ENG-W vs NZ-W Match 28 Results

9:13 PM IST Time to sign off - That wraps up a one-sided contest where England Women complete the group stage with a perfect record, while New Zealand Women's campaign comes to an end. But the excitement is far from over as all eyes now turn to Group A, where both semi-final spots are still up for grabs mathematically, but the Aussies have one foot in with four wins. A blockbuster double-header awaits on Sunday, 28 June. First, South Africa Women face Bangladesh Women at 9.30 am GMT, with a Proteas victory putting them in a strong position to qualify. That would leave India Women needing a win over Australia Women in the second match at 1.30 pm GMT (7 pm IST), though Net Run Rate could still prove decisive. For all the qualification permutations and live coverage, make sure to join us for both games. Until then, cheers and goodbye!

9:11 PM IST The victorious skipper of England Women - Charlie Dean is delighted with England finishing the group stage unbeaten, saying the team achieved exactly what it set out to do by topping the group in front of a packed crowd. She heaps praise on Danni Wyatt-Hodge, joking that despite barely sleeping, she keeps scoring runs, and says her transformation into a genuine 360-degree batter has been incredible to watch. She believes England's success has come from different players stepping up at different moments, with both the batting and bowling units understanding their roles and executing them well. Reflecting on the conditions, she notes that The Oval offers extra bounce, leaving bowlers with very little margin for error, while batters can trust the bounce and play their shots. Looking ahead, she hopes the team can head to a pub to watch England's FIFA World Cup match, joking that they'll all be enjoying a Diet Coke.

9:05 PM IST The captain of New Zealand Women - Amelia Kerr says the hardest part of the defeat is seeing three legends of the game - Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine and Lea Tahuhu - bring their international careers to an end, adding that their contribution to New Zealand and world cricket will be deeply missed. She feels fortunate to have shared a dressing room with them and is grateful for everything she has learned from the trio. Reflecting on the match, she believes Ireland's victory gave New Zealand a lifeline, but despite posting 160 after a strong platform, the team lost wickets at crucial moments and failed to bowl with enough discipline. She credits Danni Wyatt-Hodge for a superb innings and admits England were allowed too much width. She acknowledges it has been a disappointing tournament but believes the young squad has plenty of talent. She says there is significant room for improvement in all three departments and feels that even small gains with the bat, ball and in the field can make a big difference going forward.

9:04 PM IST PLAYER OF THE MATCH - No prizes for guessing, as it is Danni Wyatt-Hodge who wins the award for her incredible knock of 89* off 53. She says T20 cricket is a fickle format where every innings is a fresh start and adds that she thoroughly enjoyed batting alongside Sophia Dunkley. She feels the pitch played beautifully, with the ball coming on nicely, allowing England to back their strengths and play with positive intent. She reveals that her ability to hit through the covers comes from an unusual childhood accident, joking that a fall from a tree at the age of 10 left her wrist in a position that helps her access that region. She also pays an emotional tribute to Suzie Bates, one of her childhood idols, while praising Sophie Devine and Lea Tahuhu for their incredible careers. Looking ahead to the semi-finals, she says England will wait to find out their opponents after the Australia-India clash before putting their feet up, enjoying some football and preparing for the knockout stage.

9:02 PM IST Time to hear from the two captains now...

9:02 PM IST End of the road - New Zealand Women never truly looked like defending 163 as, apart from an early missed chance off Danni Wyatt-Hodge, they struggled to create opportunities. The bowlers were far too inconsistent, offering plenty of loose deliveries, with Nensi Patel the lone wicket-taker. However, their exit was shaped long before this match, with costly dropped catches in the opening games proving decisive. Those missed chances ultimately ended their semi-final hopes and brought the illustrious international careers of Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu to a heartbreaking close.