England Women outclassed New Zealand Women in the 27th match of ICC Women's ODI World Cup 2025 at Vishakhapatnam. Despite losing key bowler Sophie Ecclestone early to a shoulder injury, the England Women team bowled out New Zealand for 168 in just 39 overs and chased the target with ease. Linsey Smith (3/30 in 9.2 overs) wreck havoc on New Zealand batters. Nat Sciver-Brunt and Alice Capsey also took 2 wickets each. While chasing, England Women reached the target within 30 overs. Amy Jones played a superb knock and remained unbeaten till the end.
With this win, England Women ended their World Cup group stage with a comfortable win against New Zealand, sealing second place behind Australia.
Ecclestone’s Early Exit Raises Concern
Sophie Ecclestone hurt her bowling shoulder while fielding and could deliver only four balls. However, she managed to take a wicket before leaving the field. Her teammate, left-arm spinner Linsey Smith, recovered from a shaky start to claim three wickets. Off-spinner Alice Capsey and seamer Nat Sciver-Brunt took two each as England restricted New Zealand to a modest total.
The incident caused some worry for England, but they quickly regained control. “Ecclestone’s injury is a concern ahead of the semi-final,” said officials after the game.
Amy Jones Leads Confident Run Chase
In response, Amy Jones played a composed and unbeaten knock of 86, steering England to an easy win. She shared a 75-run opening stand with Tammy Beaumont and later added 83 runs with skipper Heather Knight.
Beaumont’s quick 26 off 20 balls set the tone before she was trapped lbw by Lea Tahuhu. Knight scored 33 before being dismissed by Sophie Devine, but by then, the match was well within England’s grasp.
Jones, timing her shots beautifully, reached her half-century with a six off Suzie Bates. She finished the game with back-to-back boundaries off Devine, who received a guard of honour as she left the field after her final ODI.
Devine’s Farewell Ends in Defeat
For New Zealand captain Sophie Devine, the match marked a disappointing end to her ODI career. Her team’s batters failed to convert starts, and the bowlers couldn’t challenge England’s strong top order. Devine scored 23 before being dismissed by Sciver-Brunt’s off-cutter, caught behind by Jones.
The loss ended New Zealand’s campaign without a fairytale finish for their skipper.
With this win, England secured the No. 2 spot on the points table. This position gives them an advantage—if their semi-final against South Africa in Guwahati is washed out, they will advance based on their higher ranking. Although the win was dominant, England’s slightly erratic fielding and Ecclestone’s injury remain areas of concern ahead of the knockout round. New Zealand, on the other hand, relied heavily on Sophie Devine, who carried the batting responsibilities throughout the innings in the tournament. The team needs to improve in batting department. Lea Tahuhu performed well throughout the tournament, but the other bowlers were not as effective as she was. Stay tuned with JUSZNEWS for regular updates!