Wyatt-Hodge Smashes 89 as England Crush New Zealand to End Their Title Defence


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Wyatt-Hodge Smashes 89 as England Crush New Zealand to End Their Title Defence

England Women beat New Zealand Women by 9 wickets — ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026

The Oval, London

England rounded off their group stage in style, brushing New Zealand aside by nine wickets to finish the competition with a perfect five wins from five — and in doing so, knocked the defending champions out of the tournament altogether.

New Zealand, needing a win to keep their semi-final hopes alive, got off to a flier. Captain Melie Kerr and Isabella Gaze put on 70 in just 60 balls to lay a solid platform, with Kerr eventually top-scoring on 42. Sophie Devine then came in to add some fireworks, smashing 30 off just 14 balls, while Suzie Bates chipped in late with 19 to help push New Zealand to 163 for 6. England's bowling did just enough to keep things in check — Dani Gibson picked up 2 for 30, and Lauren Bell was the pick of the attack with an economical 1 for 24.

It wasn't nearly enough. England lost opener Amy Jones early for 17, but from there Danni Wyatt-Hodge took complete control. Playing at her home ground in front of a record crowd of over 21,000, Wyatt-Hodge launched into New Zealand's bowlers, racing to a fifty off just 33 balls and finishing unbeaten on 89 from 53, studded with 15 fours and a six.

She found the perfect partner in Sophia Dunkley, who chipped in with an unbeaten 49 of her own. The pair put on an unbroken stand of 128 to see England home with 16 balls to spare, equalling the highest successful run chase in Women's T20 World Cup history — a record England themselves first set against Australia back in the 2009 semi-final.

What it means

England top Group B with a flawless record and head into the semi-finals on a roll, with a game against either Australia or India to look forward to. For New Zealand, it's a sobering end to their title defence, and the result also brings the curtain down on the international careers of three stalwarts — Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu — who leave the game with 448 caps between them.

The bottom line: A ruthless, near-perfect performance from England, led by a magnificent innings from Wyatt-Hodge. New Zealand simply had no answer once she got going.

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