LONDON: West Indies have qualified for the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 after England defeated defending champions New Zealand by nine wickets in the final Group B match at Kennington Oval.
England’s commanding victory on Saturday confirmed their place at the top of Group B with five wins from five matches, while West Indies secured second position to reach the last four. New Zealand were eliminated from the tournament after the defeat.
England dominate chase
Chasing 164, England reached the target with 16 balls remaining and lost just one wicket. Danni Wyatt-Hodge led the chase with an unbeaten 89 from 53 balls, hitting 15 fours and a six.
Sophia Dunkley provided strong support with 49 from 38 deliveries, including nine boundaries, as the opening pair put England firmly in control.
Amy Jones was the only England batter dismissed, falling to Nensi Patel after scoring 17 from 13 balls.
New Zealand bow out
Earlier, New Zealand posted 163-6 in their 20 overs. Captain Melie Kerr top-scored with 42 from 34 balls, while Isabella Gaze made 28 and Sophie Devine struck a quick 30 from 14 deliveries.
Brooke Halliday added 20, while Suzie Bates and Maddy Green contributed 19 and 17 respectively.
For England, Dani Gibson was the pick of the bowlers with 2-30, while Lauren Bell and Freya Kemp claimed one wicket each.
Group A semi-finalists will be decided on Sunday, with India facing Australia and South Africa taking on Bangladesh.
