England beat New Zealand by eight wickets: Women’s Cricket World Cup – as it hapened
Righto, that’s all from us today.England progress in style and New Zealand legend Sophie Devine bows out.We’ll be back to bring you all the action from the semi-finals and final in the coming week.Enjoy your Sunday – goodbye!Here’s England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt:“We really wanted to put in a performance today.The way that we’ve gone about cricket in this tournament has been largely successful and so we’re happy to put in that performance and take some confidence into the semi-final.
”“As a side, the thing we have to do to show how much we care is with the fielding – keeping that energy up in hot conditions was really important.Being proactive in the middle order with the bat, the conditions played a part today.With the ball, reaffirming plans and making sure execution is high.I’m really happy to help influence the girls (as captain) today.”On Sophie Ecclestone’s injury: “I don’t know anything further but it was definitely precautionary.
We’ve got a huge match coming up against South Africa so we wouldn’t want to risk anything now.We’ll know more in a few days.”On Amy Jones: “She was brilliant.She started off with a brilliant partnership with her and Tammy… Amy being there at the end is really important, hopefully they can both take confidence into the semi-final.”New Zealand captain Sophie Devine speaks:“Disappointed, to be honest.
Not to make it about myself but I really wanted to go out on a high.Credit to England, it’s not the way we wanted our tournament to go, but there are bigger things in life.“We are good enough to be here and when we play our best cricket we can beat anyone in the world.We’ve got such a high ceiling and it’s just about self belief and knowing their best is good enough.“I didn’t cry as much as I thought I was going to.
The great thing about announcing it so early was that I was able to process a lot of those emotions.For me it was never about the result today, it was about enjoying it with my mates.I’m sure we’ll spend a bit of time in the dressing room tonight and reflect.“It’s so incredible to think of the women’s game.To see where the game’s got to now, it’s almost unrecognisable from when we started.
I’m going to be the biggest supporter of this game, it’s a hugely exciting time.We’re professional athletes and we’re judged on our results, but it’s so much bigger than that.Thank you to everyone who’s come out today, I feel so blessed to have played this incredible game - but I’m not fully done just yet, so I’m sure I’ll be annoying people around the grounds.”England’s win means that they finish second in the group stages.They will play South Africa in the semi-finals on Wednesday.
If there is weather around then England are safe due to that second position finish.For example, if the Wednesday game and reserve day are washed out then England will progress to the final by dint of their higher position.Amy Jones is player of the match:I particularly enjoyed her comments about the pitch being a tricky one after she’s just iced a chanceless eighty-odd!“I found it quite challenging (the pitch), it was quite slow, quite frustrating.Tammy was brilliant at the start, taking a lot of pressure off me.It’s hugely exciting to be in the semi-final and to finish second, we’re all very happy with that.
”She says the squad are full of confidence for the semi-final against South Africa before paying tribute to Devine.“It’s great for Soph to get this recognition.She’s a legend of the game.It’s clear to see how much she means to the Kiwis and the rest of the women’s game, on and off the pitch.”Sophie Devine is given a guard of honour from both sides as her nigh on twenty year ODI career comes to a close.
Lovely scenes.A resounding win for England as Jones clubs Devine over midwicket for four to bring the scores level and then finishes off in style with a cover drive for four.Jones finishes unbeaten on 86 off 92 balls and England finish the group stages in second place.An impressive all round performance from Nat Sciver-Brunt’s side.29th over: England 164-2 (Jones 78, Wyatt-Hodge 2) Suzie Bates joins Devine for what is potentially her ODI bow too.
Five singles taken.England one blow away.28th over: England 159-2 (Jones 75, Wyatt-Hodge 0) Danni Wyatt-Hodge is sent in to deliver the coup de grace for England but she can’t manage it off the wily Devine, five dots to delay the inevitable.Lovely stuff from Sophie Devine.A lovely moment for Sophie Devine who picks up one -potentially final- wicket for the road.
Heather Knight is not a bad final scalp to take, she misses a straight one and has to depart as Devine’s 111th ODI wicket.27th over: England 158-1 (Jones 75, Knight 33) Jones digs out a well directed yorker from Jess Kerr and then plays something veering on the agricultural through the leg side to pick up four.England just a couple of smites away now.26th over: England 151-1 (Jones 70, Knight 31) Amy Jones is in a hurry now! She hits three boundaries in a row off Rosemary Mair, through long on, midwicket and extra cover.The opener is brimming with confidence and heads into the 70s.
England only need 18 more runs so sadly no century in the offing.25th over: England 136-1 (Jones 57, Knight 29) Knight and Jones getting england to the finish line in clinical style.Six picked off Jess Kerr with surgical precision.24th over: England 130-1 (Jones 54, Knight 27) Five singles picked off Rosemary Mair.England need just 39 more to complete an emphatic victory.
The camera pans to Sophie Ecclestone throwing a cup of coffee into a waste paper bin, she doesn’t look to encumbered by that shoulder injury but we wait to get official news.23rd over: England 125-1 (Jones 52, Knight 24) Suzie Bates is worked around for four singles before Amy Jones opens the shoulders and brings up her fifty with a crunch over wide long on for SIX.A bad ball from Bates, dragged down and dispatched in style.22nd over: England 115-1 (Jones 44, Knight 22) Shot! Heather Knight hits the 100th SIX of the tournament with a shimmy out of her crease and a lofted drive into the crowd over long on.Pure class.
21st over: England 107-1 (Jones 43, Knight 15) Suzie Bates into the attack and met with an Amy Jones paddle for four, that was a bit of a loosener for Bates.Six off the over in total.62 runs needed for England, from plenty of overs.20th over: England 101-1 (Jones 38, Knight 14) New Zealand cannot believe it! Victor Meldrew scenes all round as Kerr scuds one onto Knight’s pad with the batter on the sweep.The umpire raises the finger but Knight sends it upstairs where the ball tracking has the ball somehow bouncing over the stumps by half another set.
That looked plumb.Ghosts in the machine? Kerr and Devine are incredulous but take it with customary grace.Hundred up for England.19th over: England 98-1 (Jones 36, Knight 13) Another tight over from Tahuhu, just one Amy Jones single punched through the covers.18th over: England 97-1 (Jones 35, Knight 13) Do not bowl there to Heather Knight.
England’s number three picks up a boundary down to fine leg with easy pickings off her pads from Carson.A single brings Jones on strike and she does the very same.17th over: England 86-1 (Jones 29, Knight 8) Tahuhu with a good over, she stitches together a maiden as the ground DJ plays this banger – a personal favourite of my four year old…I blame the parents.16th over: England 86-1 (Jones 29, Knight 8) Eden Carson into the attack as New Zealand seek to get another breakthrough.Knight and Jones are watchful but tick the scoreboard over without alarm.
15th over: England 79-1 (Jones 27, Knight 4) Heather Knight arrives at number three, I thought they might stick Danni Wyatt-Hodge up the order to get some time in the middle but Knight it is and she starts in style, gliding past backward point for four.New Zealand needed that! In the first over after the drinks break Tahuhu pins Beaumont on the pad and up goes the finger! Beaumont reviews but with little hope and sure enough the ball was crashing into middle stump.14th over: England 74-0 (Jones 26, Beaumont 40) Beaumont springs to life once more, pounding a full ball from Kerr for four through the covers and then getting deep in her crease and flat batting the next ball to the fence through the leg side.Time for a drink with England in cruise control.13th over: England 62-0 (Jones 24, Beaumont 30) A scruffy first over from Tahuhu as she slings down a couple of wides and a no ball.
12th over: England 58-0 (Jones 23, Beaumont 30) A quiet over from Amelia Kerr, just three runs off it.Devine takes herself out of the attack, time for some Lea Tahuhu.11th over: England 55-0 (Jones 21, Beaumont 29) Devine scuds one onto Beaumont’s boot and gives it the full Richard Hadlee star pose in her appeal but it was slipping down leg and she wisely chooses not to burn her last review.Five pocketed off the over.10th over: England 50-0 (Jones 20, Beaumont 26) The fifty opening stand comes up for Jones and Beaumont as the former clonks Kerr over mid on (just) for four more.
This is a good confidence boosting partnership ahead of the semi final next week.England are cantering after the first ten overs.9th over: England 46-0 (Jones 16, Beaumont 26) Sophie Devine is playing her final ODI of a wonderful career but Amy Jones isn’t feeling sentimental as she lofts the Kiwi legend over long on for four.8th over: England 41-0 (Jones 11, Beaumont 26) It’s a double change as Amelia Kerr enters the fray.She tweaks one onto Tammy’s front pad and New Zealand send it upstairs but there’s nothing going for this one, it pitched and hit outside the line.
Review lost for the White Ferns but a decent over from Kerr, just one run from it.7th over: England 40-0 (Jones 10, Beaumont 26) Sophie Devine comes on and is resolutely stump to stump.Just a single off the over after the Beaumont pyro off the over before.6th over: England 39-0 (Jones 9, Beaumont 26) Kerr floats one wide and Beaumont climbs into it with abandon, scorching the turf through the covers for four! Kerr then commits the cardinal sin of overstepping.Free Hit incoming… FOUR! Beaumont heaves the length ball over midwicket for four.
Tammy Time! Four more laced through point.And again! Kerr has been marmalised for 17 runs and four fours off the over.5th over: England 22-0 (Jones 9, Beaumont 10) Beaumont rocks back and thrashes Mair through backward point for four! That’ll settle the nerves a little.Mair sprays wide of the tramlines but then adjusts well to get three dots.Beaumont nudges a single to pinch strike from Jones for the next over.
4th over: England 16-0 (Jones 9, Beaumont 5) Just a couple of singles off Kerr.England unable to break the shackles thus far.A couple of early wickets and this has got squeaky run chase written all over it.3rd over: England 13-0 (Jones 8, Beaumont 3) Mair is accurate and probing, she’s denied a maiden to Beaumont because of a misfield at backward point off the final ball of the over.Amy Jones scampered a leg bye off it too to keep England ticking.
2nd over: England 11-0 (Jones 8, Beaumont 2) I think England’s best bet is to try and haul this target down quickly and not let dear old pressure come into it.Easier said than done, Jess Kerr is on the mark and the keeper is up to the stumps.Nevertheless England rotate strike well to pick up five runs off the over.Hello all and thanks Tanya.An eventful first over from Rosemary Mair as she pins Amy Jones on the pad and there’s a big appeal! The umpire says no but we go upstairs… NOT OUT! Clipping the bails so remains umpire’s call.
Lucky Jonesy.She clips for two to get off the mark and then crashes a full ball through the covers for four!1st over: England 6-0 (Jones 6, Beaumont 0)Here come the players, time for me to hand over to Jim Wallace – thanks for your company – bye!A cracking little interview with New Zealand queens Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine, recorded with Ian Ward pre-game.“It’s been the highest of highs to the lowest of lows,” says Devine, “but that’s cricket.When we won the World Cup we got momentum and every little thing went our way.We got on the roller coaster and it felt like it was meant to be
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