England crush New Zealand to top unbeaten T20 World Cup group
Wyatt-Hodge’s unbeaten 89 drove England past New Zealand by nine wickets and sealed a perfect group stage. The win sent West Indies through and ended the holders’ defence.
Danni Wyatt-Hodge’s unbeaten 89 drove England to a nine-wicket dismantling of New Zealand at The Oval, where the hosts chased down 164 and finished on 164/1 in 17.2 overs. Sophia Dunkley added an unbeaten 49 as England closed out Group B unbeaten, knocked New Zealand out of semi-final contention and sent West Indies through as the second qualifier from the group.
The result gave England a third straight reminder that their home campaign has become more than a polished start. They had already secured a place in the semi-finals with a 38-run victory over West Indies at Lord’s on 24 June, a game in which Wyatt-Hodge also delivered with 65. Two matches later, she was again the central figure, this time turning a high-pressure chase into a rout against the defending champions.
England finished the group stage with a perfect record and will meet the Group A runners-up in the semi-finals. The Oval is due to host the first semi-final on 30 June, adding another home setting to a tournament England have controlled from the start. They opened the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 against Sri Lanka on 12 June and have not dropped a game since.
The victory came without captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, who missed the New Zealand match because of a calf injury. England’s medical team said she had made good progress in rehabilitation and had batted in the nets earlier in the week, but the line-up still looked deep enough to absorb her absence. That is the clearest source of optimism for England as the knockout stage approaches: the run of form is being driven not by one player alone, but by a top order that has already delivered in successive must-win games.
For New Zealand, the loss ended a title defence that had not recovered enough momentum in a 12-team tournament that is the biggest in the competition’s history so far. The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 runs from 12 June to 5 July, and England’s unbeaten group stage has placed them in the strongest position yet to chase a home title.
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