England ended New Zealand’s Women’s T20 World Cup title defence with a commanding chase at The Oval, reaching 164/1 in 17.2 overs after restricting the White Ferns to 163/6.
Danni Wyatt-Hodge led England’s charge with an unbeaten 89 off 53 balls, smashing 15 fours and a six. Her partnership of 128 runs with Sophia Dunkley, who scored 49*, sealed England’s fifth straight win in the group stage. New Zealand, needing victory to qualify, fell short despite a strong start.
Wyatt-Hodge’s innings broke Beth Mooney’s 2020 record for most runs in a single Women’s T20 World Cup, taking her tally to 282. She now holds two fifties and a century in this edition, underlining her dominance. The 128-run stand also became the highest partnership in a Women’s T20 World Cup chase.
The match marked emotional farewells for New Zealand legends Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates, and Lea Tahuhu, who retired after the defeat. The trio, with nearly 900 international appearances combined, received a guard of honour from both teams. Amelia Kerr hailed them as “three legends who shaped New Zealand cricket.”
New Zealand’s campaign unravelled after early losses to the West Indies and Sri Lanka. Despite Devine and Bates lifting their side to 163, England’s clinical batting ended their hopes. England now face Ghana in the Round of 32, while Portugal meet Croatia.
