Scintillating Sciver England reach T20 World Cup semi-finals
Sciver’s 57 sets platform for win over West Indies Spinners take control of match after Taylor injury
England sealed their place in the semi-finals of the Women’s Twenty20 World Cup with a 46-run win over a West Indies team who were both unlucky and lacklustre. England’s total of 143 for five was built around 57 from the in-form Natalie Sciver, while their bowlers squeezed the life out of the West Indies chase with an early succession of dot balls before bowling the team out for 97.
A blow that was bigger than any wicket was the injury to Stafanie Taylor, the West Indies captain, who appeared to suffer a severe tear to a groin muscle playing a cut shot. Taylor, in such agony that she could not even stand up to get on to the stretcher cart, was taken straight to hospital. Her team’s hopes of staying in the tournament followed her off the ground.
That left England free to breathe a huge sigh of relief, after being on the brink of elimination following their opening loss to South Africa. Clinical performances followed against Thailand and Pakistan before yesterday’s win. “It was a bit of a wake-up call for us all,” spinner Sophie Ecclestone said of the South Africa defeat. “Like, we’re in a World Cup now, we need to up our game. We did, and I’m really glad how the girls have fought back.”
A change in England’s batting order partly worked, with wicketkeeper Amy Jones making an unbeaten 23 from 13 balls to finish the innings from No6 after an extended but barren run at the top of the order. The shift was less successful for Tammy Beaumont, her opening replacement, who was leg before wicket to Shakera Selman for a second-ball duck.
But Danni Wyatt stuck around for 29, building a partnership of 50 with Sciver from 45 balls before lumping a full toss to long on. Captain Heather Knight wasted her own good form with some lazy running on 17, but Sciver batted to within an over of the close, after which Katherine Brunt battered 10 from four balls.
The target was always likely to be beyond a West Indies batting lineup whose run of poor performances can be measured in years. The pressure was immediate, as Anya Shrubsole shaped the ball away from the bat and conceded just two singles in the first over.
West Indies had also made a change up top, with Deandra Dottin promoted to partner Hayley Matthews. One rasping cut shot aside, Dottin’s injury rust was still apparent, and she slapped Ecclestone to midwicket in the third over.
After five overs, West Indies had faced 21 dot balls. That made a rate of three runs per over when they had started needing seven. At one point Matthews had four from 18 deliveries, playing the same few shots straight to the field. The game looked all but gone by the time Taylor hit a couple of boundaries then retired hurt for 15 off 18 balls.
Two balls after the delay, Matthews was tricked in flight by legspinner Sarah Glenn and lost her leg stump for 10 from 22. Mady Villiers, Glenn’s fellow young spinner, followed with Shemaine Campbelle caught and bowled for one, before Glenn drew a flicker of glove from
Chedean Nation for a duck. Leeann Kirby attacked and hit a couple of sixes, and Britney Cooper deflected boundaries nicely off Shrubsole. But soon came the cuffed shots, the run-outs and the stumpings that are inevitable in a dying run chase. With Taylor in hospital, nine wickets were enough.
In an England team where player turnover has been low, a squadron of three young spinners caught the eye. “I think it’s really nice because when I put songs on the playlist, people actually know my songs now,” said Ecclestone. “Having Glenny and Mady, they are some of my best friends now, and it’s really nice to have them performing well and winning games for England. It’s a dream come true, really.”
Villiers finished with one for 30 on her World Cup debut. She was in the team in place of batter Lauren Winfield, who had been an insurance option at No 8. Glenn impressed with two for 16, while Ecclestone claimed three for seven.
Selman was at a loss to explain her team’s night. “Everything we did wrong in this game, we had practised,” she said. “We didn’t deserve to go through.” Her teammates will now have to pick themselves up for their final game.
‘They are some of my best friends now and winning games for England is a dream come true’