Sophie Ecclestone injures shoulder as England beat New Zealand ahead of Women’s World Cup semi-finals | Cricket News
Sophie Ecclestone suffered an injury scare ahead of the Women’s Cricket World Cup semi-finals as England ended their championship campaign with an eight-wicket win over New Zealand following an erratic bowling performance and clinical batting performance.
Left-arm spinner Ecclestone shook his bowling shoulder while trying to prevent a boundary during Sunday’s opener in Vizag and quickly left the field for assessment.
The 26-year-old returned to the park and even came to bowl in the 23rd over, only to depart as soon as she caught Brooke Halliday (4) at deep mid-wicket on her fourth legal delivery in New Zealand’s total of 168 in 38.2 overs.
Ecclestone was not seen in the innings again, leaving England sweating on his fitness ahead of Wednesday’s semi-final against South Africa in Guwahati, live. Sky Sports Cricket (9.30am UK).
Amy Jones (86 from 92 balls) and Tammy Beaumont (40) shared their highest opening score of the tournament – 75 from 89 balls – before Jones and Heather Knight (33 from 40) added 83 in partnership as England reached their target with 125 deliveries to spare, bouncing back from defeat to Australia and snatching second place in the rankings from Africa from the South.
Danni Wyatt-Hodge (2no) replaced off-nickel Emma Lamb for England and came out to bat at No. 4 with 11 runs required after New Zealand captain Sophie Devine (1-20) pinned Knight lbw to claim a 111th ODI wicket in her 159th and final match before bowing out of the format.
Jones, who now has two half-centuries in his last three innings, sealed victory with four straight defeats against Devine, whose New Zealand team have won just one of their seven matches around four defeats and two rains.
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Amy Jones hit New Zealand seamer Rosemary Mair for three straight fours in the 26th over of the chase.
England beat New Zealand after early difficulties with the ball
New Zealand wasted a good start after Devine elected to bat, with the White Ferns reaching 89-1 in the 19th over before Melie Kerr (35) and Georgia Plimmer (43) fell on successive deliveries.
New Zealand had already made 17 runs off four balls from Linsey Smith (3-30) as the England spinner conceded four consecutive boundaries while bowling to Kerr, including one off a terrible no-ball full toss that hit the batter above the waist.
England’s bowling was loose from the start – even the first wicket of Suzie Bates (10), caught at mid-off by replacement fielder Lamb, came off a full toss from Smith – but they tightened up as the innings progressed.
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New Zealand captain Sophie Devine was dismissed for 23 minutes in her final one-day international.
New Zealand faded once Kerr bowled Alice Capsey – Charlie Dean with the catch on his 100th England appearance – and Plimmer was then pinned underweight by Dean a ball later.
There were a series of soft dismissals, including Maddy Green smashing a full toss off Capsey, although it took a big chunk of cricket to remove Devine for 23; England wicketkeeper Jones with a smart catch after Devine snatched an off-cutter Nat Sciver-Brunt.
England will want a sharper overall performance – and a fully fit Ecclestone – when they face a South African side they bowled out for 69 in Guwahati en route to a 10-wicket victory in their opening match of the tournament on October 3.
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