England equalled the very best profitable run chase in Girls’s T20 World Cup historical past to put down a marker for subsequent week’s knockout levels and get rid of defending champions New Zealand.
Danni Wyatt-Hodge underpinned the pursuit of 164 with 89 not out – her third fifty-plus rating of the event – whereas Sophia Dunkley chipped in with an unbeaten 49 as England received residence with 9 wickets and 16 balls to spare.
Already assured prime spot in Group B, the pair’s unbroken 128-run stand in entrance of a bumper 21,018 crowd on the Kia Oval helped England equal the earlier greatest event run chase, after they beat Australia within the 2009 semi-finals en path to their first and solely T20 title.
A fifth win from 5 event matches for England – and a seventh in a row in all in T20s – handed an early exit to the 2024 winners, with the West Indies claiming second spot within the group.
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Abrupt finish
It brings an abrupt finish to the worldwide careers of veteran trio Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu, who take a mixed 448 T20 caps with them.
Nonetheless, England can now sit up for the semi-finals, the place they are going to return to the Oval on both Tuesday or Thursday.
Devine didn’t go quietly with 30 off 14 balls whereas fellow all-rounder Bates made a canny 19 off 13 however they lacked assist in New Zealand’s 163 for six, the place runs and wickets arrived in clusters.
Their efforts have been quickly put into the shade as Wyatt-Hodge was allowed to tuck into the off-side with cuts and drives whereas Amy Jones flickered for 17 earlier than failing to loft over mid-off off Nensi Patel.
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Pricey miss
Two balls earlier, Wyatt-Hodge had superior to the wrist-spinner and missed a heave however wicketkeeper Isabella Gaze failed to collect cleanly and a stumping probability when the in-form opener was on 13 went begging.
It was a expensive miss as Wyatt-Hodge continued to feast on something quick and vast because the boundaries piled up alongside Dunkley, as soon as once more standing in for injured England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt.
Whether or not Dunkley has finished sufficient to retain her place stays to be seen however she was a superb foil for Wyatt-Hodge.
The duo have been unperturbed by a 20-minute rain delay on a sultry night in south London.
Resumption
Wyatt-Hodge, averaging 94 in 5 event knocks, moved seamlessly to a 33-ball half-century on the resumption and she or he and Dunkley hardly appeared again.
A century was not within the offing for Wyatt-Hodge however she hit a six off Jess Kerr to go together with 15 fours whereas Dunkley appeared odds-on for a second 50 in three innings.
The successful second was anticlimactic as, with the scores stage, Tahuhu ended her New Zealand profession by sending down a large.
New Zealand’s openers have been earlier pedestrian after they wanted dynamism, placing on 70 in 60 balls earlier than Gaze shovelled straight to Alice Capsey for 28 as she sought a 3rd 4 off Freya Kemp.
Brutal cameo
Melie Kerr missed a scoop and was castled for 42 by the subsequent ball from Dani Gibson, who made it three wickets in 4 deliveries when Izzy Sharp chopped on.
Devine redressed the stability by thumping back-to-back sixes off Charlie Dean and one other off Sophie Ecclestone for good measure.
New Zealand, although, misplaced two in an over once more when Dean’s direct hit to expire Brooke Halliday was adopted by Lauren Bell getting an lbw verdict over Devine to finish her brutal cameo.
Bates collected three successive fours off Kemp earlier than being run out off the final ball chasing a bye.
READ MORE: England through to Women’s T20 World Cup semi-finals as Danni Wyatt-Hodge impresses
