Wanted to go out on high, but didn’t happen, says Devine after final ODI appearance

Visakhapatnam, Oct 26 New Zealand captain Sophie Devine admitted she had hoped for a winning farewell in her final ODI appearance, but acknowledged that things didn’t go to plan, as her side lost to England by eight wickets in their last 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup.

On Sunday, Sophie, 36, played her 159th and final ODI at the ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam, where she scored 23 off 35 balls and picked up one wicket. She was given a guard of honour by players and support staff members from both teams after England wrapped up a chase of 169.

"Disappointed, to be honest. Not to make it about myself, I really wanted to go out on a high and today's per wasn't it. Credit to England, it's not the way we wanted our tournament to go, but there are bigger things in life, so we will move on,” said Sophie in the post-match presentation ceremony.

Sophie made her ODI debut in 2006 against Australia and signed off with 4,279 runs in the format, including hitting nine centuries. She also clinched 111 wickets with her seam bowling. In all, Sophie is the only New Zealand player and third overall to do the double of scoring 4000-plus runs and taking 100-plus wickets in the format.

“I actually probably didn’t cry as much as I thought I was going to. There were a few tears in the anthem, but the great thing about announcing it early was that I was able to process a lot of those emotions and, speaking with my support network back home, it was just about enjoying today - going back to the roots of why I played the game 19 years ago: to play alongside my mates.”

“The result didn’t go our way, but for me, honestly, it was never about the result. It was about finishing here with my mates. It was nice to finish with Susie Bates bowling down the other end - I had to rig that a little bit - but sharing that with her was really special. We’ll spend a bit of time in the changing room tonight, reflect, have a few laughs and drinks, but I’m just so humbled and fortunate to have done this as a career for 19 years,” added Sophie.

Asked about the future of her long-term teammates, Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu, Sophie said, “No, they’ve absolutely shut up shop, so I don’t know. They just left me out to dry a little bit. But both of them could keep going for many, many years. I don’t doubt that. It’s completely their decision, and when they make it, it’s up to them.”

“Those two players in particular have played such an important role in my career, and I feel so lucky to call them some of my best mates. Whenever they do call time, I’ll be right there on the sideline cheering them on.”

Sophie, who led New Zealand to T20 World Cup glory last year in Dubai, also spoke about the next generation of players coming into the set-up. “It’s just about confidence and belief. We probably spoke about it after the World Cup win last year - that we are good enough to be here, and when we play our best cricket, we can beat any team in the world. We just have to keep believing.”

“I’m really excited about the talent that’s starting to come through now, the youthful energy and playfulness within the group. I mean, they’re starting to bully me already, which is a bit of a concern, but they’ve got such a high ceiling to grow, and for me, it’s about self-belief and knowing that their best is good enough.”

Sophie, who is available to play in T20Is, signed off by summing up the growth of women’s cricket from her lens. "It’s incredible to think of the growth of the women’s game. Playing alongside you all those years ago, the game was very different. Now, with investment, resources, and opportunities, it’s almost unrecognizable. Seeing where the game can continue to go excites me, and I’ll be the biggest supporter of the women’s game. I think this game can be a real leader in women’s sports globally.”

“We're professional athletes and we're judged on our results, but it's so much bigger than that. Thank you to everyone who's come out today, I feel so blessed to have played this incredible game - but I'm not fully done just yet, so I'm sure I'll be annoying people around the grounds."

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