Cricket World Cup 2022: White Ferns on brink of elimination after shedding thriller to England

The White Ferns’ dream of successful a second World Cup has all however ended after a nightmare day at Eden Park.

Needing victory over England to take care of a practical shot at making the semifinals, New Zealand fell to a different agonising loss, being pipped by one wicket.

It was their fourth defeat in six video games at this residence event – the third by a painfully high quality margin – and leaves the hosts requiring an terrible lot of assist to sneak into the semifinals.

The White Ferns as soon as extra crumbled with the bat and have been bowled out for 203 within the forty ninth over, setting a goal that proved barely too small to defend.

England then made extraordinarily heavy climate of their chase, and the specter of rain loomed all afternoon in Auckland, however they have been all the time forward of the run-rate equation and ultimately stumbled to their goal with 17 balls to spare.

Frankie Mackay’s 4-34 and Jess Kerr’s 2-36 ensured the margin of defeat ended up rather more respectable than it seemed like being for a lot of the day. However the harsh fact is New Zealand weren’t adequate to win – and have not performed effectively sufficient to succeed in the semifinals.

Growing the diploma of issue in the present day, and exacerbating the ache of a possible World Cup exit, the White Ferns additionally misplaced two of their most senior gamers to harm.

Captain Sophie Devine suffered soreness in her again whereas batting and was compelled to retire harm, briefly returning to the crease in direction of the top of the innings however being unable to take the sphere following the break.

Tempo bowler Lea Tahuhu was then cruelly struck down shortly after turning into New Zealand’s all-time main wicket-taker in ODIs, struggling a left hamstring harm and failing to complete her fifth over.

Whether or not the pair are in a position to return for his or her facet’s last pool sport towards Pakistan on Saturday stays to be seen. The White Ferns’ event will in idea nonetheless be alive at that time, however they’ll want an enormous dose of fortune for it to stay that approach till the knockout phases.

One of the best New Zealand can now hope for is to succeed in the semifinals on six factors. To do this, they’ll want a large enough win over Pakistan to spice up their web run fee, and require England and India to drop one or each of their remaining two video games, or the West Indies to lose each their last matches.

Briefly, it is an inconceivable mission. And the White Ferns have nobody however themselves in charge.

The Eden Park pitch favoured the batters to the diploma of 557 runs as Australia pipped India final night time, however after being despatched in New Zealand made the floor look deadly.

As soon as once more, there have been no runs to be discovered exterior the highest 5, with Maddy Inexperienced’s unbeaten 52 the perfect of the begins made by the recognised batters.

New Zealand have been effectively positioned on 130-2 after 30 overs earlier than a 17-ball collapse noticed them lose 4-11 and lose all of the impetus from the innings.

Devine’s harm did not assist – the skipper briefly returned to hit one boundary in a six-ball second keep – however there have been far too many smooth dismissals in what the workforce had known as a digital quarter-final.

Their struggles have been epitomised by Kerr’s comical run out to finish the innings, although the No 11 was the one batter exterior the highest 5 to acquit herself effectively.

Kerr was additionally probably the greatest with the ball however there have been by no means sufficient runs on the board, particularly as England cruised to 173-4 after 40 overs.

That was when the wheels nearly got here off, as Mackay’s offspin noticed England crumble to 196-9, nonetheless requiring seven runs for victory.

However with Tahuhu having left the sphere after claiming a report 93rd ODI wicket, stand-in skipper Amy Satterthwaite was operating in need of choices with the ball, and England No 11 Anya Shrubsole hit seven from 10 balls to win the match – and doubtlessly finish the White Ferns’ event.