England spin twins Sarah Glenn and Sophie Ecclestone inspired England to a 42-run win over Pakistan as their semi-final bid strengthened at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020.
- Sarah Glenn and Sophie Ecclestone shared five wickets as England sealed a second successive win
- Heather Knight was again the star with the bat, scoring yet another half-century at Manuka Oval
- Pakistan flattered to deceive with the bat and dropped a number of catches
Heather Knight (62) and Nat Sciver (36) continued their fine form as England posted 158 for seven, enough to seal back-to-back wins and close the gap on South Africa in Group B.
Glenn (three for 15) and Ecclestone (two for 12) exercised unrelenting control over the Pakistan run-chase as Bismah Maroof’s side failed to back up their opening win over West Indies.
Diana Baig terrorised the West Indies and found early movement once again as Pakistan chose to field, trapping Amy Jones (2) in front with the opener’s review unsuccessful.
Any partnership between Danni Wyatt and Sciver is attractive to watch and Wyatt showed shades of form with three boundaries off an Aiman Anwar over.
Sciver crashed three fours to take the score to 40 for one from four but Wyatt (16) slashed at an Aiman delivery and offered a catch to Muneeba Ali.
Knight and Sciver, fresh from a record-breaking stand against Thailand, look at home batting together and the skipper took ten off an Aliya Riaz over to keep things ticking.
Reaching 74 for two at the halfway stage, England looked comfortable before a moment of brilliance from wicket-keeper Sidra Nawaz, who stumped Sciver off a wide to turn the tide.
Fran Wilson stayed with her captain for six overs, Knight showcasing her increasing range with power through cover and midwicket and Wilson bringing out the sweep.
Pakistan squandered chances in the field, Omaima Sohail dropping Knight on the boundary and return catches squandered by Aiman and Diana.
Knight cleared long-on with a six in the penultimate over but wickets tumbled late on as she was dismissed alongside Tammy Beaumont (6) and Katherine Brunt (0).
England joined the dots at the start of the Pakistan chase and when teenager Muneeba Ali tried to break the shackles, she misjudged an Anya Shrubsole cutter and was bowled.
Javeria Khan was also slow out of the blocks but took a liking to the medium-pace of Sciver, striking back-to-back off-side boundaries amid a slew of dot balls.
Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof (4) was unable to repeat her match-winning hand against West Indies, shaping to ramp and offering a tame catch to keeper Jones.
Glenn then went to work, coming back from being hit for four by Javeria (16) to bowl the experienced opener before accounting for Iram Javed (4) with a beautifully-flighted ball.
Ecclestone and Glenn proved potent in tandem and the left-armer reaped the rewards of remorseless accuracy with the key wicket of Nida Dar, plumb lbw for 5.
Knight put pace back on the ball and that suited pinch-hitter Aliya Riaz perfectly, planting Sciver over long-on for six and then taking Brunt for two boundaries.
But it didn’t last as Ecclestone bowled Sidra Nawaz (6), Aliya was castled on 41 attempting another slog and Shrubsole took her 100th T20I wicket by dismissing Diana caught and bowled.
Brunt then took the tenth and final wicket by trapping Sadia Iqbal lbw in the last over.
Scores in brief
England beat Pakistan by 42 runs, Manuka Oval, Canberra
England 158-7, 20 overs (Heather Knight 62, Nat Sciver 36; Aiman Anwar 3-30)
Pakistan 116 all out, 19.4 overs (Aliya Riaz 41; Sarah Glenn 3-15, Anya Shrubsole 3-25)
Courtesy of the ICC
Comments from our correspondent Julian Thompson:
* As seen on SKY TV and heard on Radio 5 Live, England (158/7, 20 overs); beat Pakistan (116 all out) by forty-two runs – Canberra (Aus) 28/2/2020
Heather Knight 62 Nat Sciver 36; Aiman Anwar 3/30; Nida Dar 2/43; Aliya Riaz 41; Sarah Glenn 3/15; Anya Shrubsole 3/25; Sophie Ecclestone 2/12; Katherine Brunt 2/32
* Batting first, England’s captain Heather Knight scored 62 from 47 balls, including eight ‘fours’ and one ’six.’ Knight was awarded player-of-the-match
* By the Hundred ball benchmark (16.4 overs) England were 128/3. At the same point, Pakistan’s were well behind, and facing defeat on 95/6
* Only three of Pakistan’s batters reached double figures – Aliya Riaz(41 from 33 balls) Also openers Muneeba Al Siddiqui (10) & Javeria Khan (16) – bowled by Glenn’s second ball
* Aliya Riaz top-scored for Pakistan in only her third T20 World Cup match; before she was bowled by Anya Shrubsole – claiming her second wicket. Shrubsole also bowled Muneeba
* When Anya Shrubsole caught-and-bowled Diana Baig (0) for a golden duck, Shrubsole became the third woman to bag 100 wickets (first for England in her 74 ICC T20’s)
* Both sides lost three wickets during the last eight balls. Where England lost four wickets to big hits, Pakistan’s lost five of their wickets misjudging ball movement
* England’s spinners (Ecclestone 2/12 and Glenn 3/15); and seamers (Brunt 2/32 and Shrubsole 3/25); were equally effective, bagging themselves five wickets apiece
* Commentating for SKY, former England cricketer Nasser Hussain said that after back-to-back wins, England needed to beat the West Indies to stay in contention
