Women’s World Cup: England beat New Zealand by 8 wickets; Sophie Devine says emotional goodbyes | Cricket News

Former champions England produced a clinical all-round performance to beat New Zealand by eight wickets in their final Women’s World Cup championship match in Visakhapatnam on Sunday. The victory moved England to second place in the table with 11 points, just behind reigning champions Australia, putting them through to face South Africa in the semi-final.Go beyond borders with our YouTube channel. REGISTER NOW!With qualification for the semi-finals already assured, England took advantage of the game to refine their strategies, particularly their rotation attack. The quartet of Linsey Smith, Charlie Dean, Alice Capsey and Sophie Ecclestone ran through the White Ferns’ batting line-up, sharing seven wickets. New Zealand, at 89-1, lost Amelia Kerr and Georgia Plimmer in successive deliveries, triggering a collapse where the last five wickets fell for just 13 runs, leaving them all out for 168 in less than 39 overs – their lowest total of the tournament.

Captain Nat Sciver-Brunt praised the team’s efforts: “We wanted to put in a good performance. I’m really happy with the effort and we’re gaining a lot of confidence heading into the semi-finals.” England will, however, be concerned about Ecclestone’s shoulder injury. The world’s top-ranked bowler claimed the valuable wicket of Brooke Halliday before walking off the field after just four deliveries. Part-timer Sophia Dunkley stepped in with her wrist spin, adding to England’s already potent arsenal.The pursuit was never in doubt. Tammy Beaumont and Amy Jones shared a 75-run opening stand, followed by an 83-run partnership between Jones and skipper Heather Knight, taking England home with 124 balls to spare. Jones remained unbeaten on 86, scoring her 16th WODI half-century with a commanding six off Suzie Bates.The day was also marked by an emotional moment as Sophie Devine played her last WODI. Although unable to leave a mark in this match, Devine leaves as New Zealand’s third-highest runs-scorer (4,279) and second-highest wicket-taker (111). The teams paid their respects with a guard of honor, as Devine said: “I am honored to have played for my country for 19 long years. Today’s performance was disappointing, but it has been an incredible journey.»England now head into the knockout stages with confidence, while New Zealand’s campaign ends on a reflective note after a difficult tournament.