Wyatt-Hodge’s swagger catapults England into semi-final

England (164/1) beat New Zealand (163/5) by 9 wickets with 16 balls to spare

• Imperious 89 not out for Surrey batter seals a comfortable victory for England

• New Zealand hit 163/5, top scorer Melie Kerr with 42

• Bates, Devine and Tahuhu bow out from international cricket in defeat

The build up to this game was full of auspicious portents for New Zealand. As they were warming up, news filtered through that Orla Prendergast was constructing an innings in Bristol which would present the reigning champions with a lifeline in their attempt to reach the semi-finals. Having lost to both West Indies and Sri Lanka in a disastrous start to their campaign, this was truly an opportunity not to be wasted.

Continuing their good fortune, Melie Kerr then won the toss and decided to bat. England had looked shaky chasing a low total against Ireland in Southampton earlier in the competition, so the strategy was clearly to post a challenging total and see how the hosts would respond, especially as England know that they are already qualified as group leaders.

Melie Kerr and Izzy Gaze made a cautious start as Linsey Smith opened the bowling for England, unwilling to take risks against the wily and miserly Hampshire left arm spinner. Her county team mate, Lauren Bell, was afforded no such respect, as Kerr sent England’s premier pace bowler to the boundary twice in the second over of the game to get New Zealand’s innings properly up and running.

The two openers were to remain together for ten overs in total, punishing some poor bowling by Dani Gibson and Freya Kemp, before both struck back dramatically at the midway point, Kemp having Gaze caught on the long on boundary by Alice Capsey at the end of the ninth over, before Gibson bowled Kerr, who attempted to scoop her from the first ball of the tenth over, and then removed Izzy Sharp for a two ball duck, dragging a ball back onto her stumps when attempting a drive on the off side. 

New Zealand had lost three wickets for no runs in four balls. It was time for some rebuilding, and who better to lead the New Zealand effort than Sophie Devine? The veteran took a couple of overs assessing conditions and knocking the ball around for a few runs before launching Charlie Dean for back-to-back sixes and, then hitting another huge six from Sophie Ecclestone’s bowling the following over. If this was to end in defeat for New Zealand, what a glorious valedictory gift to the assembled 21,000 spectators for the retiring Devine to give: a final view of the Kiwi legend sending the ball into the stands.

All good things come to an end. Devine’s 14 ball cameo, which produced 30 runs, came to an abrupt halt in the 15^th over, trapped lbw by Lauren Bell, just after Brook Halliday had been brilliantly run out by Charlie Dean. So once again, two new batters were at the crease for New Zealand, just when they needed to be accelerating. Suzie Bates and Maddie Green steered the New Zealand innings to its close with a series of singles and dots, managing to hit only four boundaries from the final 26 balls. What might prove to be the final act of Suzie Bates’ international batting career saw her face down in the dirt as she attempted in vain to squeeze out a bye from the final ball of the innings. New Zealand had managed 163/5 from their 20 overs.

England’s reply was as brutal as it was effective. Danni Wyatt-Hodge, perhaps indignant at being overtaken at the head of the run-scoring charts by Darcey Carter, was at her imperious best, her batting brimming with confident swagger, determined to show everyone whose manor the Oval is. Amy Jones was, true to form, briefly brilliant, first pulling and then cutting Bree Illing for three boundaries in the third over, before tamely chipping Nensi Patel to the grateful hands of Melie Kerr at mid-off.

Wyatt-Hodge, joined by her good friend and Surrey teammate Sophia Dunkley, only grew in stature and confidence as the pair tore into the New Zealand bowlers, Melie Kerr despatched for five fours either side of a brief interlude for rain. Their 100 partnership came after 66 balls, Dunkley contributing 43 of them from 33 balls. 

Any dream of the semi-final had drained away from New Zealand by this stage as England needed only 19 to win from the final four overs, with nine wickets in hand. By the 18^th over, the game was done, Tahuhu sending down a leg side wide when the scores were level.

And so, the curtain fell on three great careers: Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu will never play for New Zealand again. Winning the World Cup in 2024 was the pinnacle for them, today was a chance for us to salute and honour three great servants of the game. In moving scenes, both teams formed a guard of honour for the three New Zealand greats to say a final farewell.

And so England progress triumphantly to the semi final, where they will almost certainly play either India or South Africa. Australia will likewise almost certainly play the reprieved West Indies, who progress despite today’s loss to Ireland.