DESPITE both sides already being safely through to the semi-finals, that did not stop England making a statement against New Zealand in the Commonwealth Games cricket overnight. After a stellar performance with the ball, England got the job done and won by seven wickets.

It was actually the New Zealanders who chose to bat first, but they would later come to regret that decision. They got off to a disaster of a start when they lost Sophie Devine on the fourth ball, and it really was a sign of what was to come for the White Ferns. They lost three wickets inside the Power Play and were in real trouble.

England did concede nine extras, but when only two batters make a double figure score for New Zealand, the White Ferns were never going to be able to make a very competitive score. They ultimately survived the 20 overs, but only just, as they finished on 9/71 off 20 overs.

Maddy Green (19) and Hannah Rowe (10 not out) were the only Kiwi batters to make a double figure score. Meanwhile for the English Katherine Brunt, Issy Wong and Sarah Glenn all took two wickets each.

The English reply got off to a start about just as bad as the Kiwi one, when they lost Danni Wyatt on ball six of the innings. However, Alice Capsey and Sophia Dunkley steadied and got things back on track.

They did have a mid-innings wobble where they lost two wickets pretty cheaply, but that proved to be a minor hassle as the English got the job done in the 12th over. Capsey top scored again, not for the first time this tournament, this time with 23. Meanwhile for New Zealand, Amelia Kerr was the star with the ball with two wickets.

Although this match did not have any bearing on the semi final chances for either side, it did determine who each country will play in the semi finals. England will now face India while the New Zealanders will face their Trans-Tasman rivals, Australia.