England made it two wins from two on the Girls’s T20 World Cup as their spinners and batters Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Nat Sciver-Brunt starred in a seven-wicket win over South Africa in Sharjah.
After limiting Bangladesh to 97-7 on the similar floor on Saturday, Heather Knight’s aspect restricted South Africa – the crew that beat them within the semi-finals of the 2023 T20 World Cup – to 124-6 two days later, with left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone bagging 2-15.
England then reached their goal with 4 balls to spare – Nat Sciver-Brunt (48no off 36) placing the successful boundary after sharing a 64-run stand with Danni Wyatt-Hodge (43 off 43) for the third wicket from 50-2 following the exits of Maia Bouchier (8 off 20) and Alice Capsey (19 off 16).
England now sit prime of Group B, with additional pool matches towards Scotland on Sunday and West Indies subsequent Tuesday to come back, each reside on Sky Sports activities, as they aim a primary T20 World Cup title for the reason that inaugural version on house soil in 2009.
South Africa – 10-wicket winners over West Indies of their opening fixture – are third within the pool, behind West Indies on net-run price, however with Scotland and Bangladesh left to play, they’ll fancy their probabilities of securing a top-two spot and making the semi-finals.
England include South Africa regardless of fielding blunders
Knight’s aspect had been sloppy within the subject within the first half of the South Africa innings, shelling 4 catches in complete with Tazmin Brits (13) dropped on nought and 12 – Knight at slip and Sarah Glenn at quick positive leg the fielders – earlier than Brits holed out off left-arm spinner Linsey Smith (1-32).
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Tazmin Brits was lastly dismissed for 13 by England after cashing in on two dropped catches
Proteas captain Laura Wolvaardt (42 off 39) was one other participant to get a lifeline, grassed by England wicketkeeper Amy Jones on 22 after edging Ecclestone behind however the bowler lastly castled Wolvaardt within the sixteenth over because the right-hander heaved throughout the road.
England strangled South Africa’s run price after the departure of Brits, with Anneka Bosch bowled for a torturous 18 from 26 balls as she regarded to comb leg-spinner Glenn (1-18).
Marizanne Kapp fired fleetingly along with her 26 off 17 balls together with successive boundaries off Charlie Dean (1-25) however she was then cleaned up by Ecclestone in a four-run nineteenth over, because the England bowler rebounded from going wicketless within the 21-run win over Bangladesh on Saturday.
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England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt ran out Sune Luus along with her boot late within the South Africa innings
Sciver-Brunt, the one seamer deployed by England, didn’t take a wicket along with her bowling however did run out Sune Luus after deflecting an Annerie Dercksen drive again onto the non-striker’s stumps within the remaining over, earlier than Dercksen (20no) thumped and edged consecutive fours.
Wyatt-Hodge, Sciver-Brunt fireplace with bat for England
England stuttered firstly of the chase, with Kapp sending down an opening-over maiden after which pinning Bouchier lbw midway by means of the fifth over to finish the opener’s sketchy, jittery innings with the batting aspect having simply 16 runs on the board.
Capsey ought to then have been dismissed for a duck, just for Bosch to spill a reasonably routine probability at backward level, and the England No 3 went on to strike three boundaries earlier than she chipped a slower ball tamely again to South Africa seamer Nadine de Klerk.
England’s Danni Wyatt-Hodge scored 43 within the win over South Africa
England had been responsible of throwing away wickets cheaply within the victory over Bangladesh on the weekend however Wyatt-Hodge – who had prime scored in that match with 40 from 41 balls – and Sciver-Brunt ensured that didn’t occur once more.
South Africa’s final hope appeared to come back when Kapp, whose first three overs had been taken for under 5 runs in complete, returned to bowl her final with England’s requirement 43 from 36 balls.
However Kapp conceded 12 runs – eight of them off Sciver-Brunt boundaries – as England minimize their ask to 31 from 30 deliveries, a place of energy they didn’t relinquish.
England restricted South Africa to 124-6 after shedding the toss in Sharjah on Monday
Knight revels in ‘managed’ win
England captain Heather Knight: “It was a really controlled win, we really restricted them. It’s tricky to chase out here but we controlled that chase brilliantly, kept a calm and level head.
“That partnership of Sciver-Brunt and Wyatt-Hodge was good to observe.”
Player of the Match, Sophie Ecclestone: “It is at all times nice to do it towards the world’s finest and to get these two huge wickets in Laura Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp, I used to be completely happy.
“I am very lucky to have four spinners in the team. All of them are high-class players and we work well as a unit so I am absolutely buzzing to play alongside them.”
What’s subsequent?
England return to motion towards Scotland in Sharjah on Sunday, with that match reside on Sky Sports activities from 10.30am forward of the primary ball at 11am.
South Africa play twice extra this week, towards Scotland in Dubai on Wednesday (11am begin) earlier than rounding out their group marketing campaign versus Bangladesh on the similar venue on Saturday (3pm).
Wednesday’s match on the T20 World Cup is the Group A cracker between defending champions Australia and New Zealand in Sharjah, with each searching for successive wins.
Australia defeated Sri Lanka of their opening fixture, whereas New Zealand upset India.
Watch each match from the Girls’s T20 World Cup reside on Sky Sports activities, as much as and together with the ultimate on Sunday October 20.
