New Zealand, known widely as the White Ferns, arrive at the mega carnival of the ICC Women’s World Cup as the world’s fourth-ranked side and the reigning champions of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup held in 2024. This campaign, however, carries a sweeter meaning for the team, as it marks the final ODI appearance of their legendary skipper Sophie Devine, who will bid farewell to the format after playing her fifth ODI tournament. For her teammates and fans alike, the World Cup stands as a perfect opportunity to deliver a memorable and fitting farewell to one of the finest cricketers that have ever graced the game of cricket.
As we inch closer to the World Cup, let us have a look at how New Zealand fared in recent ODI matches. Their journey has been steady but not without its bumps. In the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25, they finished at an unexpected sixth position on the points table, managing nine wins and suffering twelve losses. While there were moments of fight, the results showed that the squad had a lot of work to do when it comes to being prepared to take down the very best in the game.
In March 2025, they had hosted Sri Lanka for a three-match ODI series, and they won the contest 2-1, with the first game ending in a no-result. After the first match was washed out, the second ODI turned into a showcase of New Zealand’s batting depth, as Maddy Green scored a sensational century that set up a massive 78-run win. Right-arm seamer Hannah Rowe backed it up with four wickets, ensuring Sri Lanka never got close in the second innings.
In the series decider, it was Georgie Plimmer who rose to the occasion with a composed 112 from 120 balls, helping her side post 280 on the board. Standout bowlers from the series were Jess Kerr and Eden Carson, both claiming four wickets each. The series win gave New Zealand not only confidence but also a reminder of the match-winners spread across their squad, come the World event.
New Zealand’s campaign at the World Cup begins with the toughest of challenges, a clash against defending champions Australia, the seven-time winners. The rivalry is a historic one, though heavily dominated by the Australians, with the two sides meeting 135 times. Australia has claimed 102 victories, while New Zealand has managed 31, with two games ending without a result. After that, the White Ferns face South Africa, an opponent they have enjoyed the upper hand against, winning 12 out of 20 matches.
Their next big test comes against India, where the head-to-head is a little tighter- in 57 meetings, New Zealand have edged ahead with 34 wins compared to India’s 22, with one game tied. Against England too, the record tells the story of a fiercely fought rivalry, in 85 encounters, England leads with 46 wins, but New Zealand are not far behind with 37.
These numbers show that while the White Ferns may not always have had it easy, their history with these teams has produced some of the closest and most competitive battles in women’s cricket.
New Zealand’s Fixtures for Women’s World Cup 2025:
1 October 2025: vs Australia – Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore
6 October 2025: vs South Africa – Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore
10 October 2025: vs Bangladesh – Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati
14 October 2025: vs Sri Lanka – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
18 October 2025: vs Pakistan – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
23 October 2025: vs India – Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai
25 October 2025: vs England – ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam
New Zealand’s Squad for Women’s World Cup 2025:
Sophie Devine (C), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Flora Devonshire, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Bree Illing, Polly Inglis, Bella James, Jess Kerr, Amelia Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Georgia Plimmer, Lea Tahuhu
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