England became the first team from Group 2 to seal a semifinal spot at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup after a convincing 38-run win over West Indies at Lord’s. The hosts were powered by a superb 65(42) from Danni Wyatt-Hodge, whose innings laid the foundation for England’s imposing 186/7.
After Amy Jones fell for 8(5) in the opening over, Wyatt-Hodge took charge, striking eight fours and keeping the scoreboard moving throughout the innings. Sophia Dunkley chipped in with 14(11), while Alice Capsey added 28(23). Heather Knight then provided the late acceleration with a fluent 43(26), hitting seven boundaries to push England towards a total that always looked challenging. West Indies picked up wickets through Ashmini Munisar (2/42), Hayley Matthews (1/32) and Karishma Ramharack (1/23), but England’s depth ensured they finished strongly.
The chase suffered an early setback when Matthews was given out caught behind off Linsey Smith. The West Indies captain appeared unhappy as UltraEdge confirmed a faint edge, ending her innings on 14(17). That wicket shifted the momentum firmly in England’s favour. Deandra Dottin briefly threatened with a quickfire 19(11), but England’s bowlers continued to strike at regular intervals. Charlie Dean led the effort with 2/31, removing both Dottin and Jannillea Glasgow.
Sophie Ecclestone delivered another tidy spell of 1/22, while Lauren Bell impressed with 1/20 from four overs. West Indies never completely collapsed but struggled to keep pace with the asking rate. Shemaine Campbelle made 20(18), while Jahzara Claxton battled for 21(34) before England tightened their grip through the middle overs. The biggest positive for the Caribbean side came from Chinelle Henry, who produced an unbeaten 51*(30). Her knock included 4 fours and two sixes and briefly lifted the tempo during the closing overs, but the result was already drifting away.
West Indies eventually closed on 148/5, falling 38 runs short of the target. Wyatt-Hodge’s 65(42) earned her the Player of the Match award, while England once again demonstrated the balance that has made them one of the tournament favourites. Contributions came throughout the batting order, and the bowlers combined effectively to defend another total.
The victory maintained England’s unbeaten record in the tournament and confirmed their place in the semifinals with a group-stage game still remaining. Sitting comfortably at the top of Group 2, they head into the knockout phase with momentum firmly on their side.
