Defending champion England held its nerve to beat New Zealand by one wicket in a match between groups right down to their final likelihood on the Ladies’s Cricket World Cup
Defending champion England held its nerve to beat New Zealand by one wicket in a match between groups right down to their final likelihood on the Ladies’s Cricket World Cup
With its final pair on the crease and with regular rain falling over Eden Park, defending champion England held its nerve to beat New Zealand by one wicket Sunday in a match between groups right down to their final likelihood on the Ladies’s Cricket World Cup.
England got here into the match with just one win from 4 matches within the eight-team round-robin; New Zealand had two wins from 5 matches. Neither might afford one other loss in a digital knock-out match between groups determined to achieve the semifinals.
From the beginning there was drama. New Zealand managed solely 203 after being despatched in on a premium batting wicket. Australia had scored 280-4 to beat India’s 277-7 on the identical pitch a day earlier.
And England appeared heading for a snug win with vice-captain Nat Sciver 61 not out and main its fastidiously measured run chase. Showers scudded throughout by many of the second half of England’s innings and it was most in command if the match was halted and consequence was determined below the Duckworth-Lewis system.
Sciver was out when England was 187-6 within the forty fourth over, seemingly cruising to victory with solely 17 runs wanted and 4 wickets in hand. However England’s run chase virtually got here unstuck within the dramatic last overs.
The rain gave new life to the pitch, the ball started to skid and batting grew to become extra precarious. England misplaced Sophie Ecclestone with 12 runs wanted, Kate Cross with 10 runs required and Katherine Brunt in a determined run out eight runs from victory.
That introduced Anya Shrubsole to the wicket to hitch Charlie Dean who had been a hero when England bowled.
New Zealand had misplaced its captain Sophie Devine to an damage whereas batting and its main bowler Lea Tahuhu to damage whereas bowling, leaving it successfully two bowlers quick. Brooke Halliday, who hadn’t bowled beforehand on the World Cup, bowled the final two balls of Tahuhu’s fifth over when she was compelled from the sector with a hamstring damage.
She then claimed a significant wicket for New Zealand when she dismissed wicketkeeper Amy Jones with the primary ball of her subsequent over.
Halliday got here below extra stress than she might have anticipated when stand-in captain Amy Satterthwaite was compelled to name on her to bowl the forty eighth over.
Shrubstole struck her first ball by cowl for 4 and took a single from the following ball to clinch England’s win with 16 balls remaining. Sciver, within the pavilion, joined a joyous celebration as England saved its title hopes alive with two matches remaining.
New Zealand, with just one match to go, has no likelihood of reaching the semifinals in solely its second residence World Cup.
“I didn’t notice how a lot it was raining till I obtained off the pitch,” Sciver mentioned. “The rain modified the pitch slightly bit and added a little bit of tempo in it. It actually modified the match on us.”
England had been in a powerful place when Sciver and captain Heather Knight placed on 45 for the third wicket to go away England 98-3.
“It’s about partnerships, it’s about one in all us seeing it by and taking us residence. Sadly neither of us did that and left it as much as the cool as ice Annie Shrubsole.”
Frankie Mackay performed a significant position for New Zealand by the center of the innings, taking 4-34 together with the wickets of Knight and Dunkley. She eliminated Sophie Ecclestone and Kate Cross additionally as England’s run chase started to unravel close to the tip.
New Zealand needed to face one other slim loss after a collection of matches which led to the previous couple of overs.
“I’m so extremely pleased with the women to take it the place they did,” Devine mentioned. “We knew that we had been in all probability 40 or 50 runs quick on that wicket.
“To take it the place we did…I’m simply so proud. We’re gutted however that’s cricket.”
