Sophie Devine: England's Heather Knight and Amy Jones hail New Zealand captain following ODI retirement

England's Heather Knight praised New Zealand captain Sophie Devine in her final one-day international match, saying "she can hit the ball better than anyone in the women's game".

New Zealand were already eliminated from the Women's Cricket World Cup but their game against England was significant as their captain was playing her 159th and final ODI match.

Devine made her ODI debut in 2006 against Australia and has scored 4,279 runs in the format including nine centuries, with her latest coming during the ongoing World Cup tournament against Australia where she made 112.

"Sophie has been a stalwart of New Zealand cricket. I have played with her and against her and what stands out for me is her character," Knight said.

"She is still the same sort of cheeky girl she was when she got in the team and a proper cricketer - someone who pushed the game forward in how you take bowlers on.

"She can hit the ball better than anyone in the women's game and she was doing that before anyone else was. You also look at her longevity - and I think we might see her in the 2026 T20 World Cup."

The 2026 T20 World Cup takes place in England with New Zealand defending their title after beating South Africa in 2024.