An excellent bowling display by New Zealand and Sophie Devine’s unbeaten half-century led them to the Commonwealth Games bronze medal as England were forced into fourth place.
England’s Games dream as hosts was shattered the previous day at Edgbaston when India won their semi-final to earn the right to play Australia for gold and silver later on Sunday. New Zealand, meanwhile, overcame their disappointment of losing to Australia in the other semi-final just 12 hours earlier to run roughshod over England, who crumbled to 110 for 9 in their 20 overs.
Hayley Jensen finished with three wickets while Devine and Fran Jonas took two apiece as New Zealand reversed their hefty defeat to England in their last group-stage game. Devine then struck 51 not out to ease the team to victory with 49 balls to spare.
New Zealand made a fine start to the contest when Danni Wyatt was out on the first ball of Jensen’s opening over – the seventh delivery of the match – to a sharp catch by Suzie Bates at cover.
Alice Capsey, the youngster who has more than once lifted England after the loss of early wickets this summer, then edged Hannah Rowe behind to Isabella Gaze and England were 10 for 2 in the third over.
Nat Sciver restored the powerplay to respectable territory for England, however, cruising to 26 off 15 deliveries to make it 41 for 2 after six overs. But after adding just one more run to her score, Sciver saw her middle and off stumps flattened by a gem from Devine.
When Jonas, who made her T20I debut earlier in the tournament, had Maia Bouchier out lbw attempting to sweep a fuller ball which struck her back leg, England slumped to 57 for 5 at the halfway point of their innings. Katherine Brunt then lofted Jonas straight down the ground and Maddy Green sat under the ball at long-on for a straightforward catch.
Sophie Devine celebrates a wicket•Getty Images
It was going to take something special from Sophie Ecclestone and Amy Jones to haul their side out of trouble and they took England to the 100-mark but that was as far as they got. Jensen bowled Jones and Issy Wong in the space of three balls, the former losing her middle stump and the latter falling to a textbook yorker that sent off-stump flying and had the home side in disarray.
