England Women sealed a commanding nine wicket win over defending champions New Zealand in their final Group 2 match of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026, finishing the group stage unbeaten. The result also pushed West Indies into the semi finals, while Danni Wyatt Hodge unbeaten 89 made her the tournament all time leading run scorer in a single edition.
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| England players celebrate their nine wicket win over New Zealand at The Oval ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026. |
England dominant run through the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 group stage reached a fitting climax at The Oval, where they dismantled defending champions New Zealand by nine wickets. The win didn't just extend England perfect record it also ended New Zealand's title defence and, almost as a side effect, opened the door for West Indies to sneak into the semi finals.
It was a result loaded with storylines: a record breaking innings from Danni Wyatt Hodge, emotional retirements for three New Zealand greats, and a semi final line up that now taking shape ahead of the knockout stage.
How New Zealand Innings Unfolded
Batting first, New Zealand never quite found the fluency they needed against a disciplined England attack. England restricted the White Ferns to 163 for 6 in their 20 overs after early wickets disrupted their momentum. Captain Amelia Kerr top scored for the White Ferns with 42 off 34 balls, anchoring an innings that otherwise struggled for consistent partnerships.
The middle order tried to inject pace late on. Sophie Devine added a quickfire 30 off just 14 balls, while Suzie Bates contributed 19 off 13 deliveries in the closing overs to push the total past 160. For England, the bowling effort was led by Dani Gibson, who claimed two wickets for 30 runs, while sharp fielding including a direct hit run out that broke a useful partnership kept New Zealand from accelerating further.
Wyatt Hodge and Dunkley Make Light Work of the Chase
Chasing 164, England reply was almost a formality. They lost only one wicket opener Amy Jones early in the innings before Danni Wyatt Hodge and Sophia Dunkley took total control. Wyatt Hodge and Dunkley shared an unbeaten 128 run stand as England chased down the target in just 17.2 overs, finishing the job with 16 balls to spare.
Wyatt Hodge unbeaten 89 came off 53 balls, an innings built on clean hitting through the off side, while Dunkley supported with 49 not out off 38 balls. The result tied the equal highest successful run chase in Women's T20 World Cup history, a mark England had previously set in their title winning 2009 campaign against Australia, also at The Oval.
A Record Breaking Tournament for Danni Wyatt Hodge
The win carried extra significance for Wyatt Hodge individually. With this innings, she moved to 282 runs in five matches at an average of 94, breaking the record for most runs scored by any player in a single edition of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026. That mark eclipsed the previous record of 259 runs, held by Australia Beth Mooney since the 2020 tournament.
It capped a remarkable few weeks for the 35 year old, who had already opened the tournament with an unbeaten 105 against Sri Lanka and followed it with 65 against West Indies meaning all three of her major scores this World Cup have come in Player of the Match performances. Notably, this run of form has come in the same year she became a mother, a detail she's spoken about as adding fresh motivation to her cricket.
The End of an Era for New Zealand
Beyond the scoreline, the match marked the close of an era for New Zealand cricket. Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates, and Lea Tahuhu all ended their international careers at this World Cup, taking roughly 448 combined T20I caps with them into retirement. Both teams reportedly honoured the trio before the match concluded a poignant moment for a format they helped shape for over a decade.
What This Means for the Semi Finals
With this win, England wrapped up the group stage with a flawless five wins from five matches, while West Indies advanced as Group 2 runners-up despite losing their own final group game to Ireland. England will now wait to discover their semi final opponent the runner up from Group 1 with their next match scheduled back at The Oval. New Zealand exit, after winning the title in 2024, is a reminder of how quickly fortunes can shift in T20 cricket tightly bunched group stages.