A ruthless England thrashed Scotland by 10 wickets on the Girls’s T20 World Cup to shut in on a semi-final place.
Maia Bouchier (62no off 34) and Danni Wyatt-Hodge (51no off 26) powered England to an ask of 110 in simply 10 overs, sharing the aspect’s first hundred opening stand in T20 World Cups since 2012.
The size of the victory in Sharjah lifts Heather Knight’s group prime of Group B, above South Africa on net-run charge, and they’re going to attain the final 4 by beating West Indies in Dubai on Tuesday.
Nevertheless, England will qualify with something aside from a heavy defeat as their NRR is presently +1.716 in comparison with South Africa’s +1.382, giving them some margin for error.
England’s third win in a row was arrange by the bowlers as they restricted Scotland to 109-6, with spinner Sophie Ecclestone snaffling 2-13 and recalled seamer Lauren Bell 1-16.
Scotland, who’ve misplaced all 4 of their matches of their debut T20 World Cup, noticed skipper Kathryn Bryce (33 off 28) and sister Sarah (27 off 31) top-score with the bat.
However their wayward bowling was brutally punished by England with Bouchier – dropped on 12 by Scotland spinner Olivia Bell – crunching 12 boundaries in an announcement triumph for her aspect.
Bouchier, Wyatt-Hodge blast England to quick-fire win
Scotland wanted each probability to stay as they set about defending such a small whole however Olivia Bell shelled Bouchier off her personal bowling within the second over of the chase.
By then, although, the England opener had already struck three fours – consecutively off seamer Rachel Slater from the primary three balls of the innings.
Bouchier had stuttered towards South Africa final day trip with a sketchy eight off 20 balls, but rebounded to put up the best particular person rating on this event, eclipsing Proteas skipper Laura Wolvaardt’s 59 towards West Indies.
Bouchier’s last 4 clinched England’s victory with precisely half of the innings remaining, one ball after some comical Scotland fielding had led to overthrows and allowed Wyatt to notch her half-century from 26 balls, 4 deliveries brisker than Bouchier’s.
Scotland started promisingly if sedately with the bat as Sarah Bryce and Saskia Horley (13) placed on 38 for the primary wicket, however when Horley ballooned Nat Sciver-Brunt (1-20) to Ecclestone at mid-off on the finish of the eighth over, the World Cup debutants misplaced common wickets.
The decide of the dismissals was Sarah Bryce’s, with England wicketkeeper Amy Jones stumping the batter off Ecclestone after gathering a rising ball near her throat.
England seamer Danielle Gibson (1-5) bagged a wicket in her first over of the competitors, eradicating Ailsa Lister (11) after the Scotland participant had mowed her group’s maiden six of the event, off England off-spinner Charlie Dean (1-26).
Plus, Lauren Bell inflicted a duck on Lorna Jack-Brown within the batter’s last match for Scotland earlier than she turns into a full-time police officer – Jack-Brown castled heaving throughout the road.
It was England who put in an arresting efficiency, sending a message to their title rivals, notably favourites Australia, as they aim a primary T20 World Cup trophy for the reason that inaugural version in 2009.
‘We wish to take the trophy now’
Participant-of-the-match Maia Bouchier: “We got told about net run-rate in the eighth over and it’s really important at this point in the tournament. We want to take the trophy now.
“We’re keeping track of everybody’s scores and placing ourselves in a extremely optimistic place however we have to maintain our calm and never assume too far forward.”
Scotland captain Kathryn Bryce: “It’s been a pretty tough tournament for us but a massive honour to be here and lead the team out. There can only be learnings that can be taken from it moving forward.”
What’s subsequent?
England conclude their Group B marketing campaign towards West Indies in Dubai on Tuesday.
Watch build-up from 2.30pm on Sky Sports activities Cricket forward of the primary ball at 3pm or observe textual content commentary and video clips in our dwell weblog.