Retiring New Zealand cricket greats Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu were named on Wednesday (April 29, 2026) in the White Ferns’ Women’s T20 World Cup squad for their “final mission” of defending the title.
| Photo Credit: ICC

Sophie Devine in action© AFP

Amelia Kerr in action© AFP

Australia moved one step closer to the semifinals with a dominant performance on their way to a seven-wicket victory over a listless West Indies in the U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup here on Saturday. After winning the toss, Australia opted to field and immediately applied pressure, reducing the West Indies to 16-3 by the end of the powerplay. The West Indies batters struggled to settle as Australia kept striking at regular intervals, eventually bowling them out for just 53 runs in 16.3 overs.

Eleanor Larosa, Caoimhe Bray, and Tegan Williamson were the standout bowlers, each taking two wickets. Eleanor Larosa was named Player of the Match for her brilliant bowling performance, finishing with figures of 2/6.

Australia’s chase was swift and efficient. Despite a brief rain delay, they comfortably reached the target in 10.5 overs, with skipper Lucy Hamilton leading the way with 28 runs off 29 balls.

This victory brought Australia closer to a spot in the semifinals, while the West Indies find themselves in trouble, sitting at the bottom of Super Six Group 1.

New Zealand beat USA after getting bowled out for 97

New Zealand made a remarkable comeback as they successfully defended a measly total of 97 to beat USA by 18 runs in their Super 6 Group 2 match.

The slow bowlers, led by leg-spin talent Rishika Jaswal (2/14), pulled off the seemingly impossible task, grinding USA’s run chase to a halt and triggering a batting collapse.

After bowling out the Kiwis for 97, the United States were dismissed for 79.

USA’s superb effort in the field placed them in a prime position to start their Super Six campaign with a win.

New Zealand’s top order made it into the 30s without the loss of a wicket, but that’s when their fortunes shifted.

The first dismissal set off a run of five wickets for just 12 runs, including a marvellous in-swinging yorker from Lekha Shetty and a Ritu Singh off-breaker that turned sharply to bowl dangerous hitter Eve Wolland.

Singh shone with the ball, taking 5/15 from her four overs to edge Jaswal for Player of the Match honours.

Hannah Francis’ 25 off 33, along with Jaswal’s 17 off 27, ensured New Zealand had something to defend.

USA opener Disha Dhingra (30 off 24) had her team on track before Jaswal and Kate Irwin took over, finishing with two wickets each.

USA could not recover from those blows and ended 18 short of their target.

South Africa aim to continue flawless run

In a rain delayed contest which was reduced to 10 overs, South Africa bowled out Ireland for 35 before registering a seven-wicket victory in Sarawak.

Ireland won the toss and elected to bat, but South Africa instantly piled on the pressure by picking regular wickets and not letting any batter to settle.

Monalisa Legodi and Kayla Reyneke were the star bowlers for South Africa, picking four and three wickets respectively.

England, Nigeria match abandoned

Nigeria and England shared the points, after wet weather in Sarawak failed to ease and led the game being abandoned. 

File image of New Zealand women’s cricket team© ICC

Australia captain Alyssa Healy has confirmed she will play as a specialist batter in the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand, marking her return from a knee injury that prematurely ended her WBBL season. The star opener, who missed Australia’s 3-0 ODI series sweep over India, is on track to feature in the first game in New Zealand on December 19. However, Healy will not don the wicketkeeping gloves, as her left knee injury limits her ability to crouch for extended periods.

Beth Mooney will take over the wicketkeeping duties, with Healy focusing on contributing with the bat and fielding at first slip.

Speaking on the Willow Talk Podcast, Healy explained her decision. “I’m keen to play and I’ll be doing everything to get on the field, (but) I won’t be keeping. That’s where my knee’s at, and the problem is getting down into those positions,” she said.

The 34-year-old added that she’s excited to get back to action but acknowledged she might need to temper expectations about her fielding skills.

“I’m terrified by the prospect because I overrate my fielding. I think I’m really good, but I’m not. I’m not Beth Mooney, and I know that, so I’ve just got to put myself in not-hotspots,” Healy joked.

Despite her challenges, Healy expressed determination to play, particularly with limited opportunities for game time before the highly anticipated Ashes series, which begins next month in Sydney.

Healy’s absence as wicketkeeper during the India series allowed young talent Georgia Voll to shine. Voll scored a sensational century in the second ODI and paired well with Phoebe Litchfield at the top of the order. Although Voll suffered a minor knee injury in the third game, reports suggest she is fit and ready for the New Zealand series.

Australia’s incredible squad depth provides reassurance to Healy as she continues her recovery. “We’ve got incredible depth within our squad, so if something does go wrong and I need an extra day off, we’ve got the coverage there,” she said.

Reflecting on her recent string of injuries, including a tournament-ending foot issue during the T20 World Cup, Healy admitted there’s some stress about her body’s durability late in her career.

“I think there’s an element of stress to it, but at the same time I’m really blessed that I can play multiple roles for the side,” she said. “Later in my career, I want to still be playing as much cricket as I can. Unfortunately, my body is saying ‘no.'”

Charismatic India batter Smriti Mandhana finally played a knock befitting her calibre as India defeated New Zealand by six wickets in the deciding game to seal the three-match Women’s ODI series 2-1 on Tuesday. Mandhana (100 off 122 balls), who wasn’t able to showcase her class at the top of the order in the two previous games, made her 8th ODI hundred century, the most by an Indian in the forma. India coasted to the 233 run target in 44.2 overs. New Zealand had recovered to reach 232 for five from a precarious 88/5 courtesy Brooke Halliday (86 off 96 deliveries).

Coming into the decider, Mandhana had only scored five runs in the two previous games and was even off coloured in the preceding T20 World Cup, but her 123-ball stay at the crease, and her 118-run partnership with captain Harmanpreet Kaur (59 not out off 63) formed the cornerstone of the easy win.

Mandhana lost opening partner Shafali Verma (12) early but wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia (35) played an ideal foil for the senior teammate as they stitched together a 76-run partnership.

Yastika departed trying to play a fuller ball outside off but ended up giving a return catch to New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine. Her departure brought Harmanpreet to the crease and the partnership with Mandhana flourished, with the latter smashing 10 boundaries.

By the time Mandhana departed on 209, bowled by right-arm pacer Hannah Rowe in the 41st over, she had virtually accomplished the task for India.

Earlier, New Zealand middle-order batter Halliday struck a 96-ball 86 and lifted New Zealand to a fighting total.

To start with, the Indian bowlers fired in unison and had the visitors in all sorts of trouble with their disciplined line and length.

Looking to win the series and regain some lost ground after their early exit in the T20 World Cup, India began the match in earnest and struck twice to leave the Kiwis at 25 for two in 7.1 overs.

Jemimah Rodrigues and wicket-keeper Yastika combined to run out Suzie Bates while Lauren Down was jettisoned by Saima Thakor at the start of eighth over.

Introduced in the 11th over, young leg-spinner Priya Mishra (2/41 in 10 overs) gave India a major breakthrough when she bowled New Zealand captain Sophie Devine (9 off 11 balls), leaving the visitors in a spot of bother 36 for three.

New Zealand’s hopes of putting up a competitive score rested on the shoulders of Georgia Plimmer, who dropped anchor considering the situation her team found itself in.

However, having ambled to 39, Plimmer was dismissed by Mishra, and her innings lasted 67 balls. Maddy Green was run out for a 15-ball 19 as New Zealand slipped to 88 for five in the 24th over.

In search for a partnership, the Kiwis finally found some flow to their innings with Halliday and wicketkeeper batter Isabella Gaze (25 off 49 balls) adding 64 runs for the sixth wicket.

Deepti Sharma took a stunning catch against New Zealand© X (Twitter)

India will be hoping to resolve their batting brittleness in their quest to win the third and final women’s ODI and seal the series against New Zealand in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. It was clear from the first match, which the hosts won by 59 runs through a fine effort by the bowlers, that India’s batting is not in top shape, and the second one-dayer underscored that reality. India’s batting went a notch down on Friday as they were bundled out for 183 while chasing 260.

It was a tough target indeed, but not improbable in nature as Indian batters succumbed to spot-on White Ferns bowlers and to their own indiscretions.

It required a record ninth-wicket stand of 70 runs between Radha Yadav and Saima Thakor to add a touch of respectability to India’s run chase.

Even the overall picture is not a rosy one, as Indian batters are yet to score an individual fifty across two matches.

Radha’s 48 in the second ODI is the highest individual score from India’s side during this series, and the home team will require a drastic turnaround in the final match.

For that, India’s power troika upfront — openers Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur — will have to fire in unison.

It can have a ripple effect in a strong-on-paper middle-order consisting of Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma and Tejal Hasabnis.

Mandhana’s form continues to be a bit of concern as she hardly looked a pale shadow of her customary gracefully dominant batter.

She is yet to reach two-figure score against New Zealand, and a series decider could be a perfect occasion for her to rewrite the script.

On the other hand, Indian bowlers continued their good effort despite conceding 259 in the previous match.

At one stage, the visitors were 87 for no loss in 14 overs and 139 for 3 in 30 overs, but the Indian bowlers did well to rein them back and limit to a total less than 280-290 that at one stage looked achievable.

The left-arm spinner Radha has once again been impressive with a four-wicket haul to go with the three wickets she plucked in the first game.

She will need to be at her best once more to keep the free-flowing New Zealand batters in check.

New Zealand have also been bolstered by the presence of veteran pacer Lea Tahuhu who replaced injured Moly Penfold in the eleven and immediately impressed with a three-wicket haul.

India: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (WK), Pooja Vastrakar, Renuka Thakur Singh, Radha Yadav, Meghna Singh, Devika Vaidya, Amanjot Kaur, Anjali Sarvani, Taniyaa Bhatia, Yastika Bhatia.

New Zealand: Sophie Devine (C), Suzie Bates, Maddy Green, Lauren Down, Brooke Halliday, Katey Martin (WK), Hayley Jensen, Jess Kerr, Fran Jonas, Hannah Rowe, Molly Penfold, Lea Tahuhu, Izzy Gaze, Georgia Plimmer.

India’s batting frailties were once again exposed as New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine’s all-round heroics propelled her side to a series-levelling 76-run win in the second women’s ODI on Sunday. Opting to bat, Devine struck 79 off 86 balls, hitting seven fours and a six while stitching a vital partnership of 82 runs for the fifth wicket with Maddy Green (42 off 41 balls) to lift New Zealand to a challenging 259 for nine. Devine also excelled with the ball, finishing with figures of 3/27 as New Zealand’s bowlers combined to dismiss India for 183 runs, built around No. 9 Radha Yadav’s fighting 48. For the White Ferns, Lea Tahuhu (3/42) also claimed three wickets, while Jess Kerr (2/49) and Eden Carson (2/32) chipped in with key dismissals.

Chasing the 260-run target, India found themselves at 26 for 3 within the first five overs. They further slipped to 102 for 7 in 26 over before Radha and Saima Thakor (29) forged a spirited 70-run stand for the ninth wicket to keep alive India’s slim hopes.

However, Kerr broke the partnership, removing Thakor as the hosts were eventually dismissed in 47.1 overs, allowing New Zealand to level the series 1-1.

Smriti Mandhana’s struggles continued as she lasted just two balls, dismissed by Tahuhu, while fellow opener Shafali Verma (11) managed two boundaries before being adjudged LBW by Kerr.

Yastika Bhatia (12) also fell early, becoming Tahuhu’s second victim as India’s top order faltered.

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, returning after missing the first ODI due to a minor injury, contributed 24 runs, as she partnered with Jemimah Rodrigues (17) to add 38 runs before both were dismissed.

Tejal Hasabnis (15) and Deepti Sharma (15) also failed to build on their starts, leaving India struggling at 102 for 7 in 26 over.

Earlier, New Zealand were off to an excellent start with openers Suzie Bates (58 off 70 balls) and Georgia Plimmer (41 off 50) adding 87 runs in just under 16 overs.

India fought back by snaring three wickets in quick succession, and then, Radha Yadav pulled off an incredible catch after running backwards to give leg-spinner Priya Mishra her maiden international wicket.

Yadav was involved in three of the first four New Zealand wickets as the visitors seemed to have lost the plot when Brooke Halliday was walking back to the dressing room after Yadav’s pyrotechnics.

But then, Devine had other other plans as she found an able ally in Green and the two helped their side regain control of the proceedings.

Maddy struck five fours to prop up the visiting side that lost the first game of the three-match series.

With four wickets, left-arm spinner Yadav was the most successful bower for India but gave away 69 runs in her 10 overs, while off-spinner Deepti Sharma ended with 2/30.