England Women crushed New Zealand Women by nine wickets in the 28th match of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 at The Oval. After being decided to bat first, New Zealand Women posted 163/6 in their 20 overs. Amelia Kerr and Izzy Gaze gave New Zealand a flying start, adding 70 runs for the first wicket before Freya Kemp dismissed Gaze in the 10th over. Dani Gibson (2/30 in 3 overs) then struck twice in quick succession in the 11th over to put England in control.
Sophie Devine and Brooke Halliday counterattacked with a rapid 54-run partnership for the fourth wicket, while late cameos from Maddy Green and Suzie Bates helped New Zealand cross the 160-run mark.
In reply, Amy Jones and Danni Wyatt-Hodge provided England Women with a blazing start. Jones was dismissed by Nensi Patel in the fourth over, but Sophia Dunkley joined Wyatt-Hodge and the pair added an unbeaten 128-run partnership. Danni Wyatt-Hodge scored blazing fast 89 runs off 53 balls, while Sophia Dunkley scored 49 runs off 38 balls. England chased down the target with 16 balls to spare.
England finished at the top of their group after winning every match in dominant fashion. The result also benefited West Indies, who secured a place in the semi-finals despite losing to Ireland earlier in the day.
New Zealand's campaign ends in disappointment
New Zealand entered the contest knowing that victory would guarantee a place in the semi-finals. However, they failed to overcome an in-form England side and bowed out of the tournament.
The defeat also marked the end of an era for New Zealand women's cricket. Veteran trio Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu played the final T20 internationals of their international careers. Together, the three players brought an incredible 448 T20I appearances worth of experience to the White Ferns.
Amelia Kerr and Isabella Gaze give New Zealand a flying start
New Zealand retained the opening partnership of Melie Kerr and Isabella Gaze after their success against Scotland, and the decision initially paid off.
The pair added 70 runs for the opening wicket in just 60 balls. Kerr looked comfortable from the beginning, using the cut and sweep effectively before finding consecutive boundaries during Dani Gibson's spell. Gaze also played confidently and survived an early chance when Amy Jones failed to complete a difficult take behind the stumps.
The White Ferns reached 44 without loss at the end of the powerplay and appeared well placed for a big total.
England seize control with quick wickets
England responded brilliantly after the strong opening partnership. Sophie Ecclestone built pressure with an economical opening spell before Freya Kemp dismissed Isabella Gaze, who miscued a lofted shot to Alice Capsey at long-on.
Soon after, Dani Gibson delivered the decisive breakthrough. Melie Kerr attempted an ambitious scoop shot but missed the ball and was bowled for 42. Two deliveries later, Gibson struck again as Izzy Sharp edged the ball onto her stumps. Within four deliveries, New Zealand had collapsed from 70 without loss to 70 for three, completely changing the momentum of the innings.
Sophie Devine launches counterattack
With her team in trouble, Sophie Devine played an explosive cameo that briefly revived New Zealand's innings. She smashed three huge sixes over the leg side in quick succession and raced to 30 from only 14 deliveries. Alongside Brooke Halliday, Devine added a rapid 54-run partnership from just 29 balls to push New Zealand back into a competitive position.
However, England once again struck at crucial moments.
Charlie Dean's brilliance in the field proves decisive
England's fielding matched the quality of their bowling. Acting captain Charlie Dean produced one of the best moments of the match with a superb direct hit to run out Brooke Halliday. After Halliday drove Lauren Bell into the off side, Dean collected the ball inside the circle and hit the non-striker's stumps with remarkable accuracy.
Only two balls later, Lauren Bell trapped Sophie Devine lbw. Devine reviewed the decision, but ball-tracking confirmed the original verdict. Experienced batter Suzie Bates then added a useful 19 runs from 13 balls before being run out on the final delivery of the innings. New Zealand finished on 163, setting England a target of 164.
England dominate the chase
England made an aggressive start during the powerplay. Amy Jones attacked from the outset and struck three boundaries before Nensi Patel dismissed her for a quick cameo. Despite the early wicket, England never allowed New Zealand back into the contest.
Wyatt-Hodge and Sophia Dunkley took complete control of the chase. Sophie Devine struggled to contain the pair, conceding three boundaries in one over as England finished the powerplay on 57 for one. A brief rain interruption halted play shortly after the fielding restrictions ended, but England's momentum remained unaffected.
Wyatt-Hodge and Dunkley finish the job with ease
After play resumed, Wyatt-Hodge continued her attacking approach. She struck three boundaries in one over from Melie Kerr before hitting two more fours off Nensi Patel to complete a brilliant half-century from only 33 balls.
Dunkley rotated the strike intelligently and punished loose deliveries whenever the opportunity arose. The pair never looked under pressure as they steadily reduced the target.
Their unbeaten 128-run partnership guided England to victory with 16 balls to spare, completing one of the most convincing chases of the tournament.
England now head into the semi-finals with perfect momentum after winning every group-stage match. Meanwhile, New Zealand's title defence came to an end, closing the international T20 careers of three of the country's greatest players on a disappointing note.Brief Scorecard
Danni Wyatt-Hodge once again proved why she has been England's standout performer throughout the tournament. Chasing 164, she remained unbeaten on 89 off just 53 deliveries and controlled the innings from start to finish.
Sophia Dunkley provided excellent support with an unbeaten 49 as the pair shared a match-winning, unbroken 128-run partnership for the second wicket. England comfortably reached the target with 16 balls to spare.
The successful chase equalled the highest successful run chase in Women's T20 World Cup history. England had previously achieved the feat against Australia in the semi-final of the 2009 tournament, also at The Oval.
Wyatt-Hodge also reached another personal milestone. Her tally of 282 runs made her the highest run-scorer in a single edition of the Women's T20 World Cup. After scoring an unbeaten century against Sri Lanka and a gritty 65 against West Indies earlier in the tournament, she produced another superb innings filled with elegant drives, powerful cuts, and confident stroke play.
England Women completed a flawless group-stage campaign with a commanding nine-wicket victory over defending champions New Zealand Women at The Oval. Wyatt-Hodge's match-winning knock guided England to a record-equalling chase, sealed their place at the top of the group, and ended New Zealand Women's hopes of reaching the semi-finals. Stay tuned with JUSZNEWS for regular updates!