Women’s T20 World Cup: Izzy Sharp leads White Ferns to six-wicket win over Scotland to keep slim playoff hopes alive

Wednesday, 24 June 2026

At County Ground, Bristol: Scotland 131-7 off 20 overs (Darcey Carter 72no off 52; Melie Kerr 3-17 off 4, Sophie Devine 2-19 off 3) lost to New Zealand 132-4 off 18.2 overs (Izzy Sharp 62 off 43, Brooke Halliday 41no off 38; Kathryn Bryce 2-13 off 3.2, Rachel Slater 2-22 off 3) by 6 wickets. Full scoreboard

So you’re saying there’s a chance.

A nervy win over Scotland ensured the defending champion White Ferns haven’t been eliminated from semifinal contention at the women’s T20 World Cup.

But the odds are still stacked against them, after Izzy Sharp and Brooke Halliday spared the side further blushes against Scotland in Bristol on Tuesday night.

New Zealand, with just one win from their first three games in Group Two, were 26 for 3 - having lost captain Melie Kerr and former skipper Sophie Devine - in their pursuit of Scotland’s 131-7.

But Sharp, in just her 18th T20I, made a career-best 62 from 43 balls and put together a fourth-wicket stand of 101 with Halliday (41 not out from 38 balls) to get New Zealand home with six wickets and 10 balls to spare.

The win lifted the White Ferns to third place in the group on four points from four games, behind hosts England and the West Indies, who each have six points after three wins apiece from as many matches.

To reach the last four, NZ will need to upset England at The Oval on Sunday morning (NZ time) and also hope the Windies lose heavily to England on Thursday morning and are then upset by Ireland, for NZ to sneak through on net-run rate with the two sides level on points.

If the West Indies pull off a surprise win over England, NZ would need a big victory over the hosts to get past them on net run-rate.

The loss of early wickets in their chase versus Scotland hindered their quest to lift their net run-rate.

Kerr promoted herself to opener with Georgia Plimmer left out of the XI, but fell to the first ball of the second over. When Devine was bowled for one soon after the departure of Izzy Gaze, the 2024 champions were in danger of bowing out of the competition in dismal fashion.

But Sharp was positive from the outset, hitting eight fours and a six, and found an ideal foil in the experienced Halliday.

The White Ferns again had catching woes, spilling two chances as opener Darcey Carter batted superbly for the underdogs.

Scotland made 51 runs in their first seven overs, before Kerr (3-17 from four overs) and Devine (2-19 from three) slowed them down and denied Carter a lot of the strike, as the opener batted through the innings to make an unbeaten 72 from 52 deliveries.