England secures victory, ending New Zealand’s campaign

The White Ferns have been eliminated from the Twenty20 World Cup following a defeat by England in their final pool match. England secured a nine-wicket victory, successfully chasing New Zealand’s total of 163 for six with 14 balls remaining. The match, held at the Oval, saw a crowd of 21,018, marking a record for a Women’s T20 World Cup group-stage fixture.

This outcome means that England has topped Group B and is likely to face either India or South Africa in the semi-finals, depending on the result of an upcoming Group A clash between Australia and India. The result also confirmed West Indies’ qualification for the semi-finals at New Zealand’s expense.

Kiwis’ batting effort and England’s dominant chase

New Zealand batted first, posting a score of 163 for six. Captain Melie Kerr was the top scorer for her side, contributing 42 runs from 34 balls. Sophie Devine, in her final international match, scored 30 from 14 balls, including three sixes. Suzie Bates also batted effectively, making 19 from 13 balls before being run out on the final ball.

Despite flashes of brilliance, New Zealand’s innings saw wickets fall in clusters, including a collapse from 70 without loss to 70 for three in the span of four balls. The loss of both Brooke Halliday and Sophie Devine in the 16th over further slowed their scoring. Charlie Dean’s direct hit from extra cover to run out Brooke Halliday was highlighted as a sharp fielding display by England.

England’s chase was spearheaded by an unbroken second-wicket partnership between Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Sophia Dunkley. The pair combined for an impressive 128-run stand, guiding England to victory. Wyatt-Hodge was named player of the match for her unbeaten 89 runs from 53 balls, while Dunkley remained not out with 49 runs from 38 balls. Wyatt-Hodge’s performance added to her strong form, bringing her tournament tally to 282 runs.

A brief rain shower interrupted play during England’s run chase, but the respite for New Zealand lasted only 15 minutes before England returned to complete the chase. Sophia Dunkley’s continued strong contributions, playing in place of the injured Nat Sciver-Brunt, presents a selection dilemma for England’s head coach, Charlotte Edwards, ahead of the semi-final, especially with Sciver-Brunt expected to return.

Farewell to cricketing legends

The defeat marked the end of the international careers for three prominent White Ferns players: Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates, and Lea Tahuhu, who are all retiring from international cricket. Devine played 316 white-ball games for New Zealand over a 20-year career. Tahuhu participated in 206 matches across 15 years, and Bates retires as the most capped and highest run-scorer for the White Ferns, accumulating 10,721 runs in her 369 games.

Devine’s final match showcased her powerful hitting, with three sixes in her 30-run innings. Bates also provided crucial impetus towards the end of New Zealand’s innings, scoring 15 runs off Freya Kemp’s 18th over. However, Devine’s bowling in the match was less effective, while Tahuhu’s final act in a New Zealand career that included 100 T20 international wickets was a leg-side wide. England players formed a guard of honour on the Oval outfield to acknowledge the retiring veterans after the match.

New Zealand’s captain, Melie Kerr, expressed disappointment with the team’s campaign, noting that missed catches in earlier games had been costly. The team’s hopes had been briefly reignited earlier in the day by Ireland’s historic win against West Indies, which offered New Zealand a lifeline if they could defeat England.

Source: rnz.co.nz

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Bates will retire from international cricket after the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England. This marks the end of her remarkable 20-year career with the White Ferns. She is the all-time leading run-scorer in Women’s T20 Internationals with 4,717 runs and ranks fourth in Women’s ODIs with 5,964 runs.

During her career, Bates captained the national side on 151 occasions. She was appointed WHITE FERNS captain in July 2011 and led the team for nearly seven years. In 2013, she was crowned ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year.

Geoff Allott recently took over as chief executive of New Zealand Cricket. “Geoff brings a rare and highly-relevant combination of attributes to the role,” said Diana Puketapu-Lyndon. Allott represented New Zealand in 10 tests and 31 ODIs between 1996 and 2000.

The White Ferns will play an ODI series in England that includes matches in Durham, Northampton, and Cardiff. Flora Devonshire, Nensi Patel, Emma McLeod, and Izzy Sharp will make their first international tour with the team.

“We’ve got some exciting young talent in this squad,” said Ben Sawyer. He highlighted players like Emma and Izzy alongside seasoned campaigners like Bates.

The squad for the T20 leg series and subsequent T20 World Cup will be named on Wednesday. The White Ferns are set to play a warm-up match against an ECB development XI on May 6.

As Bates prepares to step away from international competition, her impact on women’s cricket is undeniable. Melie Kerr praised her contributions: “Suzie really is one of the greatest cricketers of all time.”

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