England is already showing signs of why they are the team to beat as they registered a convincing seven-wicket win versus the West Indies in Match 2 at Boland Park in South Africa. West Indies won the toss and decided to bat first.
Hayley Matthews and Stafanie Taylor opened for the West Indies and, with their characteristic batting, took them to a decent total within the powerplay. Although Hayley Matthews kept the scoreboard ticking, Stafanie Taylor was taking time to settle in as her dismissal for a score of 3 coming from 15 balls was not ideal. Sarah Glenn got this first breakthrough for England, and joining the skipper at the crease was Shemaine Campbelle, who played an excellent second fiddle, scoring crucial runs and rotating the strike beautifully. With Matthews getting dismissed for a well-played 42, Shabika Gajnabi’s run out meant panic for the West Indies, who were still scoring at a commendable rate. Campbell’s dismissal for 34 and Chineel Henry’s run out was a massive setback for the Caribbean side. With a cameo of 10 coming from 5 balls, Afy Fletcher did push for that late flourish that ensured a competitive score of 135/7 in their 20-over quota. Sophie Ecclestone once again shone with the ball scalping three wickets, and was ably supported by Katherine Sciver-Brunt and Sarah Glenn.
✨3- 23 (4 overs)
Sophie Ecclestone secures a fantastic three-wicket haul against 🌴West Indies 🤩#CricketTwitter #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/gAGz6qBKxZ
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) February 11, 2023
England’s run-chase was not without its own set of challenges, as Danni Wyatt’s fiery 11 was brought to an abrupt end by Chinelle Henry, but Sophia Dunkley played the role of an aggressor and batted with a lot of freedom, as visible with her knock of 34, but she too was dismissed by Henry. With Afy Fletcher dismissing Alice Capsey, the mantle of the run chase fell on the experienced duo of Nat Sciver-Brunt and Heather Knight, who crafted valuable knocks of 40 and 32, respectively, to seal the deal for England.
MATCH 2:
🏴England won by 7 wickets
🌴 West Indies: 135-7 (20)
Hayley Matthews: 42 (32)
Shemaine Campbelle: 34 (37)
Sophie Ecclestone: 3-23🏴 England 138-3 (14.3)
Nat Sciver-Brunt: 40* (30)
Sophia Dunkley: 34 (18)
Chinelle Henry: 2-30#CricketTwitter #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/jh6jwUiEC7— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) February 11, 2023
Brief Scores: England 138/3 in 14.3 overs (N Sciver-Brunt 40*, Dunkley 34) beat West Indies 135 for 7 in 20 overs (Matthews 42, Ecclestone 3-23) by seven wickets and 33 balls to spare
I am a first year postgraduate student pursuing a MA in Media and Communication Studies at Christ University, Bengaluru. I am a podcaster, blogger and an avid cricket fan. When not glued to cricket matches, you can find me submerged in books and thinking about cricket all the time.