Derby’s Sarah Glenn has cursed a batting meltdown against New Zealand that ended England’s hopes of reclaiming bronze from cricket’s Commonwealth Games debut.
The hangover from an agonizing four-point semi-final loss to India on Saturday still loomed large as England crawled to 110-9 from 20 overs with Nat Sciver’s 27 and 26 for the goalkeeper. box office Amy Jones the only notable contributions.
Captain Sciver’s counterpart Sarah Devine stole the show for the White Ferns, taking it 2-11 with the ball before pummeling an unbeaten 51 from 40 to help her side climb to the podium with a win just eight wickets away 12 hours after their own demoralizing loss to Australia. .
While it was a Devine day for New Zealand, Sciver’s stiff Sunday was summed up by her laying down the last ball of the match which allowed her counterpart to bring New Zealand back to the House.
After collapsing to 63-6, England never seemed to make it the competitive contest that this home crowd of almost 17,000 deserved.
In fact, they barely got their money’s worth as New Zealand wiped out the runs with 49 balls to spare, one more ball than it took England to hammer them in the phase of groups on Thursday, a result well and truly avenged here.
Sciver said: “It’s very disappointing but the way we played today didn’t deserve to get a medal so it’s easier to take than yesterday.”
This summer, the England team, supported by funds raised by National Lottery players, includes more than 400 athletes, all vying for a medal.
His wife Katherine Brunt, 37, declined to confirm whether it would be her last game in an England jersey, but wiped away tears knowing there would be no second chance for her at a Commonwealth medal.
“I don’t know. I need to reflect and get up and play the Hundred in two days, which is wild but it’s sport. I need to see where I am and what is my next goal,” said Brunt, who played three wides in his second inning to set a sloppy tone on the court.
“It felt like the whole country was behind us and we are sad to have let them down. We couldn’t quite do it.
“I’m disgusted, we’re much better than that. We are a finalist team. It’s my one and only chance and I’m taking it badly. I’m exhausted, I gave it my all.
England opted to bat but lost wickets at regular intervals, only a 38 from 37 partnership between home hero Jones and Sophie Ecclestone took them past triple figures.
That small total seemed even more insignificant when New Zealand went all guns blazing.
Devine and Suzie Bates’ opening stand of 54 came at a scintillating strike rate of 200 and even though Sciver retired Bates for 20 and Freya Kemp got Georgia Plimmer for four, they galloped home so that Amelia Kerr backed her skipper with 21 not out from 15 balls.
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