Defending champions New Zealand were knocked out of the ICC Women\u2019s T20 World Cup 2026 as England triumphed by nine wickets at the Oval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The hosts were set a joint-record World Cup chase of 164 to win after Sophie Devine hit 30 off just 14 balls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Danni Wyatt-Hodge made easy work of the chase with 89 not out as England head into the semi-finals top of Group B and unbeaten from their five games, while the West Indies’ place in the last four was confirmed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Defeat for New Zealand also meant that, in front of a record group-stage crowd of 21,018 at the Oval, the glittering international careers of Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu came to an end. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the West Indies’ loss to Ireland earlier in the day, New Zealand had the chance to progress with a victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Their innings began by picking when to accelerate and when to be patient as England alternated economic and expensive overs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The White Ferns ended the powerplay at 44 without loss as Amelia Kerr led the scoring, but Sophie Ecclestone again turned the screw, conceding just three runs off her first over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The game ebbed and flowed until it thundered into England\u2019s favour with three wickets in four balls, all without conceding a run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gaze was the first to get out, caught by Alice Capsey on the boundary for 28, and Kerr went the very next ball, furious with herself as she attempted to ramp Danielle Gibson for the second time but was bowled for 42.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gibson (2\/30) got her second of the over two balls later as she dismissed Izzy Sharp for a duck, to leave New Zealand 70 for three and with two new batters at the crease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those batters, Brooke Halliday and Sophie Devine, combined well to get New Zealand back on track, bringing up their fifty partnership from only 25 balls as Devine hit three sixes in five balls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The partnership ended on 54 as Halliday was expertly run out for 20 by Charlie Dean and Devine went two balls and two runs later, given out LBW off the bowling of Lauren Bell for 30 from 14.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, New Zealand had two new batters at the crease having slipped to 126 for five with Suzie Bates (19) and Maddy Green (17 not out) taking on the charge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They combined well to move the White Ferns to 163 for six with Bates run out off the final ball of the over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
England looked supremely comfortable in the early part of the chase, but they were pinned back when Amelia Kerr caught Amy Jones for 17 off the bowling of Nensi Patel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The rain started to swirl around the Oval and the teams went off with 99 runs needed for victory but on return, England continued to motor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Patel was left on her knees as her delivery to Wyatt-Hodge picked up an edge but flew to the boundary as the opener brought up her third fifty of the World Cup off 33 balls. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As England passed 100 in the 11th over, there was an air of inevitability as the hosts punished bad balls and picked their gaps superbly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wyatt-Hodge and Sophia Dunkley combined for a 100-run partnership to push the chase below a run-a-ball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Victory was completed as Dunkley ended on 49 not out from 38, with Wyatt-Hodge carrying her bat with 89 not out from 53 balls with 15 fours and one six as England completed the chase with 16 deliveries to spare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Orla Prendergast\u2019s sublime half-century helped Ireland claim their first-ever win at the ICC Women\u2019s T20 World Cup to leave the West Indies relying on results from elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In their fifth appearance at this tournament, Ireland broke their duck with a maiden victory in Bristol, chasing down a target of 129 to win by six wickets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a result, the West Indies now need to hope that New Zealand do not beat England in the final game of the day at Lord\u2019s, with the defending champions given a reprieve after losing their first two games of the tournament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Windies did at least keep the chase going long enough to ensure that they stayed ahead of Sri Lanka in the table, ending the semi-final hopes of Chamari Athapaththu\u2019s side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ireland put the West Indies in and the returning Qiana Joseph got off to a quick start with two boundaries in the first over but she paid the price for that approach when she top-edged a sweep straight to the fielder off Aimee Maguire (2\/22).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Arlene Kelly then removed Shemaine Campbelle for four and the West Indies were struggling to time the ball as boundaries proved hard to come by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The fifty came up in the eighth over, but Hayley Matthews followed immediately after, failing to keep her sweep down as she picked out Rebecca Stokell off the bowling of Cara Murray, the Windies skipper dismissed for 22.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Deandra Dottin had been moved down to five in the order, and joined Stafanie Taylor, who had not batted against England because of respiratory difficulties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She looked better here and made a start, but then picked out Orla Prendergast in the deep off a Maguire full toss, going for 16 with the Windies 72 for four.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jane Maguire then removed the other key West Indian batter, Dottin chipping a full toss straight to the fielder as she departed for 21.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Murray then did for Jahzara Claxton (4) but Chinelle Henry continued the form she showed with her unbeaten half-century against England.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even though she was struggling to run quickly, the fast bowler kept the scoreboard ticking over and a 13-run final over took the Windies to 128 for seven, with Henry top-scoring on 27.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In reply, Ireland got an early reprieve when Amy Hunter was put down and she instantly took advantage of that life when she hit Hayley Matthews for a four and a six off successive deliveries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With Ireland off to a flyer, the Windies needed a breakthrough and they got it when Matthews held onto a sharp chance to remove Gaby Lewis for nine off the bowling of Ashmini Munisar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That brought Orla Prendergast to the crease, and she quickly made her presence felt with a couple of early boundaries. She piled on the pressure with a six and then a four off Qiana Joseph to take Ireland to 61 for one after just nine overs, keeping the required rate manageable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prendergast brought up the fifty partnership with a cut off Aaliyah Alleyne, just 42 deliveries needed between her and Hunter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The game was getting away from the West Indies but the introduction of Afy Fletcher made the difference as she lured Hunter into one shot too many and Stafanie Taylor held onto a tricky chance at point to remove the opener for 28.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prendergast responded to losing her partner by hitting another four off Munisar to bring up her half-century from just 36 deliveries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After surviving a caught behind appeal, reversed on review, Prendergast hit Fletcher for six to take Ireland closer to history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Matthews brought herself back on in search of a breakthrough and she got the crucial wicket, Prendergast hitting into the wind and only able to find Deandra Dottin on the boundary. She departed for 63, with Ireland needing 21 from 28 to get over the line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rebecca Stokell hit a confidence-boosting four off Munisar but the spinner responded by getting Leah Paul (4) to keep the game in the balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Stokell was happy to play the finisher\u2019s role scoring an unbeaten 16 before Louise Little\u2019s boundary completed a magical day for Ireland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Scores in brief<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n West Indies v Ireland – Bristol County Ground, Bristol<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n West Indies:<\/strong> 128\/7 in 20 overs (Chinelle Henry 27 not out, Hayley Matthews 22; Cara Murray 2\/13, Aimee Maguire 2\/22)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ireland:<\/strong> 129\/4 in 18.1 overs (Orla Prendergast 63, Amy Hunter 28; Ashmini Munisar 2\/28, Hayley Matthews 1\/25)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Result:<\/strong> Ireland win by six wickets<\/p>\n\n\n\n England v New Zealand \u2013 The Oval, London<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n New Zealand:<\/strong> 163\/6 in 20 overs (Amelia Kerr 42, Sophie Devine 30; Danielle Gibson 2\/30, Lauren Bell 1\/24)<\/p>\n\n\n\n England:<\/strong> 164\/1 in 17.2 overs (Danni Wyatt-Hodge 89 not out, Sophia Dunkley 49 not out; Nensi Patel 1\/22)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Result:<\/strong> England win by nine wickets<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Defending champions New Zealand were knocked out of the ICC Women\u2019s T20 World Cup 2026 as England triumphed<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14295,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[69],"class_list":["post-14294","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsbeat","tag-cricket"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t