England women get World Cup off to a positive start with seven-wicket victory over West Indies
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England women get off to a positive start to their T20 World Cup with a seven wicket victory over West Indies as Heather Knight seals a record win
- England chased their target with 33 balls to spare in Paarl on Saturday
- Knight finished 32 not out while Nat Sciver-Brunt was unbeaten in 40
- Head coach Jon Lewis will expect a tighter bowl game with several widths conceded
The England women broke the recent trend of starting tournaments with losses with a record-breaking Twenty20 World Cup opening win over the West Indies.
Heather Knight’s side pulled off a seven-wicket victory with 33 balls to spare at Paarl, scoring at a rate of 9.52 runs per over, the fastest by a side chasing a triple-figure target in Cups history Women’s World Cups
An opening match loss in the previous competition three years ago contributed to a weather-dictated elimination at the semi-final stage, and they had to overcome three straight defeats to reach the most recent final of the Over-50 World Cup. , leading to a pre-match demand for Knight to create early momentum in South Africa.
They did it with style; Caballero sealing things with a six, to finish 32 not out. At the other end, man of the match Nat Sciver-Brunt was unbeaten at 40.
“We want to be aggressive, take on the game and walk into danger,” said Sciver-Brunt, echoing the sentiments of England’s male counterparts of late.
England posted a seven wicket victory over the West Indies in their first World Cup match
It was important for the team to start with a win after losing their first game in the last World Cup.
Sophia Dunkley scored well from the start and was key to England’s impressive start with the bat.
Sophia Dunkley was at the heart of his 58 for two, England’s best ever Powerplay total, bowling the first six of the game during an 18-ball 34.
It took a nimble return catch from fast bowler Chinelle Henry to provide the West Indies with a respite from Dunkley’s assault, but a sign of the pressure they were under showed when they burned both reviews in that new ball period. They had done it similarly when batting, as an innings that started at 47 unbeaten from the first six overs imploded against the English spin.
Sophie Ecclestone was England’s star with the ball, claiming a trio of legs before the victims, including West Indies captain Hayley Matthews, with a top score of 42, on figures of three for 23.
But England manager Jon Lewis will want an upgrade to his attack going deeper into the tournament after West Indies innings of 135 for seven were driven by a dozen wides.
England head coach Jon Lewis will be eager for his team to play tighter and concede fewer widths