England had secured their place in the Women’s T20 World Cup semi-finals before their emphatic nine-wicket win over New Zealand, but they face an agonising wait to find out the date and time of their last-four match.
Should India beat Australia on Sunday and finish second in their group, they will play England at the Oval on Tuesday at 2.30pm as organisers bid to maximise the television audience in the sub-continent.
However, if Australia win and South Africa take second spot in group one, then England will play at 6.30pm on Thursday, in a slot much more suited for in-person crowds and prime-time television viewers.
It may seem odd for fixtures to be determined by an audience thousands of miles away rather than the hosts, but such has been India’s influence in cricket in recent years – and England’s players were unperturbed by the uncertainty surrounding their semi-final date.
Sophia Dunkley, who scored 49 in England’s successful chase, said: “It’s a bit weird not knowing when you’re going to play, but I think we’ve been really good just staying present with it and just taking on what comes our way and embracing everything with that.
“So obviously we’ll be watching the Australia-India game to see how that ends up, with South Africa as well.”
Top-scorer Danni Wyatt-Hodge added that England would “be ready for whoever it is” and they will surely be looking to deliver a performance as ruthless as that which dispensed with New Zealand.
In front of 21,018, the highest attendance for a Women’s T20 World Cup group-stage match, England held their nerve with the bat to score the required 164 to win with 16 balls to spare.
Their chase was spearheaded by Wyatt-Hodge, whose unbeaten 89 ensured she became the highest run-scorer at any single Women’s T20 World Cup, beating Beth Mooney’s record of 259 in 2020.
Wyatt-Hodge, who welcomed a baby with wife Georgie last month, has had an astonishing tournament so far. Averaging 94, she has led this England side at the top of the order and proved invaluable.
“Danni’s not sleeping much but still scoring so many runs, so I don’t know what the secret is,” Charlie Dean said on Sky Sports. “But she always wants to improve and I love that about her.
“We’ve got people stepping up at different times, and lots of different players contributing. We’re also really clear in our roles as bowlers and tournament cricket is all about building momentum.”
Wyatt-Hodge has also eclipsed head coach Charlotte Edwards’s tally of 768 runs in T20 World Cups, with only Nat Sciver-Brunt ahead of her in terms of runs scored for England.
“She’s definitely on fire this tournament,” Dunkley said. “Maybe little Daisy’s [Wyatt-Hodge’s newborn daughter] helped, but I think when Danni gets on a roll she’s really hard to stop.
“I’ve seen her bat like this for years and years now, and there’s no surprise to me that she’s absolutely smashing it.”
Despite having secured their place in the last four with Wednesday’s win over the West Indies at Lord’s, England decided not to rotate their squad for the final group match, with captain Sciver-Brunt still absent with a calf injury she aggravated against Ireland.
Having been asked to bowl, it took until the 10th over of the match for Freya Kemp to claim England’s first wicket. Izzy Gaze tried to hit the ball down the ground, but instead it fell into the safe hands of Alice Capsey. Melie Kerr tried to paddle scoop the next ball and was bowled by Dani Gibson, before Izzy Sharp played on off Gibson.
That flurry of three wickets in four balls halted New Zealand’s charge and the hosts were able to restrict their opponents to 163 for six.
In reply, England got off to a flying start, bringing up 50 in the sixth over, before the rain stalled their momentum. But when they resumed, needing 99 runs from 13 overs, they picked up in the same manner as they left off, with Wyatt-Hodge and Dunkley closing down the total with ease.
While England celebrated, women’s international cricket also bid farewell to three of its stalwarts in Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu. They amassed 448 caps between them and have been the cornerstone of New Zealand women’s cricket for almost two decades, including their maiden T20 World Cup win in 2024. The trio left the field at the end of the match to a guard of honour provided by England.
Charlie Dean’s reaction
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We wanted to top the group, and to do that in front of such a big crowd is really special.
[On Danni Wyatt-Hodge] She’s not sleeping much and she’s still scoring so many runs. She’s been exceptional and she’s a proper 360 player now.
It’s great to have momentum, that’s what tournament cricket is about. We know that on this pitch we have to be really tight with our lines in the semi-final.
Hopefully we can all go to the pub and watch the football now - with a diet coke of course!
Melie Kerr’s reaction
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That’s the saddest part about it all, three legends of the game leaving women’s cricket. We’ll make sure we celebrate them tonight.
There were times when I thought we were laying a good platform with the bat but then we lost wickets. Danni played beautifully but I think we also offered up too much width with the ball.
It’s been a disappointing tournament so far. The exciting thing is that we have a lot of young talent and they’re only gonna get better.
The player of the match, for the third time at this World Cup, is Danni Wyatt-Hodge
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It’s always a beauty of a pitch at the Oval and I really enjoyed batting with my mate Dunks!
When the rain came down the ball started to skid on. We tried bat with intent and enjoy ourselves out there.
[On her trademark shot over the off side] I fell out of a tree when I was 10 and my wrist grew in a weird way. That enables me to hit over there.
Suzie Bates was one of my idols growing up, so it was pretty emotional at the end. Sophie and Lea as well, what amazing careers they’ve had. It’s really sad to see them go.
England’s semi-final opponents
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We don’t yet know who England will play in the semi-finals. We don’t even know which day they will be playing.
The two semi-finals are at the Oval on Tuesday afternoon and Thursday evening. If India qualify (they almost certainly need to beat Australia tomorrow to do), they will play in the first game on Tuesday, probably against England.
If not, England are likely to face South Africa on Thursday.
Farewell to three New Zealand legends
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The England players - and the rest of the New Zealand squad - form a guard of honour for Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu, three giants of New Zealand cricket who are all retiring after this tournament. That’s a lovely gesture that shows the respect in which all three cricketers are held.
England win by nine wickets with 16 balls to spare
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OVER 18: ENG 164/1 (Wyatt-Hodge 89 Dunkley 49)
West Indies knocked England out of the last T20 World Cup. England have kept West Indies in this year’s competition by hammering New Zealand at the Oval. It was a barnstorming run-chase, with Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Sophia Dunkley in stunning form.
There’s no half-century for Dunkley, who was on 49 with one needed to win when Lea Tahuhu bowled a wide, but that’s her best innings in months and she will be full of confidence should Nat Sciver-Brunt be unavailable for the semi-final.
OVER 17: ENG 159/1 (Wyatt-Hodge 89 Dunkley 45)
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Another shot of rare brilliance from Wyatt-Hodge, who opens the face to deliberately slice Jess Kerr for four. The ball went so fine, a long way to the left of the fielder at short third. “How did she get that there?” purrs Nasser Hussain on Sky Sports.
The only minor frustration is that Wyatt-Hodge won’t have time to make her second hundred of the tournament. She has actually played even better tonight than she did against Sri Lanka. As if to prove the point, she carts a mighty six over wide long on; that’s another stunning stroke.
England are one hit away from victory.
A record crowd at the Oval
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There are 21,018 fans at the Oval, setting a new record for the highest attendance at a Women’s T20 World Cup group stage match, and it has been a good atmosphere in the midst of the London heatwave.
OVER 16: ENG 145/1 (Wyatt-Hodge 76 Dunkley 44)
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Devine tries a wide yorker to Wyatt-Hodge, who simply opens the face and glides it for four. There’s a danger of taking her brilliance for granted, so often have we seen it in recent years. Wyatt-Hodge had a very slow start to her T20I career, but in her last 50 games she averages 33 with a strike-rate of 141. Those numbers are world class.
OVER 15: ENG 138/1 (Wyatt-Hodge 70 Dunkley 43)
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Wyatt-Hodge smokes Melie Kerr down the ground for a one-bounce four, in the process becoming the highest runscorer in a Women’s T20 World Cup. She has picked a helluva time to be in the form of her life.
Dunkley brings up a rampant century partnership by pulling four more round the corner. England need 26 from 30 balls, and New Zealand are about to surrender the title they won in 2024.
OVER 14: ENG 127/1 (Wyatt-Hodge 64 Dunkley 38)
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Dunkley reminds everyone that it’s not all about boundaries by haring back for a second off Patel. A tougher test awaits England in the semi-final - much tougher - but if they bat with this urgency and fearlessness they will worry any bowling attack.
England are scoring at 9.29 runs per over in this tournament. That’s the second highest for any team at a T20 World Cup; top of the list are Australia, also in this tournament, with a run-rate of 9.61.
OVER 13: ENG 122/1 (Wyatt-Hodge 63 Dunkley 34)
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Wyatt-Hodge holds the pose after timing Jess Kerr past short third and away to boundary. She is batting comically well. A single to deep extra cover takes her to 257 runs in the tournament - the highest in any Women’s T20 World Cup is Beth Mooney’s 259 in 2019-20.
OVER 12: ENG 116/1 (Wyatt-Hodge 58 Dunkley 33)
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Dunkley is enjoying herself too. She belts Illing for four to move past 100 runs in the tournament; when she was left out of the opening game, she probably feared she wouldn’t score a single run.
Wyatt-Hodge clatters Illing back over her head for four to bring the target down to a run a ball: 48 from 48. England have batted beautifully.
OVER 11: ENG 105/1 (Wyatt-Hodge 54 Dunkley 28)
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The crowd of 21,018 at the Oval is the highest in this year’s competition. They’ve witnessing a masterclass from Wyatt-Hodge, who leathers Tahuhu for another devastating boundary. The fielder at deep cover had no chance.
OVER 10: ENG 95/1 (Wyatt-Hodge 50 Dunkley 23)
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Wyatt-Hodge breaks the wrists to launch Patel over wide mid-off for four. That also brings up a coruscating fifty partnership in only 33 balls. Better still, Wyatt-Hodge slashes four more to bring up her own half-century, also from 33 balls.
She’s so much fun to watch. And even if Nat Sciver-Brunt returns for the semi-final, Wyatt-Hodge might be the wicket the opposition want most. On a good day, she can take any attack in the world to the cleaners.
OVER 9: ENG 83/1 (Wyatt-Hodge 39 Dunkley 22)
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Telegraph Sport understands Danni Wyatt-Hodge hit three boundaries in that over from Melie Kerr. We didn’t see them, alas, but the TV feed has returned just in time for the 10th over.
England are cruising to a fifth win out of five, which would put West Indies into a semi-final with (almost certainly) Australia.
OVER 8: ENG 70/1 (Wyatt-Hodge 26 Dunkley 22)
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There’s a problem with the TV feed, so we’re not able to see the action at the moment. But Dunkley has just hit Illing for four to tarnish an otherwise tight over.
Play will restart at 9pm
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No overs lost and the forecast looks good for the rest of the evening.
Rain stops play
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The Sky Sports commentary team reckon the players will be off for maybe 20-30 minutes. When the match resumes, England will need 99 from 78 balls.
OVER 7: ENG 65/1 (Wyatt-Hodge 25 Dunkley 18)
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Play continues even though there’s a bit of rain falling at the Oval. Not a great time to bowl legspin, with the ball getting wet, and Dunkley nails Melie Kerr from two blistering boundaries through extra cover. Dunkley started the World Cup on the bench and out of form; not any more.
OVER 6: ENG 57/1 (Wyatt-Hodge 25 Dunkley 10)
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Sophie Devine’s first ball is too wide and cut four by Wyatt-Hodge. She is is lethal through point and backward point, or over point and backward point.
Another wide delivery is larruped past backward point for four - this time by Dunkley, who then moves across to hoick another boundary past short fine leg. Right now, England are making light work of an awkward run-chase.
OVER 5: ENG 43/1 (Wyatt-Hodge 20 Dunkley 1)
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Lea Tahuhu, New Zealand’s round-arm quick bowler, comes into the attack. Wyatt-Hodge swishes a cut behind square for four to become the leading scorer at this T20 World Cup: 213 runs, average 71, strike-rate 146.
England need 121 from 90 balls to win, and put West Indies into the semi-finals at New Zealand’s expense.
OVER 4: ENG 36/1 (Wyatt-Hodge 14 Dunkley 0)
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Sophia Dunkley had to leave the field with a hand injury during the New Zealand innings but she’s in at No3 as planned.
Wicket!
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Jones c M Kerr b Patel 17 Wyatt-Hodge survives a stumping chance after charging the spinner Nensi Patel and effectively yorking herself. Gaze fumbles the ball and England take a bye. Patel isn’t disheartened and gets a wicket next ball when Jones drives straight to mid-off. A bit of a tame dismissal, and a much needed wicket for New Zealand. FOW: 36/1
OVER 3: ENG 31/0 (Jones 16 Wyatt-Hodge 10)
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Now it’s Jones’ turn to hit successive boundaries off Illing. An emphatic four is followed by a gorgeous square drive to the fence, and she skims another square drive for four later in the over as well. Lovely stuff.
In other news, those four wides in the first over were actually a chance for New Zealand. Replays show the ball brushed Wyatt-Hodge’s glove before being dropped by Gaze.
OVER 2: ENG 19/0 (Jones 4 Wyatt-Hodge 10)
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Danni Wyatt-Hodge gets going with back-to-back boundaries off Jess Kerr. After timing a cut through point, she screamed the next ball over the off side in trademark style. Wyatt-Hodge needs seven more to overtake Darcey Carter as the leading runscorer at this World Cup.
OVER 1: ENG 8/0 (Jones 2 Wyatt-Hodge 1)
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The left-armer Bree Illing finds some encouraging early swing in a largely excellent first over. I say ‘largely’ because the fourth ball was too straight and curved down the leg side for four wides. The wicketkeeper Gaze dived to her left but could only punch it to the boundary.
Here come the England openers
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England would love Amy Jones to get some runs tonight. She started the World Cup with 53 against Sri Lanka, but since then she’s made three single-figure scores.
England need 164 to win
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England will be happy with how they stopped New Zealand from piling on the runs and putting the pressure on the hosts.
It was a steady innings, with a lot of dot balls, but then as they tried to kick on, New Zealand started to lose wickets.
It also might be the final New Zealand farewell for Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine and Lea Tahuhu who are all retiring from international cricket after this tournament.
They have 445 caps between them and have been stalwarts of New Zealand women’s cricket over the last two decades.
OVER 20: NZ 163/6 (Green 17)
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So, England’s target is 164. You’d fancy them to make it on an excellent batting pitch, but New Zealand need victory a whole lot more and that could count for something.
Wicket!
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Bates run out 19 Bates is befuddled by a slower bouncer from Bell and ends up on her knees after missing a reverse hook.
Bell’s last over is a gem, full of soap-in-the-bath slower balls. She concedes only five runs, with Bates run out trying to steal a bye off the last delivery. FOW: 163/6
OVER 19: NZ 158/5 (Green 14 Bates 17)
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After surviving an LBW review - it was just clipping leg - Green scoops Ecclestone deftly for four. Bell dived to her right at short fine leg and may have got a touch, but it was an extremely difficult chance.
Ecclestone has bowled well and finishes with figures of 4-0-24-0.
OVER 18: NZ 148/5 (Green 6 Bates 16)
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Green whirls Kemp towards short fine leg, where Dunkley can’t take a very tough low chance. Actually it may have reached her on the half-volley.
Either way Dunkley has hurt herself and is leaving the field. Issy Wong comes on as substitute - she spoke to Sonia Twigg earlier this week in an excellent interview.
Out of nothing, Bates hits Kemp for three successive boundaries. The third was a remarkable shot; she stood well outside off stump, even before Kemp entered her delivery stride, and launched the ball over short fine leg for a one-bounce four.
OVER 17: NZ 133/5 (Green 4 Bates 3)
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Maddy Green top-edges Smith fractionally short of Kemp, diving forward at deep square leg. Smith finishes with figures of 4-0-26-0.
New Zealand’s score feels about 20 below par.
OVER 16: NZ 128/5 (Green 1 Bates 1)
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New Zealand have lost their wickets in clumps: three in four balls, then two in four a moment ago. Devine was looking so dangerous until that moment.
Wicket!
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Devine LBW b Bell 30 A huge moment. Devine walked across to Bell, missed a whip to leg and was given out LBW. She reviewed in the hope it was bouncing over the top - but it was hitting Devine was on her way for a punishing 14-ball 30. New Zealand’s semi-final hopes may have gone with her. FOW: 126/5
Wicket!
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Halliday run out 20 Halliday drives Bell to extra cover, sets off for a quick single and is well short when Dean’s unerring throw hits the stumps. That’s lovely fielding from Dean, a priceless three- or even four-dimensional cricketer. FOW: 124/4
OVER 15: NZ 123/3 (Devine 28 Halliday 18)
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Ecclestone gets the Devine treatment, a mighty sweep over square leg for six more. But she does well to limit the damage for the rest of the over, culminating in an LBW appeal that was turned down. It was an arm ball that duped Devine but would have missed leg stump.
OVER 14: NZ 113/3 (Devine 21 Halliday 17)
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New Zealand have scored 33 from the last two overs. After Halliday reverse swept a boundary to bring up the New Zealand hundred, Devine pumped Dean over midwicket for huge back-to-back sixes. She has 21 from nine balls and is giving England the heebie-jeebies.
OVER 13: NZ 96/3 (Devine 9 Halliday 12)
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Devine pulls Gibson ferociously towards deep square, where the tumbling Wyatt-Hodge does superbly to save two runs. No chance for anyone with the next ball, which is on leg stump and whacked past short fine leg for four.
Bowling to Devine seems to have unnerved Gibson a little. Even when Halliday gets back on strike, Gibson’s line is awry and she spears five wides down the leg side. Sixteen from the over.
OVER 12: NZ 80/3 (Devine 2 Halliday 8)
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Halliday slog-sweeps Dean wide of mid-on for four. New Zealand bat a fair way down so they can keep going hard. Devine goes a bit too hard at a short ball from Dean, swishing at fresh air as the ball hits her high on the pad.
OVER 11: NZ 74/3 (Devine 1 Halliday 3)
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That brief flurry of three wickets has really changed halted New Zealand’s charge, although one thing it has done is bring the experienced Sophie Devine to the crease.
Gibson and Kemp might have made the headlines in Scotland for their power-hitting with the bat but their skill with the ball has swung the momentum back in England’s favour.
Wicket!
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Sharp b Gibson 0 Make that three wickets in four balls! Izzy Sharp has dragged Dani Gibson back onto the stumps to extend a remarkable mini-collapse from New Zealand. FOW: 70/3
Wicket!
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M Kerr b Gibson 42 Two wickets in two balls! Kerr tries to scoop Gibson, misses and is bowled. Kemp and Gibson, the allrounders in whom Charlotte Edwards invested so much, are having such an influence on this tournament.. Lotte knows. FOW: 70/2
OVER 10: NZ 70/1 (M Kerr 42 Devine 0)
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The great Sophie Devine - who could be playing her last game for her country tonight - walks out at No3.
Wicket!
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Gaze c Capsey b Kemp 28 After hitting Freya Kemp for successive boundaries, Gaze mistimes a lofted shot towards mid-off, where Ecclestone is slightly slow to turn and can’t reach the ball.
It matters not because Gaze soon holes out to long-on, where Capsey takes a calm catch. FOW: 70/1
OVER 9 NZ 59/0 (Kerr 41 Gaze 18)
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England review for caught behind when Gaze misses a sweep off Ecclestone. They thought the ball had brushed the glove before being taken by Amy Jones, but replays showed it came off the arm.
The third umpire also checks for a potential LBW. It would have bounced over the top.
A good over from Ecclestone nonetheless. She has figures of 2-0-7-0.
OVER 8: NZ 55/0 (Kerr 40 Gaze 15)
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Captain v captain, with Charlie Dean coming into the attack. Kerr lands the first blow by skipping down to drive a beautiful boundary over wide mid-off.
England are going round the park - but it’s worth stressing that this is a really good pitch and they will fancy their chances of chasing whatever New Zealand set.
OVER 7: NZ 44/0 (Kerr 33 Gaze 14)
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Sophie Ecclestone quietens everything down with a good first over: three dot balls, three singles.
OVER 6: NZ 44/0 (Kerr 31 Gaze 13)
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Melie Kerr is leading by example. She takes two more boundaries in Dani Gibson’s first over, a slap through the covers and a jaunty scoop, before being dropped off the last ball of the Powerplay. It was an extremely tough chance, even for Amy Jones, when Kerr gloved another attempted scoop.
Kerr has 31 from 23 balls, Gaze 13 from 13. New Zealand are off to a flyer.
OVER 5: NZ 34/0 (Kerr 22 Gaze 12)
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Both openers sweep Linsey Smith to the square-leg boundary. Gaze’s was a particularly good shot, pinged sweetly into the leg side off a low full toss.
This is an excellent start for New Zealand, just what they wanted after winning the toss. The stronger the platform, the greater the chances of Sophie Devine smashing England’s spinners all round Kennington.
OVER 4: NZ 22/0 (Kerr 15 Gaze 7)
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A much better second over from Bell, just two from it. But England haven’t really threatened to take a wicket on what looks a terrific pitch.
OVER 3: NZ 20/0 (Kerr 14 Gaze 6)
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After facing only two of the first 16 deliveries, Gaze gets her first boundary with a cracking sweep off Smith. After a tentative first over, New Zealand are into their work.
OVER 2: NZ 12/0 (Kerr 12 Gaze 0)
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Not a great start from Lauren Bell, who serves up two short balls that are pulled and cut for four by Kerr. A sharp single to mid-on, where Ecclestone fumbled the ball, completes a good over for New Zealand.
OVER 1: NZ 1/0 (M Kerr 1 Gaze 0)
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An outstanding start from Linsey Smith: four dot balls in a row, all attacking the stumps, before Kerr whips a single into the leg side. Izzy Gaze can’t score off her first delivery.
Smith to bowl the first over
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Linsey Smith is taking the first over ahead of Lauren Bell, possibly because of the match-up with Melie Kerr. The last time Smith took the first over, rather than the second, was in the series decider against New Zealand in May: she took 2/15 from four overs and New Zealand were skittled for 80.
Sciver-Brunt’s fitness a big concern for England
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I thought England might rest a couple of players given that they have all but secured their place at the top of the group before taking to the field today, but they have chosen to stick with the same side.
The main concern is Nat Sciver-Brunt who was confirmed to miss the matches against the West Indies and Scotland after suffering the recurrence of a calf issue against Ireland, but was only ruled out for two games initially.
England will have to hope that she is fit and ready for the semi-finals.
Team news
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No rest or rotation for England, who stick with the XI that beat West Indies. New Zealand are also unchanged.
England Wyatt-Hodge, Jones (wk), Dunkley, Capsey, Knight, Kemp, Gibson, Dean (c), Ecclestone, Smith, Bell.
New Zealand M Kerr (c), Gaze (wk), Sharp, Devine, Halliday, Green, Bates, J Kerr, Patel, Tahuhu, Illing.
New Zealand win the toss and bat
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“Runs on the board and hopefully some scoreboard pressure,” says their captain Melie Kerr. “It’s effectively a quarter-final for us. [Qualification] is in our hands, which is a privileged position that we didn’t expect to be in after our first two losses.”
Charlie Dean says England would have bowled anyway as they want to experience a run-chase ahead of the semi-final. Worryingly, she doesn’t sound entirely optimistic that Nat Sciver-Brunt will ready for that game. “She’s not too far off,” says Dean, “and hopefully she’ll be back for the semi-final.”
The extra two days (if India are eliminated) would help England in that regard.
A glorious 24 hours for Irish cricket
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Yesterday the men’s team beat India for the first time; today the women’s team have won their first match at a T20 World Cup. For an emerging nation, that’s about as good as it gets.
Good evening
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Hello and welcome to live, over-by-over coverage of England v New Zealand in the T20 World Cup. This match has a compelling pitch – the hosts v the holders – but it looked for all the world that it would be a dead rubber. And then Ireland stunned everyone by beating West Indies this afternoon, their first victory at a Women’s T20 World Cup. It means that New Zealand, who have been in the departure lounge since losing their first two games, will sneak into the semi-finals if they win tonight.
It also means England will top Group B regardless of the result. They will almost certainly play either India or South Africa in their semi-final; if it’s India it will be on Tuesday afternoon, South Africa would be on Thursday evening.
England are again without their captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, whose niggling calf injury has cast a shadow over their campaign. She should be fit for the semi-final but there’s no point risking another recurrence in a game England don’t have to win.
It’s still a game that England want to win, not least because it would give them a perfect record going into the final week of the competition. “Every game in a World Cup is an opportunity to put your stamp on the tournament, and I think every game is so crucial,” said Alice Capsey. “We set pretty high standards for ourselves, and it will be another opportunity to raise those standards even further.”
Capsey may only be 21 but she is already in the second phase of her career, having been through the age-old story of an emerging talent: explosive arrival followed by inevitable dip. In recent months, Capsey 2.0 has emerged.
“I feel in a better place,” she said. “I feel like I’m being able to execute better plans. I still think there’s a lot of growing that I can do and there’s a lot of growing that I want to do. At the minute it’s a massive focus on just contributing to games of cricket for England and winning this World Cup.