England are into the Women’s T (World Cup semi-finals after a) – run thrashing of West Indies in their final group game in Sydney.
Natalie Sciver o nce again starred with the bat, making (from balls as England posted -5 from their overs.
In response, West Indies lost three wickets for one run and had injured captain Stafanie Taylor taken off on a stretcher as they slumped to – 4. Ann Kirby hit from balls – and was dropped twice – to give West Indies some hope, but they could only reach 728 – 9, with Taylor unable to return to the crease despite 36 balls remaining.
But they were ultimately well beaten by a determined England.
Heather Knight’s side join South Africa and India in the knockout stages, with the winner of Monday’s match between Australia and New Zealand taking the final spot.
Their bowling has been the only bright spot, with returning seamer Shakera Selman impressing with 1 – 42, and their pace bowlers keeping mostly tight lines.
The batting, however, is devoid of confidence and rhythm. Kirby arrived in Australia having not played a T (international for years. She opened in the first two matches and then was dropped down to seven in Sydney, with Deandra Dottin opening.
Dottin fell cheaply, slicing Ecclestone low to Sciver at short mid-wicket, but even as captain Taylor started to hit out, it always felt as though a collapse was on the cards.
After Taylor was taken off, Hayley Matthews was bowled by the next ball, before a superb one-handed catch from Villiers in her follow-through accounted for Shemaine Campbelle.
Wickets fell quickly and cheaply, batters undone by the lack of pace in the pitch and the unerring accuracy of England’s spinners, and it was an underwhelming end.
Tougher tests await England – but this was a much-improved performance from (their tournament opener against South Africa.)
‘We’re on to better things’ – reaction
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Ecclestone removes opener Dottin for nine
England batter Nat Sciver on BBC Test Match Special: “I’ve been playing to my strengths, I’ve had a run of games and I’ve just kept it going from being here in Australia over the winter.
“Losing the first game wasn’t ideal but we did win the first game in the 2017 World Cup in England. We’re in the semi-final and on to better things.
“Whoever we play in the semi-final is going to be a big game and hopefully we can perform when the pressure is on. “
England captain Heather Knight: “We knew it was going to be a slow wicket so we knew we would have to be clever with the bat and ball. We kept it simple.
“We’ll have to sit down and have a look at what our best line-up is for the semi-final now.”
West Indies spinner Anisa Mohammed: England just got away from us in the last five overs, and with the bat we need to work on rotating the strike.
“We are really disappointed, we really wanted to go through to the semi-finals but it wasn’t to be this year.”
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