. The crowd of 21,018 was a grounds for a Women’s T20 World Cup group-stage match.
England person topped Group B and will much than apt look either India aliases South Africa successful adjacent week’s semi-final, pending nan consequence of Sunday’s Group A conflict betwixt Australia and India. The consequence besides intends that West Indies person qualified for nan semi-finals astatine New Zealand’s expense.
New Zealand had chosen to bat first but a crisp fielding show from England, epitomised by Charlie Dean’s nonstop deed from other screen to tally retired Brooke Halliday, prevented them from reaching much than 163 for six. The reigning champions showed flashes of brilliance but besides mislaid wickets successful clusters, collapsing from 70 without nonaccomplishment to 70 for 3 successful nan abstraction of 4 balls, earlier nan nonaccomplishment of some Halliday and Sophie Devine successful nan 16th complete again slowed them up.
In reply, Wyatt-Hodge continued her fantabulous tally of form, adding 89 runs for a tourney tally of 282. Dunkley – erstwhile again playing successful spot of nan injured Nat Sciver-Brunt and erstwhile again making a hefty publication pinch nan bat – has thrown up an absorbing dilemma for nan England caput coach, Charlotte Edwards, up of nan semi-final. Sciver-Brunt is expected to return, but tin you really driblet nan subordinate who has now made winning contributions successful 2 of England’s group-stage games?
A little ablution forced nan players from nan section 7 overs into nan tally pursuit pinch England good up connected DLS, but nan respite lasted conscionable 15 minutes for nan embattled Kiwis and England returned to propulsion disconnected nan pursuit pinch 16 balls to spare.
For New Zealand, this was a crushing disappointment. Earlier successful nan day, Ireland’s historical triumph against West Indies astatine Bristol – their first ever triumph successful a T20 World Cup – had handed nan reigning champions a lifeline: a triumph against England would spot them scrape done to nan semi-finals. As nan news collapsed astatine nan Oval, nan squad paused mid-warm-up to observe their destiny erstwhile again being successful their ain hands – but nan celebrations did not past for very long.
There was added pathos fixed that this is nan past clip we will spot 3 greats of New Zealand cricket retired successful nan middle: Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu person each announced their volition to discontinue instantly aft this World Cup.
Devine showed that her ball-hitting is conscionable arsenic mighty astatine nan property of 36 arsenic it ever was, sending 3 sixes sailing into nan stands arsenic she amassed 30 from conscionable 14 balls. Bates, precocious demoted to No 7 and who has been acold from an automatic action successful this tournament, past added captious impetus astatine nan backmost extremity by taking 15 runs disconnected Freya Kemp’s 18th complete earlier being tally retired by Amy Jones disconnected nan last shot of nan innings.
But Devine could not rather lucifer her batting heroics pinch nan ball, offering up short and wide servings to Dunkley and Wyatt-Hodge. Bates, whose slow off-spin had proved a victor astatine nan decease against Ireland earlier successful nan tournament, was not required to bowl, while Tahuhu – a seasoned of 100 T20 world wickets – ended her New Zealand profession by sending down a leg-side wide.
At nan close, England lined up connected nan Oval outfield to spot nan 3 veterans disconnected successful a defender of honour. But if you wanted to spot a fitting extremity to nan era of nan self-styled Kiwi “grandmas”, this was not really what you would person scripted.
