Knight’s high as first England centurion in all three formats
Heather Knight became the first English cricketer – male or female – to score centuries in all three formats of the international game as England beat Thailand by 98 runs in the T20 World Cup yesterday.
Knight hit 108 not out to help the 2009 champions bounce back from their opening defeat by South Africa in Group B.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been anywhere near a hundred in T20 cricket,” Knight said. “I’ve been out in the nineties a few times in domestic T20s, so it was nice to finally get through.”
Knight’s partnership of 169 with Natalie Sciver was the highest in a world T20 tournament, and took England to a total of 176 for two after having slumped to seven for two. Thailand were restricted to 78 for seven in reply.
Knight added: “I don’t often score quicker than Nat, she’s usually the one taking on the game.
“The partnership was the key thing, I think. She started very quickly and then I sort of caught up a little at the end and I think I hogged the strike a bit as well.
“Nice to get that big partnership and put a decent total on the board that was defendable in the end. It was all about getting the job done today and we did that.”
After the defeat by South Africa, there would have been some serious nerves when the Thais grabbed two wickets within the first two overs.
Amy Jones went second ball, advancing at Nattaya Boochatham only to find the ball had dipped beneath her driving bat and through for a stumping. Soraya Lateh then bowled a round-arm delivery that burrowed into the pitch to deny leverage, making Danni Wyatt lift her cover drive for Wongpaka Liengprasert to take an excellent catch tumbling towards point. Both openers were gone for ducks. Knight and Sciver counterattacked with two boundaries from each of the next two overs, and raced to a 50 partnership from 37 balls.
Against Thailand’s lack of pace, Knight played the sweep well, and advanced to create full tosses and find boundaries through gaps on the leg side, raising fifty from 38 balls without trying to wallop her way to a score. Sciver played the supporting role, her highlight a straight drive to a yorker that split the two fielders waiting deep down the ground.
The Thais were sharp in their fielding, with captain Sornnarin Tippoch making a number of diving saves in the ring at cover. But the quality of Knight and Sciver shone through, and while there was plenty of tidy bowling, there were enough errors in length that let them free their arms to swing. The hundred partnership came up from 79 balls, and with Knight beginning to strike sixes, her own century came in the final over. She finished unbeaten on 108, Sciver on 59.
With batting being the weaker Thai suit, England’s score was never likely to be challenged. Anya Shrubsole took three wickets, but Thailand avoided being bowled out. Opener Nattakan Chantham topscored with 32, placing lovely drives and cuts to the off-side boundary while adding 47 with Nannapat Koncharoenkai. But from Chantham’s dismissal in the 13th over, the pattern at one end was to swing big and hole out while Naruemol Chaiwai made an unbeaten 19 at the other.