Women’s Cricket World Cup: England crush New Zealand in final group match

England finished the group stages of the World Cup with a dominant eight-wicket win against a limp New Zealand, after bowling them out for 168 in 38.2 overs.

Sophie Devine’s final ODI ended in disappointment after she departed caught behind to Nat Sciver-Brunt on 23, sparking a collapse which saw New Zealand lose their last five wickets for 13 runs.

Devine did chime in with a final wicket, trapping Heather Knight leg-before for 33, but despite surrounding Amy Jones with close fielders in the next over Jones was able to sneak the winning boundary through the off-side, finishing unbeaten on 86 as England won with 124 balls to spare. The only downside was that Danni Wyatt-Hodge, finally brought into the XI in place of Emma Lamb, faced just seven balls ahead of presumably playing in the semi-final in three days’ time.

The result has no bearing on the semi-final line-ups: England will play South Africa in the first semi-final in Guwahati on Wednesday, before table-toppers Australia face India in Navi Mumbai in Thursday’s semi.

But it could nevertheless be crucial, because it puts England second in the group. Should the semi-final be washed out, England would progress at the expense of third-placed South Africa. A reserve day is in place, but the forecast for both Wednesday and Thursday in Guwahati looks decidedly iffy and it may be that the rain, which has blighted this tournament, has the last laugh.

England’s dominance came despite the fact that Sophie Ecclestone was only able to bowl four balls, after landing awkwardly on her left shoulder while diving in the deep in the first over. She left the field for treatment, came back briefly to take the wicket of Brooke Halliday in the 23rd over, but was unable to complete the over and did not return to the field. It is not yet known if she will be fit to feature in Wednesday’s semi-final.

Sophie Ecclestone walks off the pitch with medical staff during the match and is now a doubt for the semi-final clash with South Africa. Photograph: Matthew Lewis-ICC/ICC/Getty Images

It was fortunate for England that New Zealand’s poor batting ensured the absence of Ecclestone was not felt. As it was, Sophia Dunkley – who has not bowled in an ODI in more than three years and bowled just two overs for Surrey this summer – was asked to complete Ecclestone’s over, but only had to send down two more of her own.

New Zealand’s disappointment will be more acute given that their batters squandered a promising start of 85 for one in 18 overs, after Linsey Smith struggled to find the right length to bowl in the powerplay.

But Melie Kerr was caught on the rope trying to loft Alice Capsey down the ground, while Georgia Plimmer departed in the next over, trapped leg-before by Charlie Dean. With their top order back in the dugout, New Zealand then struggled to find any further momentum and lost their heads – Maddy Green plonked a return catch into the hands of Capsey, Jess Kerr was run out, and Smith came back strongly at the backend of the innings to bowl Izzy Gaze and finish with figures of three for 30.

As expected, emotions had been high during the anthems, with Devine struggling to hold back tears. She came to the crease wearing the pounamu necklace which her teammates had presented her with earlier in the tournament, surviving for just 35 balls before England invoked DRS to see her off. Ever the team player, it will be her team’s sixth-place position in this World Cup which will sting much more than any sense of personal failure.