We can go all the way now says Dunkley
SOPHIA DUNKLEY says England are brimming with “belief and fight” after reviving their World Cup campaign to set up a semi-final showdown with South Africa.
The defending champions were close to bowing out after starting the tournament in New Zealand with three consecutive defeats.
But four straight wins, including yesterday’s 100-run triumph against Bangladesh, has earned them a shot at the Proteas in Christchurch on Thursday.
Dunkley insists England always believed they could bounce back from their poor start.
“It’s been a really good achievement to qualify from where we started,” said player-of-the-match Dunkley, 23. “We always knew we could come back and fight for it. We’ve turned it around and we’re really happy with that. There’s a lot of belief and fight in our changing room.
To have
four wins going into the semis puts us in a very strong position.”
Dunkley, who is playing in her first World Cup, hit 67 off just 72 balls in Wellington as England made 234-6.
Spinners Sophie Ecclestone and Charlie Dean then took three wickets apiece to dismiss tournament debutants Bangladesh for 134.
Successive group-stage losses to Australia,West Indies and upcoming semi-finalists South Africa had threatened Heather Knight’s side with an early exit.
But the dominant win over Bangladesh completed a quartet of victories from must-win matches on the back of beating India, New Zealand, and Pakistan.
Dunkley, who was in the stands when England overcame India in a thrilling Lord’s final five years ago, added: “To go further would be amazing, to show how far we have come as a group.We know we can make history.”
Table-topping Australia take on West Indies in the other semi-final.