Sophie Ecclestone suffered an harm scare forward of the Girls’s Cricket World Cup semi-finals as England ended their league marketing campaign with an eight-wicket win over New Zealand following an erratic bowling show and medical batting efficiency.
Left-arm spinner Ecclestone jarred her bowling shoulder attempting to stop a boundary within the opening over of Sunday’s fixture in Vizag and shortly left the sector for evaluation.
The 26-year-old returned to the park and even got here on to bowl the twenty third over, solely to move off once more as quickly as she had Brooke Halliday (4) caught at deep midwicket from her fourth authorized supply in New Zealand’s whole of 168 all out in 38.2 overs.
Ecclestone was not seen once more within the innings, leaving England sweating on her health forward of Wednesday’s semi-final towards South Africa in Guwahati, dwell on Sky Sports activities Cricket (9.30am UK).
Talking on the post-match presentation, captain Nat Sciver-Brunt had no additional replace on Ecclestone’s situation however stated her absence was “precautionary”.
Amy Jones (86no off 92 balls) and Tammy Beaumont (40) shared their highest opening stand of the match – 75 from 89 balls – earlier than Jones and Heather Knight (33 off 40) added 83 in partnership as England eased to their goal with 125 deliveries to spare, bouncing again from defeat to Australia final outing.
The win additionally noticed England snatch second spot from South Africa, that means Sciver-Brunt’s facet will advance to the ultimate towards both Australia or India if their semi-final is washed out.
Danni Wyatt-Hodge (2no) changed the out-of-nick Emma Lamb for England and got here out to bat at No 4 with 11 runs required after Kiwi captain Sophie Devine (1-20) pinned Knight lbw to take a 111th ODI wicket in her 159th and last match earlier than retiring from the format.
Amy Jones struck New Zealand seamer Rosemary Mair for 3 fours in a row through the twenty sixth over of the run chase
Jones, who now has two half-centuries throughout her final three innings, sealed victory with back-to-back fours off Devine, whose New Zealand staff received simply certainly one of their seven video games on the World Cup – towards Bangladesh – round 4 losses and two rain-offs.
England beat New Zealand after early struggles with the ball
New Zealand squandered a great begin after Devine had elected to bat, with the White Ferns reaching 89-1 within the nineteenth over earlier than Melie Kerr (35) and Georgia Plimmer (43) fell to successive deliveries.
New Zealand had earlier taken 17 runs throughout 4 balls from Linsey Smith (3-30) because the England spinner conceded 4 consecutive boundaries whereas bowling to Kerr, together with one off a dreadful full-toss no-ball that reached the batter above waist top.
England’s bowling was unfastened early on – even the primary wicket of Suzie Bates (10), caught at mid-off by substitute fielder Lamb, got here off a Smith full toss – however they did tighten up because the innings progressed.
New Zealand captain Sophie Devine was dismissed for 23, took the wicket of Heather Knight and acquired a guard of honour as she introduced her ODI profession to a detailed
New Zealand light as soon as Kerr chipped Alice Capsey down the bottom – Charlie Dean with the catch in her one hundredth England look – and Plimmer was then pinned lbw by Dean one ball later.
There have been a raft of soppy dismissals, together with Maddy Inexperienced pouched off a Capsey full toss, though it took an excellent piece of cricket to take away Devine for 23; England wicketkeeper Jones with a wise catch after Devine snicked a Sciver-Brunt off-cutter.
England will need a sharper all-round show – and a fully-fit Ecclestone – after they face a South Africa facet they bundled out for 69 in Guwahati en path to a 10-wicket win of their first recreation of the match on October 3.
Jones: England ‘massively excited’ for semi-finals
England’s Jones hit 11 fours and one six in her knock of 86 not out
Participant of the Match, England opener Amy Jones (86no off 92 balls):
“I discovered it difficult on the market. It was somewhat bit gradual, somewhat bit irritating.
“I used to be completely happy to get by way of that and Tammy [Beaumont] took the stress off me at the beginning once I was discovering it a bit more durable.
“It’s massively thrilling to be within the semi-final and to complete second. We’re all very pleased with that.
“Twice within the match now we’ve got bounced again shortly from a poor efficiency which has been actually constructive.”
England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt:
“We needed to place in a very good efficiency right now so I’m actually pleased with what we did and to take confidence into the semi-final.
“[After the defeat to Australia], we needed to be proactive within the center order with the bat, whereas we needed to reaffirm plans with the ball and ensure execution was excessive.
“As a facet, the one factor we are able to do to point out a lot we look after one another is the fielding so maintaining that power up in scorching circumstances was actually vital.”
England will play South Africa within the first World Cup semi-final in Guwahati on Wednesday
Devine: As we speak was by no means concerning the end result
New Zealand captain Sophie Devine:
“That was disappointing. To not make it about myself however I actually needed to exit on a excessive and right now’s efficiency wasn’t that.
“Credit score to England – they caught at it after which did the job with the bat. It isn’t what we needed however there are greater issues in life.
“It was by no means concerning the end result right now. For me, it was nearly having fun with it and going again to the roots if why I performed the sport 19 years in the past – to play alongside my mates.
“I’m actually excited concerning the expertise, the youthful power and playfulness within the group. They’ve such a excessive ceiling so it is nearly them understanding their greatest is sweet sufficient.
“We’re adequate to be right here and once we play our greatest cricket we are able to beat any staff on this planet. We’ve to maintain believing that.”
Devine, 36, made her ODI debut for New Zealand in 2006
England gamers hail ‘correct cricketer’ Devine
England’s Amy Jones on Sophie Devine:
“It’s nice for Soph [Devine] to get the popularity. She is a legend of the sport and it’s clear to see how a lot she means to New Zealand and everybody else within the ladies’s recreation.
“On the pitch but in addition off it as an excellent individual. I’m actually completely happy she has had such a profitable profession.”
England’s Heather Knight on Sophie Devine:
England’s Knight displays on the win over New Zealand and pays tribute to Devine following her ODI retirement
“Sophie has been a stalwart of New Zealand cricket. I’ve performed along with her and towards her and what stands out for me is her character.
“She continues to be the identical type of cheeky woman she was when she received within the staff and a correct cricketer – somebody who pushed the sport ahead in how you are taking bowlers on.
“She will hit the ball higher than anybody within the ladies’s recreation and he or she was doing that earlier than anybody else was. You additionally take a look at her longevity – and I feel we would see her within the 2026 T20 World Cup…”
England’s World Cup outcomes and fixtures
All occasions UK and Eire, all dwell on Sky Sports activities
Watch the Girls’s Cricket World Cup dwell on Sky Sports activities Cricket in full, as much as and together with the ultimate on Sunday November 2. Stream cricket, soccer, golf and extra contract-free with NOW.
