TAYLOR FINDS HER SWAGGER AS ENGLAND HIT HEIGHTS
Vithushan Ehantharajah identifies a surge in confidence for the record breaking home nation
Another World Cup round done, another set of records rewritten. That’s what we find ourselves dealing with on a regular basis in this competition. A match plays out, the history books are opened and asterisks marked all over the shop. It might be worth updating them fully when this World Cup comes to its conclusion.
The latest amendments have come via Sarah Taylor and Tammy Beaumont. Victory over South Africa, against the best pace attack going, was never a sure thing. But Taylor and Beaumont’s recordshattering second-wicket stand of 275 ensured England made it three from three, ahead of a showdown with champions Australia on Sunday. Both registered centuries: Taylor, a sixth, made off 80 balls and all the swagger suggests that not only is she back, but she might also be here to stay. Beaumont’s third – all coming in the last 12 months – went some way to highlight her development as one of the game’s most feared openers. More on that later.
Their partnership was England’s highest ever ODI partnership and the second highest in the format’s history. Again – this is what we are dealing with now. No record is safe. Setting 373-5 batting first – Heather Knight, winning the toss on a fresh, flat Bristol pitch, was never going to do anything else – they more or less batted South Africa out of the match. However, the Proteas contribution to the match cannot be overlooked.
Their chase started with a sure-footed opening stand of 128 between Lizelle Lee and Laura Wolvaardt, 18, before wickets at regular, important intervals quelled the threat. Chloe Tryon strode out at No.6, smoked a 25-ball halfcentury, which featured four stonking sixes – two in a row off Dani Hazell –
before she departed at midwicket and England could truly rest. South Africa eventually finished on 305 ensuring this was the first time two sides in a women’s ODI had put on scores in excess of 300. No other ODI has had more than the 678 scored in this game. It trumped the previous highest by 101 runs.Yep, really.
Away from the quantifiable, the quality. Taylor’s innings was something of a classic. The best of her ODI centuries to date, played with the air of class and comfort that she has struggled to wed throughout a career that, let’s be honest, was always waiting for lift-off. Judging by the effortless sweeps, the chip-and-charges over the infield and the inside-out drives to balls that shouldn’t be driven, but were, with relish – we might be watching a new player altogether.
Every type of delivery was scored off – short ball off Shabnim Ismail; slower ball off Marizanne Kapp; slider from skipper Dane van Niekirk; leggie from Sune Luus – and at no point did you think she wouldn’t go big. After making it to three figures, she celebrated with five successive fours off the start of the 40th over, bowled by Ismail. The sixth? Well she took a single to keep the strike. She was hungry.
One of the biggest criticisms that could be laid at Taylor’s door was she would often walk off the field with runs still out there. This time she walked off with a career best of 147 from 104 balls.
Conversely, Beaumont’s 148 was a lesson in patience. That, despite three starts of 14, 14 and 12 to kick off this World Cup, Beaumont was able to recognise that here was a true pitch, with pace on offer and an outfield to exploit for her game. Where previously she snatched, this time she made South Africa bowl to her whims. She advanced to knock them off their lengths and played it cute when they tried to pin her in her crease, bringing out the dabs and reverse paddles to exploit the finer settings of third man and backward square leg. It was with one of these dab sweeps, off her 118th ball, that brought up her century.
It’s important not to gloss over Beaumont’s own progression. At the start of last summer, she has responded with big hundreds and, in this, her 32nd innings, became the fourth fastest Englishwoman to 1,000 ODI runs. Considering she had a rough ride for her first 16 knocks – scoring just 207 – it is an impressive turnaround.
Australia, New Zealand and a final match against West Indies will determine their route to that dream Lord’s final or crush their hopes. It’s important to stay grounded, and another four dropped catches against South Africa helps that.
This is a team with a lot of work to do who are also doing a heck of a lot right.
Beaumont was able to recognise that here was a true pitch with pace to offer and an outfield to exploit for her game