The two matches that completed the group stages of the T20 World Cup could scarcely have been more contrasting.
England pushed Pakistan aside with the minimum effort. South Africa kept their large vociferous audience on tenterhooks before returning what looks on paper like a romp. It was far from it.
England-Pakistan
Jon Lewis answered his ‘Brunt’ problem by retaining her in the eleven, but replacing Lauren Bell with Freya Davies. This meant that Davies appeared for the first time at this level, knowing that her every step was being evaluated; not an easy position to be in.
We won’t know till Friday whether the selectors were holding Bell back for the two bigger games to come. No such generosity towards Kate Cross, Lauren Winfield-Hill and Maia Bouchier.
Today’s watchword for the English was ‘consistency’. By and large they achieved it. They mounted the highest total ever recorded at a World Cup, and hypocaust assures us that the margin of victory was the widest yet, so it must be true.
And yet…
After Danni Wyatt put past faults to rights with an immediate four and six, Sophia Dunkley aimed a loose drive at Fatima Sana Khan to give an easy catch to mid-on.
Two overs later Alice Capsey hit a reverse straight to short third, then was clean bowled swiping.
Fortunately for England that marked the end of the early misfortunes that have dogged recent performances. Wyatt was in sparkling form while Nat Sciver-Brunt was her imperious self. By the end of the Powerplay 55 runs were already on the board; more followed in a cascade.
By halfway the pair had added 50 off 31 balls; score 89-2.
The chat at drinks didn’t seem to touch on consolidation. Instead, Wyatt went to 50 off 29 balls and NS-B chalked up England’s tenth six of the tournament.
England suffered a minor downturn as both Wyatt (59/33) and the captain fell to catches in the deep on the leg-side (118-4).
But Amy Jones went on enjoying her return to top form. She added exactly 100 with NS-B off 46, falling only to the last ball on offer (47/31). She even survived two balls aimed a her solar plexus. For reasons evident to the umpires, the miscreant was not removed from the action.
NS-B’s innings was one of her very best (81*/40), quite enough to secure her yet another PotM award.
As for consistency, those three big innings stand in stark contrast to the single-figure totals of Dunkley, Capsey and Knight.
The Reply
Pakistan’s response was a huge disappointment. Nobody on the ground expected them to get close to that record score, but attitude and body language count for a lot.
Katherine Sciver-Brunt was determined to put right her previous performances. Sadaf Shamas lasted two balls, caught behind by Jones. Davies found it harder controlling the tension within her: she bowled a wide then a no-ball. Muneeba Ali soon followed, skying a mishit off Charlie Dean to Jones again.
By the time Davies held a catch off NS-B in the fifth over, Pakistan were already looking at a run-rate of more than 13 per over. Their half-time score was 39-5, a desperately sad riposte.
The only brave threat came from Tuba Hassan who scored a meritorious 28 at No 9. But even she allowed herself to be dismissed in ridiculous circumstances. As she ran a second and tapped down, Capsey’s return found her wandering out of her crease again.
The upshot was that Pakistan failed to reach 100. We are left wondering what the coaching team’s philosophy was before the game began. It made a marked contrast with Bangladesh’s in the following match. Their outfielding alone fell well short of the acceptable.
Result
England 213-5 (NR Sciver-Brunt 81*; Wyatt 59; Jones 47)
Pakistan 99-9
England won by 114 runs, a record margin of victory by runs
Teams
England
Danni Wyatt, Sophia Dunkley, Alice Capsey, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Heather Knight (captain), Amy Jones (w-k), Katherine Sciver-Brunt, Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn, Charlie Dean, Freya Davies
Pakistan
Sadaf Shamas, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui, Omaima Sohail, Nida Dar (captain), Aliya Riaz, Sidra Amin, Fatima Sana Khan, Sidra Nawaz (w-k), Nashra Sundhu, Tuba Hassan, Sadia Iqbal
South Africa v Bangladesh
South Africa celebrate
The final instalment of the group stages took place at Newlands under lights in front of a huge expectant crowd.
The Proteas’ bowling was largely in control, only stiff resistance in the middle order allowing Bangladesh to recover from 22-2 to 80-4, Sobhana Mostary (27) and Nigar Sultana (30) the standard-bearers.
But a final total of 113 fell short of expectations.
The sleep-walk was still to come.
To most observers’ surprise the South African openers, Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits, neither of them a demure violet at the crease, poked and prodded as if all the cricketing devils were ranged against them.
Their rate of progress was as good as invisible. At the end of the Powerplay 26-0; by half-way just 43-0! Both looked as nervous as kittens. The crowd was growing restive; surely they couldn’t fail to reach such a modest target.
The one saving feature was the bowlers’ failure to take wickets, and eventually the tide did turn. Wolvaardt unleashed one of her very best cover drives, and the spell was surely broken.
On paper the final margin, a 10-wicket win, looks as decisive as it wasn’t on the field of play. The normally hard-hitting Brits managed a mere four fours in a 51-ball stay.
This effort fell a long way short of posing a real challenge to their next opponents, England.
Result
Bangladesh 113-6
South Africa 117-0 (17.5 overs; Wolvaardt 60, Brits 50)
South Africa win by 10 wickets
Player of the Match Laura Wolvaardt
