After guiding England to a commanding eight-wicket win over New Zealand in the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025, wicketkeeper-batter Amy Jones shared her thoughts on the team’s collective performance, spin dominance, and the emotional farewell of New Zealand legend Sophie Devine. Jones, who played a match-winning unbeaten knock of 86, highlighted England’s adaptability on a slow surface and their growing confidence ahead of the semi-finals.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Jones lauded the team’s all-round display, particularly the spinners who claimed seven of New Zealand’s ten wickets.
“Really happy with the whole team’s performance. I thought New Zealand got off to a decent start, I thought we pulled it back brilliantly and to restrict them to that total, was obviously key in the game. Then to have that partnership with Tam (Tammy Beaumont) and another one with Heath (Heather Knight), it felt like a fairly clinical performance overall, and we’re really pleased with that,” Jones said.
England’s spinners without senior pro Sophie Ecclestone, who walked off the field sustaining an injury, stepped up impressively. Jones praised the depth of the attack, emphasizing the impact of the likes of Charlie Dean, Sarah Glenn, and Alice Capsey. “Sophie plays a huge role within the team, she’s our most experienced spinner and one of the best in the world,” she acknowledged.
“It was great to see others step up. I can’t remember the last time Dunkley bowled, but she was brilliant today, and Capsey too, she bowled throughout the tournament and had the potential of a bigger role. The depth we’ve got is brilliant, and hopefully Sophie’s back and firing.”
The match in Vizag posed a different kind of challenge, with the surface offering variable bounce and slower pace.
“It was clear when they (New Zealand) were batting that it was on the slower side, so by the time we batted, we were prepared for that,” Jones explained. “It was definitely a mental challenge, there were a lot more dots than I’d like, and I found it very frustrating at times. But luckily, Tammy got off to a flyer and that eased the pressure for me, and I was happy for it to be a convincing win.”
The fixture also marked the final ODI appearance for Sophie Devine, one of New Zealand’s greatest ever players. Jones reflected fondly on sharing the field with her one last time. “It was really nice. So special to share those moments with Sophie. Someone like Sophie, who we’ve known for a long time now, played on the same team and against each other for many years,” Jones said warmly. “She’s a great cricketer and a great person too. It’s great to see her get this recognition, she’s been hugely successful in ODI cricket for New Zealand, and she has inspired so many people along the way.”
With the victory, England secured second place in the group and will now play their semi-final against South Africa in Guwahati. “We’re back to Guwahati, and we know how that pitch plays, it suits our bowlers really well, we’ve got some one of the best spinners, and that wicket is really conducive to that, so I’m excited to keep to our spinners on that wicket,” Jones noted.
“We’ve got a lot of confidence on the back of that game and the tour as a whole. There’s been great learning throughout, and just really excited for the occasion in Guwahati, we cannot wait.”
When asked if weather conditions in Guwahati factored into England’s push to finish second, meaning if the semi-final was washed out, England would advance, Jones admitted it was a consideration. “We wanted to finish as high as we possibly could. Hopefully, the weather doesn’t play a part, but it probably is a factor. To finish second is a great thing for us, and we were definitely chasing that.”
With her composed 86* and leadership behind the stumps, Amy Jones continues to be a pillar of consistency for England. As they prepare for the knockout stage, the team will carry momentum, belief, and the lessons of a complete performance, ready to take on South Africa in the first semi-final.
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