England put in an all-round bowling performance to bowl New Zealand out for 168 in 38.2 overs. New Zealand started decently but England fought back to restrict New Zealand to a paltry total. The spinners took 7 wickets including Sophie Ecclestone who bowled 4 balls and hurt her left shoulder and as a precaution stayed off the field. It is England’s game to win from this position.
New Zealand get off to a decent start despite losing Suzie Bates early
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Suzie Bates and Georgia Plimmer came out to bat for New Zealand while Lauren Bell had ball in hand for England. Bates got off the mark with a boundary past the cover fielder and mid-off as well and Ecclestone hurt herself as well. Bates once again hit a boundary by pulling it behind square in the leg side to beat long leg to the fence. Linsey Smith had ball in hand from the other end. She bowled a quiet over. Bell bowled a tight over as well. Smith also kept it tight.
Plimmer finally broke the shackles as she hit Bell for consecutive boundaries through square leg and through midwicket and mid-on for a boundary. Smith got England the breakthrough getting rid of Bates for 10 off 16 balls with 2 fours to her name. Smith bowled a juicy full toss outside off-stump. Bates stayed leg side of it and looked to slam it over mid-off but failed to get the required elevation. She hit it straight to Lamb who took a simple catch on the edge of the ring. Bates had been asked to wait but it was a fair delivery according to height. Amelia Kerr came out to bat again and got off the mark soon.
Bell continued and bowled a decent over. Kerr took the attack to Smith by rocking back and cut it square of the wicket to beat the diving backward point fielder for a boundary. Kerr hit another boundary as the high full toss on the body as Kerr pulled it easily over the backward square leg region for a boundary. The free hit was hit away for a boundary as Kerr danced down the track and drilled it through the covers for a boundary. Amelia was on a roll as she picked up the length and transferred her weight on the back leg and punched it in the gap between covers and cover point for a boundary.
Nat Sciver-Brunt the captain of England came into the attack next. Plimmer took the attack to Nat as she hit her for consecutive boundaries first through deep square leg and then an edge through backward point for a boundary. Charlie Dean came into the attack to bowl the last over of powerplay. She was greeted with a boundary from Amelia as she got down on one knee and slog swept it to the right of deep midwicket for a boundary. At the completion of the powerplay, New Zealand were 57/1 in 10 overs.
England hit back with quick wickets to peg New Zealand back.
Captain Nat Sciver-Brunt continued and bowled a miserly over. Dean too bowled a tight over. Nat Sciver-Brunt continued as Plimmer broke the shackles by picking the length early and pulled it hard past diving Dean at midwicket for a boundary. Dean bowled another tight over. Nat Sciver-Brunt continued as Plimmer took the aerial route and lofted it over mid-on for a boundary as the 50 partnership came up between Plimmer and Kerr.
Dean bowled another quiet over. Alice Capsey was introduced into the attack as Plimmer welcomed her with a boundary through an outside edge past the slips and away to third man fence. The score was 81/1 in 17 overs when we paused for Drinks Break. Dean continued and bowled a good over. Capsey broke the partnership as Amelia fell for 35 off 43 balls with 5 fours to her name.
Capsey tossed it up nicely outside off-stump. Kerr got down on one knee and went for a slog sweep but got it off the toe end of the bat. She hit it aerially wide of long-on. Dean moved swiftly and took a good catch to send back Amelia back. Captain Sophie Devine came out to bat next. Dean struck next as she removed Plimmer for 43 off 57 balls with 7 fours to her name.
Dean from over the wicket bowled it short of a length delivery around off-stump and got it to spin in. Plimmer hung back and looked to flick it but missed. She wore it on the front pad in front of the stumps and the finger was raised. Plimmer had a chat with her captain and opted against the review. Brooke Halliday came out to bat next and got off the mark soon. Devine too got off the mark. New Zealand were 91/3 in 20 overs.
Capsey continued and bowled a tight over. Dean too kept things tight as well. Sophie Ecclestone was introduced into the attack next. She was struggling to bowl as the 100 came up for New Zealand in 22.3 overs. Ecclestone struck for England now as she removed Halliday for 4 off 14 balls. She flighted it up fuller outside the off-stump. The batter got down on one knee and slog swept it but mistimed the stroke to deep midwicket. Dunkley in the deep settled underneath it and pouches it safely. Ecclestone walked off the field next. Maddy Green came out to bat next.
Sophia Dunkley came into the attack and completed the two balls later with Green getting off the mark. Alice Capsey changed ends and bowled a tight over. Dunkley continued bowling and bowled a decent over. At the halfway stage of the innings, New Zealand were in a spot of bother at 111/4 at 25 overs.
England ran through the side through their spinners to dismiss them for 168.
Capsey continued as Green drove her through the covers for a boundary. Green then cut Dunkley away for a boundary through backward point region. Capsey then struck for England as she removed Maddy Green for 18 off 19 balls with 2 fours to her name. Capsey bowled a flighted delivery fuller and just outside off-stump. Green pressed forward to drive and got the cue end of the bat on it and spooning the ball towards the bowler. Capsey dived to her left and took a good low catch.
Isabella Gaze came out to bat next. Capsey then dropped the catch off her own bowling as Gaze got a life. Capsey overstepped as well as the free hit yielded a maximum as Gaze shimmied down the ground over the bowler’s head for the maximum. Smith returned to the attack and bowled a miserly over. Bell returned to the bowling crease and bowled decently as New Zealand were 139/5 in 30 overs.
Smith continued after the break and bowled a decent over. Bell continued as Devine got down on one knee and swept to deep fine leg for a boundary. Gaze got herself another boundary via a top edge that went over deep third man for a boundary. New Zealand were 153/5 in 32 overs as we paused for the Drinks Break. Smith bowled another tight over.
Nat Sciver-Brunt came back and got rid of Devine for 23 off 35 balls with a boundary to her name. Nat bowled a good length delivery pitching outside off-stump and nipped back in, Devine leaned forward to drive but got beaten on the inside edge. The keeper whipped off the bails in a jiffy. Stumping appeal was denied. Then there was an appeal for caught behind and England reviewed and the spike showed that there was an edge. The decision was overturned to OUT. Jess Kerr came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
Smith continued as she got rid of Gaze for 14 off 24 balls with one four and one six to her name. Smith bowled fuller and on the off-stump line. Gaze got down on one knee and swept it but missed it completely. The ball went to thud the off-stump. Rosemary Mair came out to bat next. Sciver-Brunt continued as Jess got low and square drove it behind point for a boundary. Nat fought back and got rid of Mair for a bronze duck thanks to good usage of DRS.
Nat bowled a length delivery that pitched on the off-stump and nipped into the batter. Mair closed the bat face and looked to tuck it across the line but missed it below the knee roll on the back pad. There was no contact with bat. Ball Tracking showed three reds and the decision was overturned to OUT. Lea Tahuhu came out to bat next. Smith continued and bowled a quiet over.
There was now a run out in the innings as Jess Kerr was run out for 10 off 12 balls with one four to her name as there was a mix up between the two batters. Eden Carson came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Smith got the final wicket to fall as she dismissed Tahuhu for 2 off 8 balls. Smith bowled fuller in length around off-stump slightly quicker one. Tahuhu pressed forward and played a lofted drive but got it from the cue end of the blade. Dean from mid-off ran to her back and took a good catch. Carson remained unbeaten on 1 off 1 ball as New Zealand were skittled out for 168 in 38.2 overs. Just 8 extras given by England.
All the England bowlers bowled well. Linsey Smith was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/30 in 9.2 overs. Nat Sciver-Brunt the captain chipped in with 2/31 in 7 overs. Alice Capsey chipped in with 2/34 in 6 overs. Charlie Dean got a wicket in her 1/21 in 7 overs. Sophie Ecclestone bowled 4 balls and gave 4 runs to get a wicket as well. Lauren Bell remained wicketless as she finished with 0/35 in 6 overs. Sophia Dunkley finished with 0/12 in 2.2 overs. This meant England needed 169 runs to win the contest in 50 overs.
Who’s Winning, England or New Zealand?
New Zealand may have runs on the board. But it is a paltry total. This score will nowhere be enough and we expect England to chase this down with ease and finish second on the points table ahead of South Africa. Can New Zealand cause a miracle? Only time will tell.
Also Read: ICC Women’s ODI WC 2025: Alana King’s 7-Wicket Haul Destroys South Africa.