Amy Jones leads England into Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 semi-finals on a winning note

England will enter the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 semi-finals on a winning note after beating New Zealand by eight wickets at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

The result saw the England women’s cricket team leapfrog its last four opponents, South Africa, into the second spot in the Women’s ODI World Cup group stage standings with 11 points after seven games.

Linsey Smith took three wickets as the New Zealand women’s cricket team was dismissed for 168 in Visakhapatnam, with Georgia Plimmer top-scoring with 43 and Sophie Devine contributing 23 in her final ODI match.

England reached their target with 20.4 overs to spare as Amy Jones led the way with an unbeaten 86 while Tammy Beaumont contributed 40.

The White Ferns elected to bat upon winning the toss and England suffered an early blow when Sophie Ecclestone had to leave the field after picking up a shoulder injury while diving for a ball on the boundary.

The first wicket arrived when Emma Lamb, on as a substitute fielder in Ecclestone’s absence, held a simple catch after Suzie Bates picked her out from a Smith full toss.

Plimmer and Amelia Kerr added 68 for the second wicket before both were dismissed in successive deliveries, Kerr slogging Alice Capsey to Charlie Dean at long-on before Dean trapped Plimmer in front with the first ball of the next over.

Ecclestone returned to the action to remove Brooke Halliday, caught in the deep by Sophia Dunkley, before swiftly leaving the field once more as her shoulder continued to prove troublesome.

There was no let-up from England’s bowlers, however, with Maddy Green chipping a return catch to Capsey – who then dropped a similar chance with her very next ball to Isabella Gaze – to leave New Zealand 128/5.

Devine was key to a competitive score but she nicked Nat Sciver-Brunt behind, precipitating a collapse which saw the White Ferns lose their last five wickets for just 13 as the innings was brought to a close in the 39th over.

Amy Jones survived an LBW review in the first over of the run chase and England quickly settled thereafter. Beaumont struck four boundaries from one Jess Kerr over to set them on their way.

Beaumont progressed to 40 before falling to Lea Tahuhu with the score on 75, but Heather Knight joined Jones to take England into three figures.

Knight successfully overturned an LBW decision when she was wrapped on the pads by Amelia Kerr and made the most of her reprieve by lofting the 100th six of the tournament shortly afterwards.

Jones followed suit to bring up her half-century in style, clearing the ropes off Bates, before three consecutive boundaries off Rosemary Mair brought the runs required below 20.

There was still time for Devine to have an impact in her swansong, with the veteran trapping Knight in front on 33. However, Jones, fittingly, wrapped it up with a boundary as England got home in comfortable style.

Devine, off whom the winning runs were hit, left the field through a guard of honour to mark the end of one of the great ODI careers.

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