In a stunning turn of events, England defeated Ireland in their second T20 World Cup encounter when Nat Sciver-Brunt led her team to the verge of victory before quitting.
 |
| The cornerstone of England's run chase was Nat Sciver-Brunt |
Before leaving the pitch, Sciver-Brunt scored 48 off 37 balls, and England needed nine runs from 25 balls to win. She immediately went to the dressing room to be evaluated by England's medical personnel, and the ECB quickly confirmed that she had experienced tightness in the same calf that she had torn before the competition. She was officially recorded as "retired out" for the first time in a T20 World Cup, according to match officials.
Sciver-Brunt hurt her left calf on April 29 while playing domestic cricket. She hadn't played all summer until the two warm-up matches right before this tournament. "It was just precautionary," she stated during the presentation following the game. "I thought I'd better not push it."
She made a strong comeback, scoring a half-century against India in the second warm-up and an undefeated 46 in the World Cup opener match as England overcame Sri Lanka.
Rain delays begin to compete
Just as the players were leaving the field from the previous game, Sri Lanka's thrilling victory against New Zealand, a rain storm blasted across Southampton, delaying play by just over an hour. However, England won with 15 balls remaining, losing no overs and avoiding the rain.
Before Sophie Ecclestone's 3 for 22, limiting Ireland to a pitiful 118 for 9, Linsey Smith and Lauren Bell led an all-around bowling performance. With a meagre 2 for 11 from her four overs, Charlie Dean was perhaps the best bowler, while Dani Gibson also took two wickets.
With 26 runs apiece, Orla Prendergast and Louise Little shared the top spot for Ireland, but they needed more. Aimee Maguire and Prendergast combined to make them 35 for 3 during the power play as their bowlers tried their hardest to deliver it early. However, before further drama developed, Sciver-Brunt and Heather Knight broke the back of the run-chase.
Bell and Smith, the pests of power play
So far this English summer, Smith and Lauren Bell have put other teams on the defensive. This time, Amy Hunter telegraphed a sweep to one that dipped and shaped in to crash onto the stumps, and Smith struck with her sixth ball, the 12th of the game.
Bell had made a concerted effort to focus on the powerplay since the conclusion of England's 50-over World Cup campaign in October of last year, realising that it was an essential component of her role. Since then, she has proven deadly throughout this stage. In just three overs, she dismissed captain Gaby Lewis for a first-ball duck that was expertly collected by Knight jumping at short fine leg, leaving Ireland 16 for 2.
Dean and Ecclestone add
Ireland were in serious trouble at 25 for 3 as Dean removed Alana Dalzell with a brilliant, low catch by Freya Kemp at cover in a wicket maiden. Dean took two for eleven with an outstanding economy rate of 2.75, while Gibson also took two, including Prendergast, who shared the top spot.
Alongside Deepti Sharma of India, who claimed five wickets in their first game against Pakistan, Ecclestone rose to the top of the tournament wicket-takers list. Ecclestone completed a laborious innings by Rebecca Stokell, who was stumped advancing to a quicker delivery, then cleaned out tailenders Arlene Kelly and Cara Murray to add to her two wickets from the opening-night victory over Sri Lanka.
Too little, too late
Ava Canning, who underwent precautionary scans due to a lower back injury, was replaced in the Ireland XI by Little, who finished the innings with an undefeated 26 off 15 balls, surpassing Prendergast's 26 off 18.
Little's late flourish, which began with a slither down the pitch to smash the ball beyond mid-off and ended with a flick off her pads behind square leg, produced four fours off Bell in the last over.
Old guard overcomes fear
In only three deliveries, Maguire and Gaby Lewis eliminated both England openers. The hosts faltered to 28 for 2 as both Amy Jones and Danni Wyatt-Hodge holed out to Lewis at wide mid-off. Prendergast then delivered a superb yorker to Alice Capsey.
However, any short-term concerns were allayed with the extensive experience of the former England captain, Knight, and her successor, Sciver-Brunt, to follow in the batting lineup.
Together, they have made 592 international appearances, 277 of which were in Twenty20 internationals. They mowed down the majority of the goal with a 64-run partnership for the fourth wicket. After striking Knight's front pad low in front of middle and leg, Prendergast overturned an lbw verdict in Knight's favour, splitting them up. Freya Kemp was run out after Sciver-Brunt left the pitch, but Gibson and Dean saw them home.
No comments:
Post a Comment