England secured a dominant eight-wicket victory over New Zealand in their ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 clash at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium. This win propels England past South Africa to claim second position in the standings with 11 points. New Zealand, on the other hand, slips to sixth place after their fourth defeat of the tournament.
Chasing a target of 169, England made the chase look easy. Amy Jones played a brilliant, unbeaten innings of 86, anchoring the chase and receiving excellent support from Tammy Beaumont (40) and Heather Knight (33). For New Zealand, Leah Tahuhu and Sophie Devine, in her final ODI, managed to pick up a wicket apiece.
England's openers, Jones and Beaumont, provided a solid foundation with a 75-run partnership, putting pressure on the New Zealand bowlers. Tahuhu eventually broke the partnership, dismissing Beaumont LBW. Earlier in the day, New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat, but England's bowlers put up a strong performance to bowl them out for 168 in under 40 overs.
Georgia Plimmer top-scored for New Zealand with 43, while Melie Kerr (35) and Sophie Devine (23) also made valuable contributions. However, once these three were dismissed, the White Ferns struggled to maintain momentum, losing wickets at regular intervals.
Linsey Smith was the pick of the bowlers for England, taking 3 wickets for 30 runs. She was well supported by Alice Capsey (2/31), Charlie Dean (1/21), and Sophie Ecclestone (1/4), who collectively stifled the scoring rate and dismantled the middle order. England's spinners accounted for seven of the nine wickets, while captain Nat Sciver-Brunt also contributed with 2 wickets for 34 runs.
The match also marked the end of an era for New Zealand's Sophie Devine, who played her final ODI. Devine's impact on women's cricket extends far beyond statistics. She is one of the few women to have scored over 4,000 ODI runs and taken over 100 ODI wickets. Her career has been marked by joy, fun, and a true fighting spirit.
Sophie Devine: A Legend Bids Farewell
Sophie Devine’s contribution is much more than even her impressive statistics. She made her New Zealand debut in October 2006, and nineteen years later, she played her final one-day international. The most memorable moment came at the end with the affectionate guard of honour given to Devine by both sides and the Māori tribute led by Melie Kerr. At 36 she has lost none of her sparkle and was New Zealand’s leading scorer in the competition.