England Women (ENG W) lock horns with New Zealand (NZ W) in match No. 27 of the ongoing Women’s World Cup 2025 at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Sunday, October 26.England are set to face New Zealand as a warm up to their semifinal preparations in their last league game of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025.
While for all practical purposes, it might be a dead rubber like the second contest of the day, New Zealand would like to end their rain-marred campaign with a win. Most importantly for the fact that it could well be the last 50-over World Cup for possibly three of their legendary cricketers. The farewell match for their captain, Sophie Devine, for certain.
This second-last group stage encounter presents a study in contrasts. England Women have already secured their place in the semi-finals, and their primary focus will be on building momentum and fine-tuning their strategy before the knockouts, possibly experimenting with their lineup. For the New Zealand Women, who are officially eliminated after a disappointing campaign marred by weather and heavy losses, this match is a chance to salvage pride, end their tournament on a high, and give a fitting send-off to captain Sophie Devine.
ENG -W vs NZ -W : Previous Performances
Nat Sciver-Brunt-led team, currently third on the points table with nine points from six matches, will look to end the league stage on a high and maintain their winning momentum heading into the knockouts. England have been one of the most consistent teams in the tournament, with wins against South Africa, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and India, and a no-result against Pakistan. Despite a loss against Australia in their previous outing, the team will look to get back to winning ways.
England may have qualified for the semis, with a strong start to the campaign, but they have stuttered a bit thereafter. Rain helped them escape a shock defeat against Pakistan, and they held their nerves only to eke out a hard-fought 4-run win against India followed by a hammering against Australia.
Even though there have been sparks of dominance, they can ill afford to showcase that inconsistency in the knockouts. In their final stretch of the competition, they desperately need to find the best version of themselves, and an inconsequential game could well be that platform for them to play freely.
Nat Sciver-Brunt‘s England side has demonstrated championship pedigree by navigating the group stage, but their campaign has not been without its wobbles. Expect England to treat this as a crucial final dress rehearsal, looking for a comprehensive performance to boost confidence and secure a win before the knockout stage.
The White Ferns have endured a challenging tournament, often failing to click as a unit. Their bowling attack has been expensive, and the batting, while showing flashes of brilliance, has struggled for depth and consistency.Meanwhile, New Zealand Women have had a tough campaign. With just one win in six matches and two no-results, Sophie Devine-led team has already been knocked out of contention. The White Ferns will be hoping to salvage pride with a strong finish.
After a stuttered start to their campaign, where Devine showed evidence of her batting might, New Zealand couldn’t capitalise on the fixtures in Colombo – due to rain. She has largely failed to find support from the rest of the batting unit.
‘Four years of preparation’ may have gone to dust sooner than they would’ve liked, but despite the dejection, there would be enough impetus for them to make their presence felt in the competition. However, their opponents are unlikely to make it any easier for them.
ENG -W vs NZ -W : Head to Head
| Matches Played | 85 |
| ENG W Won | 46 |
| NZ W Won | 37 |
| Tied | 01 |
| No Result | 01 |
| First Fixture | July 14, 1973 (NZ W Won) |
| Last Fixture | July 03, 2024 (ENG W Won) |
ENG -W vs NZ -W : Pitch Report and Toss
The Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Stadium pitch in Visakhapatnam is generally considered a batter-friendly surface, but the track tends to support spinners as the game progresses. The average first-inning score at this venue is 230, and the team winning the toss will look to bowl first at this venue.
The ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam generally offers a balanced surface, though it is often considered batter-friendly with even bounce and true pace, allowing batters to play their shots. The pitch is generally good for batting, especially early on. A score around 270 in Women’s ODIs is considered competitive.
Fast bowlers may find some early movement with the new ball but will later need to rely on cutters and variations. Spinners tend to become a more significant factor as the match progresses, especially in the middle overs, as the surface often gets slower and offers grip and turn.
You won’t believe this, but there are rains forecast for Visakhapatnam on Sunday, with a cyclone supposedly brewing in the Bay of Bengal. So far this venue has seen medium-to-high scores during this World Cup, with India and Australia both having made more than 330 here in one match. Barring a few innings, run scoring hasn’t been the easiest at the venue. There will be some assistance for the spinners and conditions are likely to be humid, with possibility of light rain.
ENG -W vs NZ -W : Big Picture : Can New Zealand salvage some pride vs England
There is very nearly nothing on the line. If England win, they finish No. 2, which does not change their semi-final tie – they will play South Africa regardless. But that little bump up the table will certainly help them progress if the Guwahati knockout is subsequently rained out.
New Zealand leave themselves at risk of slipping down to No. 7 or 8 if they lose, but even that is unlikely – Bangladesh having to beat India by a significant margin. The White Ferns will nevertheless be intent on salvaging a victory from an otherwise disappointing campaign. They had had to endure two washouts in Colombo, but have only beaten Bangladesh in their completed matches, going down comfortably to South Africa, India, and Australia.
It is also Sophie Devine’s last match in the ODI format, with New Zealand’s captain having announced her retirement at the end of this World Cup. Devine is 36. Team-mate Suzie Bates, who is 38, could also be playing her last World Cup match, though she has not herself announced a retirement.
England, meanwhile, may use this as an opportunity to tune up ahead of the final. They have consistently put up the same XI most of the way through the campaign. Perhaps they will give some tired bodies a rest.
ENG -W vs NZ -W : In the Spotlight : England’s spin trio
Between Sophie Ecclestone (11), Linsey Smith (9), and Charlie Dean (7), England’s frontline spinners have 27 wickets in the tournament. None of these bowlers have gone at more than five an over (Dean has been by a distance the most expensive, with an economy rate of 4.73). They’d mostly had a quiet game in the loss to Australia. They will attempt to reimpose themselves.
ENG -W vs NZ -W : Vital Stats that matters
- Sophie Ecclestone has taken at least one wicket in every match she has played so far this World Cup.
- Although she’s played only four innings, Devine is still among the tournament’s top five run-scorers, with 266 runs at an average of 66.50.
- New Zealand have lost eight of their last nine ODIs against England – a stretch that goes back to September 2021.
- New Zealand spinners have picked just 10 wickets in six games – the least by a team in this tournament and their average (51.2) and strike rate (61.0) are the worst among all the teams.
- England only dropped five catches so far this season – the least among all the teams. Their catch efficiency of 82.1 is the best by any side in this tournament
- Suzie Bates is 66 runs away from becoming the second-leading run-scorer in ODIs. She needs 74 runs to complete 6000 runs in the format
- Sophie Ecclestone is two wickets away from becoming England’s second-leading wicket-taker in ODIs
ENG -W vs NZ -W : Team News for England and New Zealand
New Zealand :
There could be a possibility that New Zealand might offer some game time to players who have largely spent time on the bench.For New Zealand, there’s a little scrutiny on the place of Eden Carson, who has taken two wickets in the tournament.
New Zealand Probable XI: Suzie Bates, Georgia Plimmer, Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Izzy Gaze, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Lea Tahuhu, Eden Carson
England :
England may not want to shuffle too much with their combination, hoping all their players find form ahead of the knockouts. However, Emma Lamb’s poor run of scores could tempt the English to offer an opportunity to Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who has historically performed well in Indian conditions. England may ring in the changes. With Sophia Dunkley not having made a major impact this tournament, could Danni Wyatt-Hodge come in . Could legspinner Sarah Glenn give one of the frontline spinners a rest.
England Probable XI : Tammy Beaumont, Amy Jones, Nat-Sciver Brunt, Heather Knight, Sophia Dunkley, Emma Lamb, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophie Eccelstone, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell
ENG -W vs NZ -W : Probable Top Performers
Probable Best Batter: Sophie Devine
One-hundred-and-fifty-eight matches, 4,256 runs, 110 wickets – whichever way you slice it, Sophie Devine‘s numbers are immense. She had been the form batter of the tournament weeks ago, when she hit 112 against Australia, 85 against South Africa, and 63 against Bangladesh. The back-to-back washouts might have broken a litttle of her rhythm however. Can she regain it for her final ODI innings
The New Zealand captain, Sophie Devine, has featured in six games so far and has been the team’s best batter. With 266 runs under her belt, the veteran cricketer has played some impressive innings. Having already scored two fifties and a century, she will be hoping to continue her batting rhythm in the next game as well.
Probable Best Bowler: Sophie Ecclestone
England spinner Sophie Ecclestone has bagged 11 wickets in five innings and is the third-highest wicket-taker of the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 edition. The left-arm spinner has been instrumental with her bowling and will be hoping to back her skills once again in her team’s last league game.
ENG -W vs NZ -W : Match Prediction
In Visakhapatnam, it’s expected to be a tight contest between bat and ball, where every contest except the one involving Australia, have produced middling scores. As a pacer or batter, there may not be much in it for Devine, but like she has done throughout her career, she is never going to leave the field without a fight. New Zealand have been poor in the bowling department, with an inability to take early wickets. Hence, we predict England will win this game on Sunday.
Case 1:
- England Women win the toss and bats first
- England Women’s powerplay score: 50-60
England Women’s total score: 280-300
Case 2:
- New Zealand Women win the toss and bats first
- New Zealand Women’s powerplay score: 40-50
- New Zealand Women’s total score: 260-280
Match result: Team batting first to win the game.
Also Read: Women’s ODI World Cup 2025: A Plot Twist No One Saw Coming