Sophie Divine forced to retire after getting injured
Sophie Devine (Image Credit : Twitter)
On March 20, hosts New Zealand locked horns with defending champions England. The Kiwis were coming off a close loss against South Africa while the defending champions were coming off a big win against India. The game was a must-win for both teams to remain in contention for the semis. The Three Lions skipper Heather Knight won the toss and asked the hosts to bat first.
Batting first, the hosts had a decent start with an opening partnership of 61 runs between skipper Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates (22). The latter got out to Kate Cross while trying to lift the ball over mid-off in the 12th over. Three overs later, the team got dealt with another blow as Devine (37*) got injured while trying to steal the second run. At the time, the scorecard read 67/1 with Amelia Kerr (0*) batting at the other end.
Drinks were called by the on-field umpires as Devine was getting medical attention. However, her injury was so bad that she had to leave the field for the rest of the game. Vice-captain Amy Satterthwaite led the team for the rest of the game.
Notably, Devine’s departure didn’t faze the team as useful innings from Amelia Kerr (24) and Satterthwaite (24) helped the team reach 134/2.
However, the stand-in skipper’s wicket triggered a collapse as the team slipped from 134/2 to 203 all-out. While Divine returned later in the match, she was dismissed for 41.
For the Women In Blue, Kate Cross and Sophie Ecclestone took two wickets each, while last game protagonist Charlie Deen took two.
In reply, the five-time winners won the game by a close margin of one wicket, thanks to skipper Knight (42), Nat Sciver (61), Sophia Dunkley (33), and some useful batting from number 11 Anya Shrubsole (7*).
With this win, England have kept their semis hopes alive while the hosts are likely to be knocked out.
