ENG-W vs NZ-W

That wraps up an unforgettable night at The Oval. England march into the semi-finals with a thumping win and a wave of momentum behind them, while the defending champions, New Zealand, bow out after an emotional farewell to three of their greatest servants. West Indies are the big beneficiaries, joining England in the last four.

But the drama is far from over. Tomorrow brings two massive contests that will complete the semi-final line-up. It's heavyweight rivals India and Australia first, before South Africa take on Bangladesh. One semi-final berth remains, and it's a straight shootout between India and South Africa. Only one will survive, only one will join England, West Indies and Australia in the final four.

We'll be back to bring you every twist and turn as the race for World Cup glory reaches its climax. Until then, it's goodbye from all of us. This has been me, Pradeep. Good night!

Charlie Dean [England Women captain]: [On finishing the group stage unbeaten]"It's brilliant. That's exactly what we set out to do—top the group. To achieve that in front of such a fantastic crowd tonight made it even more special."[On Danni Wyatt-Hodge's form]"To be fair, she's not sleeping much and she's still scoring plenty of runs! She's been exceptional for us. The way she's developed her game and continues to look for ways to improve is outstanding. She's become the ultimate 360-degree player."[On England's biggest strength]"I think different players have stepped up at different times. Our batting group has delivered whenever it's been needed, and as a bowling unit we're becoming more comfortable in our roles. That's what tournament cricket is all about—winning the games in front of you—and hopefully we can keep that momentum going."[On preparing for the semi-finals]"The Oval always offers a little extra bounce, and the ball really flies off the bat. As a bowling group, we know our margin for error is small, so we have to be accurate with our lines. As batters, it gives us confidence to play our shots, and hopefully we'll get similar conditions in the semi-finals."[On watching England's football team]"Of course we'll be supporting them. Hopefully we can all head to the pub, watch the football together and enjoy the evening."

Melie Kerr [New Zealand Women captain]: [On the emotional farewell for New Zealand's senior players]"It's probably the saddest part of it all. Three legends of the game are leaving our environment and women's cricket. The service they've given to this shirt and everything they've done around the world has been incredible. They'll be deeply missed, and we'll make sure we celebrate them tonight."[On what she learned from them]"I've learned so much from all three of them. When I first came into the White Ferns as a young player, they welcomed me, mentored me and helped me settle in. I've been fortunate enough to spend 10 years of my career alongside them, and I'm incredibly grateful for every moment we've shared in the dressing room."[On New Zealand's performance]"Ireland gave us a chance to make the semi-finals, so it was in our hands today. There were periods with the bat where we built a good platform, but we lost wickets too quickly. Even with 160-odd on the board, we felt we could challenge them if we bowled well. Danni Wyatt-Hodge played beautifully, but we probably offered too much width with the ball."[On the decision to bat first]"Looking back, it probably skidded on a little more under lights, but I don't think conditions changed dramatically in a T20 game. If we'd found a few more runs and built more scoreboard pressure while bowling a bit tighter, it would've been a much closer contest."[On the tournament and the road ahead]"We all recognise it's been a disappointing tournament because we'd have loved to be playing in the semi-finals. At the same time, there's a lot to work on and plenty of positives as well. If we can improve by even five percent with the bat, ball and in the field, we can become a really dangerous side. We've also got some exciting young talent coming through, and they'll only keep getting better."

Danni Wyatt-Hodge is the Player of the Match! Here's what she has to say: [On her form]"T20 cricket is a fickle game, so you've got to start from scratch every time you go out. It was another good pitch here at The Oval, and I really enjoyed batting out there with my mate Dunks."[On batting with Sophia Dunkley]"We know this ground really well and it's usually a very good batting surface. Once the rain came down, it started coming onto the bat even better. We just backed our strengths, batted with intent and enjoyed our time out there."[On her trademark off-side strokeplay]"I just try to play what's in front of me. I actually fell out of a tree when I was 10, so my wrist grew a little differently, which helps me access that area. If the ball is there, I'll always look to hit the gaps."[On the emotional farewell for New Zealand's senior players]"Susie Bates was one of my idols growing up, so it was pretty emotional out there. Sophie Devine and Lea Tahuhu have had incredible careers as well. They've all been outstanding cricketers and it's really sad to see them go."[On heading into the semi-finals unbeaten]"We'll wait and see who we face after the Australia-India game. For now, we'll put our feet up, watch a bit of football tonight, and make sure we're ready for the semi-finals."

England win the game by 9 wickets!

England - 164/2 after 17.2 overs

Danni Wyatt-Hodge 89(53)* | Sophia Dunkley 49(38)* |  Nensi Patel 3-0-22-1 | Bree Illing 4-0-36-0

What a statement from England! If there were any doubts about their credentials as home favourites, they've been emphatically answered tonight. England tore through the defending champions, chasing down 164 in just 17.2 overs to finish the group stage unbeaten and brimming with confidence ahead of the semi-finals. The result also confirms West Indies as the third semi-finalists.

For New Zealand, the writing was on the wall the moment they settled for 163. Having won the toss and chosen to bat, they needed something closer to 190 on a surface that only got better for batting under lights. Melie Kerr and Isabella Gaze laid a solid platform, but the innings lost its way through the middle overs. A collapse of three wickets in four balls stalled all momentum before Sophie Devine and Brooke Halliday rebuilt. Devine's late assault briefly reignited hopes, but England's bowlers struck at exactly the right moments to ensure the White Ferns never found the finishing kick they desperately needed.

If New Zealand had one wicket circled before the chase, it was Danni Wyatt-Hodge's. Instead, she produced a batting masterclass. Apart from Amy Jones' early dismissal, England were barely troubled. Wyatt-Hodge dismantled the attack with fearless strokeplay, while Sophia Dunkley played the perfect supporting hand. The pair found boundaries almost at will, kept the scoreboard racing, and never allowed the required rate to become a factor. England looked in complete control from the powerplay until the winning runs.

For the White Ferns, this tournament will leave plenty of what-ifs. The title defence never truly gathered momentum. They showed glimpses of the side that lifted the trophy two years ago, but too often they surrendered key moments—middle-order collapses, missed opportunities in the field, and an inability to seize control against the strongest opponents. Even tonight, a couple of half-chances went begging, and with a modest total to defend, they simply lacked the firepower to build sustained pressure with the ball.

England march into the knockouts with momentum, belief and a packed home crowd behind them. New Zealand, meanwhile, bow out with heavy hearts. Their reign as world champions is over, but the legacy of the team that conquered the world two years ago remains firmly intact.

A touching moment at the Oval as the entire England squad forms a guard of honour for New Zealand stalwarts Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Leah Tahuhu — affectionately known as the "Grandmas" — in recognition of their remarkable contributions to the game.

Heartbreaking scenes at the Oval. There are tears all around as New Zealand's senior stars bring the curtain down on their World Cup journey. It wasn't the farewell the White Ferns had envisioned after a campaign that never truly found its rhythm. Yet they leave as champions until the very end, their unforgettable triumph two years ago ensuring their legacy will endure long after this emotional exit.

17.3 Lea Tahuhu to Sophia Dunkley, WIDE! THAT'S IT! WHITE FERNS CRASH OUT OF THIS WORLD CUP! The White Ferns' title defence is over. England outclass New Zealand in a one-sided contest to send the defending champions packing. The result also confirms West Indies' place in the semi-finals. Bit of an anti-climactic end to the game. Full and Tahuhu strays down the leg-side, wide signaled.

17.2 Lea Tahuhu to Sophia Dunkley, FOUR! SCORES ARE LEVEL! Back of a length outside the off-stump, Dunkley absolutely smacked it through extra-cover and it races away to the ropes.

16.5 Jess Kerr to Danielle Wyatt-Hodge, SIX! BAM! That is a mighty hit from Wyatt-Hodge. Length delivery on the middle and leg, Wyatt-Hodge clobbered it over cow corner, sails over the ropes for a maximum.

16.3 Jess Kerr to Danielle Wyatt-Hodge, length delivery outside the off-stump, Wyatt-Hodge clears her frontfoot and lofted it to deep extra-cover for just one.

16.2 Jess Kerr to Danielle Wyatt-Hodge, OH! That is a top effort from the fielder, runs across and dives full stretch to her right and stops it. Full into the pads, Wyatt-Hodge flicked it away for just a couple.

16.1 Jess Kerr to Danielle Wyatt-Hodge, FOUR! Wyatt-Hodge is putting on a show here. Full outside the off-stump, opens the face of the blade, guides it down to third-man, runs away to the ropes.