England dominate Scotland, inch closer to T20 World Cup semi-finals in Sharjah

Sharjah: Scotland approached their final Group B match in the Women’s Twenty20 World Cup with the intention of enjoying the game, but it was England’s batters who truly had the fun, racing to a meagre target and throwing down the gauntlet to the West Indies for their final match on Tuesday.

The 10-wicket victory over Scotland has all but secured England’s place in the semi-finals, as they moved to the top of the table with a better run-rate than South Africa, who have completed their group stage. Only a disastrous performance against the West Indies could derail England’s hopes — an unlikely outcome given the high level at which the Three Lions are playing.

“Really pleased with the win. Once we had a good powerplay, it was about how quick we could do it and put pressure on the other teams,” England skipper Heather Knight said.

On their upcoming game against the West Indies, she said, “Just try and win, exactly the same way we have approached the tournament so far. You want to keep winning, keep that momentum, and we want to go again, get some momentum and make it to the semis.”

Strong starts

With three wins from three matches, the 2009 champions demonstrated their intention to boost their run-rate, racing to 66 runs during the powerplay overs. The batting-friendly pitch allowed England batters the freedom to go for the kill and solidify their net run-rate ahead of South Africa and the West Indies before their final game.

England openers Maia Bouchier and Danni Wyatt-Hodge both scored half-centuries, impressively finding gaps to score 19 fours in their total of 113 for no loss in just 10 overs.

“I felt really good, batting with Danni is always very easy. It was really important for me to go out there and be still. Really important for me to play the way I did and back myself to win games. We were informed about the NRR around the eighth over that we had to get it done before the 10th over,” said Bouchier, who was adjudged Player of the Match for her unbeaten 62, while Wyatt-Hodge remained not out on 51.

“Fine lines and fine margins in the tournament. Our bowlers did brilliantly to keep them down to a low total. We want to take the trophy. We are thinking about the present and not about other teams. We are putting ourselves in a really good position and going into the next few games, we have to keep ourselves calm.”

Learning experience

Scotland skipper Kathryn Bryce put up a determined 33, receiving some support from Sarah Bryce. However, the team struggled to reach 109 for six in their 20 overs as England bowlers kept a tight line and didn’t allow Scotland much room to play with freedom.

Left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone stood out, taking two wickets in a tight four-over spell, conceding just 13 runs.

Bouchier offered an early chance to off-spinner Olivia Bell in the second over, but that was the only blemish in a game that saw England’s comprehensive domination. For Scotland, the experience gained in this World Cup will be valuable as they look to improve their prospects in future tournaments.

“Just tried to enjoy out there, knowing it is our last game. It has been a fantastic tournament for us and a steep learning curve for a lot of girls, but nice to have that experience under the belt. There was not a huge amount of spin, pretty good wicket,” Kathryn Bryce told the broadcasters.

“It’s a pretty tough tournament in general but a massive honour to be here and to be leading the team out in a tournament like this. Only learning to be taken from here — just the basics and doing them every time with quality. You can play the expansive shots, but you need to be doing the basics all the time.”