England tame NZ in Women's World Cup, seal 2nd spot
What's the story
England cruised into the semi-finals of the ICC Women's World Cup 2025 after defeating New Zealand by eight wickets in their final group stage match. Despite losing key bowler Sophie Ecclestone to a shoulder injury, England's top order led by Amy Jones and Tammy Beaumont chased down a modest target of 169 runs with relative ease. The victory saw England Women finish 2nd in the Women's World Cup 2025.
Match highlights
Jones's unbeaten 86 leads England to victory
Jones's unbeaten 86, along with Beaumont's 40, helped England chase down the target in just 29.2 overs. The duo shared a strong opening stand of 75 runs, and Jones then combined with captain Heather Knight (33) for an 83-run second-wicket partnership. For the White Ferns, Lea Tahuhu managed 1/9 from 4 overs. Skipper Sophie Devine bagged 1/20.
Bowling prowess
Smith takes 3 wickets as England restrict New Zealand
Despite Ecclestone's injury, England's bowling attack did not disappoint. Left-arm spinner Linsey Smith took three wickets for 30 runs in 9.2 overs. Meanwhile, part-time off-spinner Alice Capsey and seamer Nat Sciver-Brunt chipped in with two wickets each. New Zealand were bundled out for 168 runs in just 38.2 overs.
Semi-final secured
Devine bows out of WODI cricket
The defeat for NZ-W also meant a disappointing end for captain Sophie Devine, who played her last Women's ODI match. Devine scored 23 in her final WODI outing. In 159 WODIs, Devine ended up with a tally of 4,279 runs at 32.66. She hammered nine tons and 18 fifties. As per ESPNcricinfo, in 38 matches against England, she amassed 857 runs at 25.96 (50s: 2, 100s: 2). Overall in ICC Women's World Cup, she managed 958 runs from 32 matches at 36.84 (100s: 3. 50s: 4).
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England finish 2nd and decoding their semi-final scenario
The win ensured England finished second in the group stage, behind Australia. This means if their semi-final against South Africa is washed out on Wednesday and on the reserve day, they will progress due to a better table position.
Duo
Georgia Plimmer and Amelia Kerr score decent knocks for NZ-W
For the White Ferns. the likes of Georgia Plimmer and Amelia Kerr scored decent knocks. Plimmer scored a 57-ball 43, smashing 7 fours along the way. With this effort, she raced to 504 runs from 31 matches at 21.91. On the other hand, Kerr scored 35 runs from 43 balls. She hit 5 fours. Kerr owns 2,304 runs from 84 matches (71 innings) at 41.14.
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Key bowling numbers of Smith, Sciver-Brunt and Capsey
Smith's three-fer saw her get to 22 wickets from 11 matches 15.95. Sciver-Brunt, who picked two scalps, owns a tally of 87 from 128 matches at 30.66. In 33 matches, Capsey has managed 17 wickets for England Women.
England
Jones hits her 7th fifty against NZ-W
Jones managed 86* runs from 92 balls, hitting 11 fours and a six. In 110 matches, she has 2,659 runs at 33.23. This was her 16th fifty in WODIs (100s: 2). Versus NZ-W, Jones has amassed a total of 677 runs from 21 matches at 48.35. This was her 7th fifty. In ICC Women's World Cup, Jones has 409 runs from 17 matches at 29.21.
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Beaumont produces substance alongside Knight
Beaumont's 40 had 7 fours in a 37-ball affair. She now owns 897 runs from 25 World Cup matches at 37.37. In WODIs, she has managed 4,738 runs from 139 matches at 40.84. Knight hit a 40-ball 33, racing to 4,325 runs from 156 matches at 36.04.