Women's World Cup: England beat New Zealand by 1 wicket
England claimed a hard-fought win over New Zealand in match number 19 of the 2022 ICC Women's World Cup. The Heather Knight-led side chased down 204 with just one wicket remaining. Natalie Sciver's match-defining 61 powered their run-chase. The match came down to the wire, with Anya Shrubsole getting England home. New Zealand spinner Frances Mackay finished with four wickets.
How did the match pan out?
NZ were rolled over for 203 after England elected to field. Openers Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine shared a 61-run stand. Amelia Kerr and Amy Satterthwaite couldn't capitalize upon their starts. While Maddy Green (52*) held one end, NZ faced a batting collapse. England were cruising (106/3) before NZ bowlers ran through their middle order. Shrubsole drove England to victory in the 48th over.
Sciver laid the foundation for England's win
Middle-order batter Natalie Sciver laid the foundation for England's victory against New Zealand. She scored 61 off 108 deliveries with the help of 5 fours. It was her 20th 50+ score in One-Day Internationals and fifth at World Cups. Sciver also shared a pivotal 70-run stand with Sophia Dunkley in the run-chase. The latter scored 33 off 43 balls.
Sciver achieves this feat
Sciver now has the third-most 50+ score at the Women's World Cup, batting at number four or lower. She has five such scores in 14 innings. India's Harmanpreet Kaur (7) and Mithali Raj (6) hold the top two spots on this list.
England are alive in the tournament
England are alive and kicking in the ongoing Women's World Cup. Three consecutive defeats to Australia, West Indies, and South Africa had derailed their campaign. However, England bounced back with a four-wicket win against India. They climbed to the fifth spot on the points table after beating New Zealand. Although both England and India have four points, India boast a better NRR (+0.456).
