Sharp’s career-best keeps New Zealand’s title defence alive against Scotland
Izzy Sharp’s 62 and an unbeaten Brooke Halliday saw the defending champions home by six wickets in Bristol, but New Zealand still need results elsewhere to reach the semi-finals.
Jun 23, 2026
New Zealand are still alive at the Women’s T20 World Cup, but only just. The defending champions needed to beat tournament debutants Scotland in Bristol on June 23 to keep their semi-final hopes breathing, and for a few overs the upset of the group looked on. Izzy Sharp and Brooke Halliday made sure it stayed a fright rather than a disaster.
Chasing 132, New Zealand slipped to 26 for 3 and the County Ground grew tense. Sharp and Halliday answered with a stand of 101 that took the sting out of the chase and carried the White Ferns to 132 for 4 with 10 balls to spare. A six-wicket win, in the end, but it did not feel that comfortable while it was happening.
Sharp’s career-best holds the chase together
Sharp made 62 from 43 balls, the highest T20 score of her career, working the ball into the gaps and refusing to let the required rate creep up. Halliday played the steadier hand alongside her, finishing unbeaten on 41 and seeing the job through. Captain Amelia Kerr was glowing afterwards, saying Sharp “has the potential to be one of New Zealand’s best ever and the best in the world.”
Carter makes Scotland fight
Scotland, in their first Women’s T20 World Cup, did not come to make up the numbers. Darcey Carter anchored the innings with an unbeaten 72 from 52 balls and gave the debutants a total of 131 for 7 that asked real questions. New Zealand had to drag it back through the back end of the innings, and the bowling answered. Kerr, who took over the captaincy from Sophie Devine, returned 3 for 17 and broke the back of the innings with a double-wicket over late on.
Still not in their own hands
The win buys New Zealand time without fixing the bigger problem. After winning just one of their first three games, they now have to beat unbeaten England at The Oval on June 27 and hope the results around them fall right, with West Indies needing to drop points. The saving grace is that both of their defeats were narrow, so net run rate is barely against them. Six points could still be enough if Ireland upset West Indies. For a side that arrived in England as champions, that is a long way from where they wanted to be, but they are not out yet.