Aha, Raf Nicholson’s match report is with us:
Which means we’re done here. Thanks all for your company; peace out.
And just live for your delectation:
From earlier:
England, then go out of the competition on net run-rate: they, West Indies and South Africa finish on six points, so 1.091 v 1.536 v 1.382 respectively is what makes the difference.
Matthews reckons her team will have surprised a few people, praising Joseph’s batting in particular. But they’ve not won anything yet, so they’ll take tomorrow off then get ready for the semi.
She says her team can improve in the field but produced a near-perfect performance – her side have been running into form over the last few matches – and she got exactly what she wanted on the occasion of her 100th T20i.
Knight is frustrated but congratulates West Indies who played well. She thinks England’s total wasn’t far off, but they bowled a little short and agaon, she credits her opponents. She’s not too badly hurt, at least, but she’ll be hurting something fierce.
Aside from Knight’s injury, England will also wonder how things might’ve gone had Dunkley caught Joseph in the second over. But West Indies were better in every aspect, so we can’t identify one or two things as crucial.
Our semi-finals
Australia v South Africa (Thursday 17 October, 3pm BST)
West Indies v New Zealand (Friday 18 October, 3pm BST)
Qiana Joseph is given player of the match and, having promised a dance, she gives us one, slapping thighs and turning. Her captain told her to “bat herself” – good advice, for all of us all of the time in any situation – and didn’t she just. She backed herself, made sure to hit the ball, and feels really happy, so thanks Jesus and her teammates for supporting her. She can bat a lot better than this too, I daresay.
They celebrate properly too, screaming, bouncing and hugging, while Heather Knight wipes tears from her eyes. She’ll be so disappointed she got hurt – I can’t say that was the turning point because of how well West Indies played, but had she stayed out there, things might’ve gone very differently.
We said when the teams came out that West Indies looked ready, and goodness me, weren’t they just?! They bowled well, fielded superbly with Dottin’s contribution – three catches and a run out, which sounds like Jerome K Jerome’s next novel – and batted like lunatics.
West Indies beat England by six wickets and move on to the WT20 World Cup semi-finals! England are out!
18th over: West Indies 140-4 (Henry 0, Alleyne 8 ) Target 142 Look at that! Alleyne creams her first ball through cover … and her fourth! An expletive brilliant performance, absolutely steaming in every aspect. England were, I’m afraid, rotten.
WICKET! Dottin b Ecclestone 27 (West Indies 136-4)
Surely not?! Well no, of course not. But Dottin looks to lap Ecclestone away but wanders too far across, hears the noise, and off she goes. West Indies need six from 16.
WICKET! Campbelle run out (Capsey/Jones) 3 (West indies 136-3)
Yup, at last some decent fielding: smart work from Capsey at point, hurling flat, and from Jones behind the stumps.
17th over: West Indies 136-2 (Campbelle 5, Dottin 27) Target 142 Sciver-Brunt restores herself to the attack, for all the good it does her team. Her first three balls yield a one, a two, a wide and a three, the rate taken care of by the halfway stage of the over, and when Campbelle hammers back to the bowler, the ball ricochets to the unfortunate Bouchier, the cosmos victimising her for its evil pleasure, she misses with her shy. Gosh, she’s had a day. Next delivery, just six required to win, now Dottin wants a quickie, and this time the throw, from Capsey, is good, Jones breaks the stumps, and I think that’s out – for all the difference it makes. We go upstairs…
16th over: West Indies 128-2 (Campbelle 3, Dottin 22) Target 142 Dean replaces Glenn and begins with two dots, amping up the pressure just a tad. So Dottin, champion that she is, moves back and across, helping a full-toss for four through square-leg, before going down on one knee to shovel six over midwicket! What a match she’s having, this intervention probably ending England’s hopes ... AND SHE’S STOMPED THEM INTO THE GROUND NOW! Oh my days what a shot this is! She gets down low to get under the ball, she’s falling, leaning bac and almost horizontal b the time she astonishes six over midwicket! Sixteen off the over, 14 from 24 to win! This has been a ferocious assault from West Indies, their calculated power, aggression and bravery far too much for England.
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15th over: West Indies 112-2 (Campbelle 3, Dottin 6) Target 142 Bell returns with two new batters at which to go, and could really do with shifting at least one of these two – though a maiden would also be handy. The first two balls yield singles, but there’s a sense things are getting a little frenetic, Campbelle demanding a quick single that isn’t there … but Bouchier misses with her shy. I fear a long night of the soul awaits her; I hope her mates are there to keep her company. Two singles follow, and we see images of the Saffers celebrating their progression before a dot means four from the over. West Indies 30 from 30 to reach the semis.
14th over: West Indies 108-2 (Campbelle 1, Dottin 4) Target 142 Something we know for sure: Dottin won’t be cowed by this situation and after two balls to acclimatise, she slams four over extra, the only runs off the over. West Indies require 34 runs from 36 balls.
WICKET! Matthews c Gibson b Glenn 50 (West Indies 104-2)
England are catching catches! It’s an epidemic! Matthews looks to pull but doesn’t get all of it, picking out Gibson running in from long on. She slides in on her knees to hold a decent effort, giving her team the barest sniff…
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13th over: West Indies 104-1 (Matthews 50, Campbelle 1) Target 142 Glenn returns to the attack…
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13th over: West Indies 104-1 (Matthews 50, Campbelle 1) Target 142 Campbelle gets off the mark immediately then Matthews opens the face, earns one to fine leg, and that’s her 50! Well batted Skip! West Indies need 38 runs from 42 balls.
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WICKET! Joseph c Wyatt b Sciver-Brunt 52 (West Indies 102-1)
What on earth! England hold a chance! Joseph again swings for the fence, but this time it’s Wyatt waiting on the fence and she ends a gloriously lusty and brave knock.
13th over: West Indies 102-0 (Matthews 49, Joseph 52) Target 142 Oh Maia. Oh mate. This is hard to watch now. Sciver-brunt back into the attack and Joseph goes hard again, Bouchier is on the long off fence, the ball’s face-height, arriving nicely … and she grasses her third chance, hiding face, twisting lips – all the stuff we’ve all done when experiencing shame, horror and fury. Sport is hard.
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12th over: West Indies 102-0 (Matthews 49, Joseph 52) Target 142 Matthews takes a lie-down, struggling with cramp, for all it matters; when Ecclestone returns to the attack, she bunts down the ground for one. Joseph then forces to long on – not what she intended, but her power means that she can get the ball away even when the connection is poor, and they run one more. Then Matthews checks a shot, allowing ball to hit bat, and when it loops up … it once more drops short. Two singles complete the over and West Indies need 40 runs from 48 balls.
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11th over: West Indies 98-0 (Matthews 47, Joseph 50) Target 142 Towards the end of the England innings, Dan Norcross speculated that they had either 40 runs too many or 40 runs too few, the inference that West Indies would either bat well and win well or bad badly and lose badly, rather than make the match close. And that’s exactly what we’re seeing: rather than allow England spinners to bowl, they’ve gone for them immediately and, as I speak, Matthews retreats in her crease and drills Glenn’s second ball through point for four! A two and a one follow, then Matthews knocks over cover for another single which allows Joseph, 49 not out, to raise a brilliant, brave 50, her first for West Indies in T20 internationals; they call that timing. We said earlier that often in these situations, it’s someone you don’t expect who settles things rather than a superstar; what we’re seeing here is both, and it’s expletive magniiiificent.
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10th over: West Indies 89-0 (Matthews 39, Joseph 49) Target 142 Dean returns, and after a dot she directs one at Joseph’s feet, only for another free swing to send it towards Bouchier on the midwicket fence … and again she can’t hold on. This was a much harder catch than the one she dropped earlier, the ball hit higher and harder, but she won’t feel any better about having tipped it over the bar and over the rope for six; she’s having an absolute mare, I’m afraid, and it’ll take a while for her to get over this. A single follows from the final ball, and at the halfway stage, West Indies need 53 runs from 60 balls. This feels five to over.
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9th over: West Indies 81-0 (Matthews 38, Joseph 42) Target 142 England go to Bell again, so Joseph throws hands at her opening delivery, directed into the pads; she again slices, the ball dropping short of deep backward square. Her hitting hasn’t often been clean, but the sheer gusto of it is overriding her technical missteps and it’s fantastic to behold. A leg-side wide follows – that is pressure – but Bell responds well enough, ceding two singles from the remaining four deliveries of the over.
8th over: West Indies 77-0 (Matthews 37, Joseph 40) Target 142 Sarah Glenn into the attack, and I guess if England can manage a few well below the required rate – hard when it’s 5.60 – the pressure might mount. Two singles come from her first two balls, then Joseph misses with an almighty hoik across the line. No matter: she goes again next ball and this time gets enough of it, Bouchier running around the fence and diving to catch, only to see the ball disappear through her hands. This is, I’m afraid, a devastatingly poor performance from England – but biggup West Indies, who’ve put the pressure on from ball one of the match, before attacking like mad from the start of their own innings.
7th over: West Indies 70-0 (Matthews 36, Joseph 34) Target 142 West Indies now need 75 runs from 84 balls, and it’s almost impossible to see how they lose this; they’ve enough runs such that 20 overs of batting will surely see them home, and it seems extremely unlikely that England bowl them out inside 14. But this is a better over from Ecclestone – the best in the world saw her first disappear for eight – ceding just three singles.
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6th over: West Indies 67-0 (Matthews 35, Joseph 32) Target 142 Dean returns, and how England must be rueing the injury to their captain. With Knight at the crease alongside Sciver-Brunt, England would surely have posted a higher total, but that cannot excuse how some of their wickets were given away, nor the poverty of their bowling. And, as I type, Matthew pounces on a drag-down, larruping four over square-leg then, offering another short one, she goes back and mass-murders four more over mid-off and ends the powerplay with a third four of the over hoisted off the pads and over square-leg. This is devastating behaviour from West Indies, England’s bowling handled with minimum fuss and maximum prejudice!
5th over: West Indies 55-0 (Matthews 23, Joseph 32) Target 142 Sciver-Brunt restores herself to the attack and though her first ball only yields one, Matthews nudging to midwicket for a single, her second, far too wide, is launched over the off-side by Joseph for four more! AND GOODNESS GRACIOUS ME! When she unloads the suitcase yet again, she sends one high into the air … and when it comes down three weeks later, poor Capsey drops a dolly! Surely this is West Indies’ day! England are wilting, and following a single, Matthews gets back in on the act, another short one eased for four to fine leg! This is an absolute kicking … so far. Can England find something?
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4th over: West Indies 44-0 (Matthews 17, Joseph 27) Target 142 Yup, it’s Ecclestone, and Joseph, who’s having a right touch today, top-edges a sweep, the ball again dropping short – this time of Bell at fine leg. And what on earth! We said one day-out could settle this, and Joseph might just be the one to have it! First, she slaps through square leg for four, then massacres over it for four more! There’s not that much finesse about her batting, but her eye is a very serious thing and when to that you add her power, you understand why she’s threatening to take this match away from England. No more runs come from the over, but with two boundaries from its first three balls, it barely matters.
3rd over: West Indies 36-0 (Matthews 17, Joseph 19) Target 142 Sciver-Brunt has seen enough, introducing the off-breaks of Charlie Dean, and already that looks the right call. First, Matthews spanks fresh air into another dimension, then slices kist short of Gibson, running on from long-on! BUT HAVE A LOOK! Joseph waits, gets down on one knee, clears the pad, and absolutely annihilates six over the long midwicket boundary! England only managed one in their innings, Windies now have two in 15 balls! Dean comes back fairly well, her final three deliveries yielding three singles, but the over was still worth 10 and England badly need a breakthrough because these two are teeing-off. It’s surely time for Ecclestone.
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2nd over: West Indies 26-0 (Matthews 15, Joseph 11) Target 142 Sciver-Brunt opens from the other end and when she offers width first up, Joseph goes at it hard, a thick edge sending fourt through wide third. Goodness me, West Indies are having at this! And it makes sense, cashing in in the powerplay before the spinners come on, and after Joseph plays a similar shot, another edge landing safe and earning two, Joseph goes again, heaving high to the fence at midwicket … where Dunkley runs past it, hoisting hands too late and from too far away, the ball bursting through them! West Indies have 10 from the first three balls of the over and it’s going for them because Joseph again clears her front pad, hurls hands, and clears backward point, just; they run one then add one more, and this is running away from England. Twelve off the over!
1st over: West Indies 14-0 (Matthews 14, Joseph 0) Target 142 It’s Dunkley who replaces Knight in the field, by the way, but back to the main event, Bell beats Matthews outside off with her first and third deliveries … except her second is helped around the corner for six over long leg and her fourth is clipped to similar area for four! Both boundary-balls were directed, presumably inadvertently, towards the pads, and the Windies skipper is not for missing out. And have a look! Offered a slot-ball, she stomps down a big front foot and creams fo mo over long off! Brilliant start! Fourteen off the over and already England are under big pressure.
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Bell has the ball, Matthews to face. Here we absolutely go!
Here come wa teams, Sciver-Brunt captaining England. Good though she is, they’ll surely miss Knight’s leadership.
Actual breaking news: first-dig events mean that South Africa are through. If England win, they’ll finish second and face Australia; if Windies win they’ll finish first and face New Zealand.
Breaking news: I did not guzzle the Tony’s Chocolonely, but was so feart I did I escorted it with me to pick-up so I could pass it straight over to its rightful owner.
I say that, but Deandra Dottin is a superstar, on one, and will believe, with good reason, that this is her time.
When they were put in, England will have wanted more than the 141 with which they ended up. But West Indies will have to take risks to keep up with the rate and, if you’re pushing me, my sense is that England’s bowlers will have enough to restrict them.
I’m not surprised it was Knight and Sciver-Brunt who did most the damage for England. Experience and composure is part of the reason why, but so too is skill, and on a track that doesn’t encourage boundaries, the batters able to manipulate the ball are often more useful than those more inclined to whack it hard.
Thanks Niall and hi again everyone. This is shaping up isn’t it?
England set West Indies target of 142 to win
20th over: England 141-7 (Sciver-Brunt 57, Glenn 1) Sciver-Brunt adds a fine four down the ground to reach 57 off 50 as England end on 141-7. Will it be enough to win, and progress to the semi-finals? Find out here, with my esteemed colleague Daniel Harris.
WICKET! Ecclestone c Dottin b Matthews 7 (England 135-7)
Sophie Ecclestone is certainly capable of clearing the fences – and sends Matthews all the way for six, over deep square leg! She tries again next ball, and this time it drops into Dottin’s lap. Still, a good time for England’s first six of the innings.
19th over: England 128-6 (Sciver-Brunt 52, Ecclestone 1) Dottin is death-bowling in style, a string of yorkers keeping England in check. Knight, back out on the touchline, is urging the pair in the middle to chase some late runs.
WICKET! Gibson c Fletcher b Dottin 7 (England 126-6)
Not in the short term, no. Gibson looks to clear the infield off Dottin’s delivery, but succeeds only in picking out Fletcher, who takes a sharp catch.
19th over: England 126-5 (Sciver-Brunt 51, Gibson 7) The Windies are penalised for a slow over-rate, with an extra fielder brought into the inner circle for the last two overs. Can the England batters take advantage?
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Fifty for Nat Sciver-Brunt!
18th over: England 124-5 (Sciver-Brunt 50, Gibson 6) Aaliyah Alleyne comes in, and has the leg-side of the field stacked for Sciver-Brunt – but struggles for range, with two wides and a leg-bye. Sciver-Brunt then finds gaps in said leg-side twice to complete an excellent 50 off 45 balls.
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17th over: England 110-5 (Sciver-Brunt 40, Gibson 5) The trusty sweep shot has been key for England again today, and Danielle Gibson chips in with a nice reverse effort for four.
WICKET! Dean c Matthews b Fletcher 5 (England 104-5)
Charlie Dean never really settled and gets reeled in by Fletcher, stretching outside off-stump and sending it directly to the Windies captain, Hayley Matthews.
16th over: England 104-4 (Sciver-Brunt 39, Dean 5) Sciver-Brunt continues at her run-a-ball pace as England pass the century mark. If she can stay in, a decent target is within reach.
15th over: England 96-4 (Sciver-Brunt 35, Dean 1) Charlie Dean comes in next – and should be gone first ball, mistiming and sending a top-edge into the air. Chedean Nation is underneath it but lets it slip through her fingers. What a let off!
WICKET! Jones c Dottin b Fletcher 7 (England 94-4)
Ah, what was I saying? Jones top-edges a fizzing Fletcher delivery straight to Dottin at backward point. That’s a soft one, and puts England back under pressure …
14th over: England 93-3 (Sciver-Brunt 33, Jones 7) The better news for England is that Jones has settled immediately, sweeping Ramharack dismissively away for four. Sciver-Brunt runs another four through the over, taking her to 33 off 33 with only two boundaries.
13th over: England 84-3 (Sciver-Brunt 29, Jones 2) Amy Jones sees out the over, with Dottin restricting the batters to hard-earned singles.
Heather Knight retires hurt on 21
Knight is still really struggling to run, and after Sciver-Brunt takes a single, the captain decides she can’t continue! She leaves the field on 21, with Amy Jones replacing her. That’s a big blow for England with this partnership having put them on top.
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12th over: England 79-3 (Sciver-Brunt 26, Knight 21) Hayley Matthews returns seeking another wicket, and looks to have Sciver-Brunt lbw first ball – but the umpire says no, and the West Indies have no reviews left! The DRS replays show it was plumb as it gets – that one’s going to sting.
We then have a mid-over break as Knight needs a bit of treatment from the physio. She’s struggling with her movement, but solves that problem with a reverse sweep for four, helped by a rare bit of clumsy fielding. A strong over for England.
REVIEW: Not out! Knight is saved by the bottom edge of her bat, which caught the ball before it hit her pads. That’s a second review lost for the West Indies, although you can understand why they took the chance.
11th over: England 70-3 (Sciver-Brunt 24, Knight 14) This partnership really could be key to England’s hopes, and although there are some uncertain moments on the run, Sciver-Brunt keeps things moving with a lovely sweep off Munisar. On the last ball of the over, the bowler thinks she has Knight lbw, though – and while given not out, the Windies will take it upstairs …
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10th over: England 61-3 (Sciver-Brunt 16, Knight 13) Thanks Daniel, and hello everyone. Deandra Dottin has a bowl for the first time in the tournament, but struggles to find any swing and offers up a pace which suits Heather Knight. The captain finds a gap in the covers for a clinical boundary, as England add seven in the over. We’re halfway through their innings, and time for a drinks break.
9th over: England 54-3 (Sciver-Brunt 14, Knight 8) Knight will fancy herself a captain’s knock here and look at that! She twinkles down to Fletcher’s first delivery, stroking four through cover, then keeps things moving by turning one to midwicket. A dot follows, then three more ones, making it eight off the over, the partnership now 20 off 17, and England are looking a little better. These two have the experience, firepower and moxie to take the game away from West Indies, but another wicket or two and things will look totally different. Righto, I’m away for the school run – here’s Niall Mcveigh to do me a major solid and coax you through the next hour.
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8th over: England 46-3 (Sciver-Brunt 12, Knight 2) Alleyne into the attack and Knight twizzles two to midwicket, Dottin escaping with a misfield that doesn’t allow an extra run; might this be her day? Two singles follow, then Sciver-Brunt leaps across her stumps to flip four over her shoulder having anticipated a delivery on her legs; great shot and a boundary on which Englangd were ganting.
7th over: England 38-3 (Sciver-Brunt 5, Knight 1) Sciver-Brunt takes two to midwicket, then Knight adds a single as England begin the rebuild.
REVIEW! NOT OUT!
The ball pitched outside leg. But West Indies’ spinners are enjoying this.
7th over: England 35-3 (Sciver-Brunt 2, Knight 1) There’s no one England would prefer coming in next than Heather Knight, whose composure might allow others to hit around her. She gets away with one to long on then, when Sciver-Brunt faces, she comes down the track wanting to turn to leg, but the ball is too close to her and she wears it on the pad. Not out, says the umpire when West Indies appeal … so Matthews goes upstairs…
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WICKET! Bouchier c Joseph b Fletcher 14 (England 34-3)
Trouble for England! Fletcher tosses up her loosener and Bouchier indulges in a swipe, a leading edge sending the ball high … and straight to Joseph at extra! West Indies are all over it!
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7th over: England 34-2 (Bouchier 14, Sciver-Brunt 2) It’s impossible to overestimate the significance of Dottin’s fielding. Not just because she broke what was developing into a decent partnership, but because she changed the energy in the middle. Fletcher into the attack….
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6th over: England 34-2 (Bouchier 14, Sciver-Brunt 2) Sciver-Brunt comes down and forces one to deep square, the only run from the first four deliveries of Matthews’ over. And when the two remaining balls yield just a single, the sense is that West Indies are on top … for now.
5th over: England 32-2 (Bouchier 13, Sciver-Brunt 1) Sciver-Brunt bumps down the ground to get off the mark.
WICKET! Capsey run out (Dottin/Campbell) 1 (England 31-2)
England can’t say they weren’t warned! Bouchier opens the face and yanks Capsey through for a run this isn’t there but Dottin is on the move far sooner, swooping, hurling over the stumps, and allowing Campbell to do the rest. That is excellent fielding, and this is intense stuff.
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5th over: England 23-1 (Bouchier 13, Capsey 1) A single to each batter opens the over.
4th over: England 29-1 (Bouchier 12, Capsey 0) Eight runs and a wicket off the over.
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WICKET! Wyatt-Hodge c Dottin b Matthew 16 (England 29-1)
We’ve seen a few sliced drives and this is another, Wyatt-Hodge again looking to ascore behind square on the off-side. But Dottin, who moved herself there earlier in the over, is a different proposition to Fletcher, whom she replaced and dives forward to grab a decent grab.
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4th over: England 29-0 (Bouchier 12, Wyatt-Hodge 16) Time for spin as Matthews brings herself on, Wyatt-Hodge carving under Fletcher’s dive at point for two. And when she’s offered a little width next up, an open face allows her to guide past gully for four. Six off the over and only two balls gone: pressure! So Matthews goes around the wicket and Wyatt-Hodge knocks to point, hauling Bouchier through for a single … and Dottin’s throw hits the top of the bails! West Indies like it, but when we go upstairs we see the batter made it, just.
3rd over: England 21-0 (Bouchier 11, Wyatt-Hodge 9) Again, Bouchier goes for a big shot and again she slices it, this time to backward point, but this time the ball drops safe and the batters run two. A single follows, then Wyatt-Hodge hoiks behind the wicket on the off-side for two more; I said earlier I thought England would take care not to get into trouble seeking a score that’s larger than necessary but I was wrong and, as I type, Bouchier retreats to hump Henry over mid on for four. Ten off the over and England are moving.
2nd over: England 11-0 (Bouchier 4, Wyatt-Hodge 6) It’s Zaida James opening from t’other end, once Matthews has rejigged the field a little; there’s a really good energy about her, and her team look alive. Wyatt-Hodge then bumps a single to long on, then Bouchier comes down and tries a drive only to slice her shot and the ball’s falling nicely for Munisar at cover-point – she missed the run-out opportunity in the first over – to dive forward and complete a redemptive snaffle. BUT SHE GRASSES IT! Dearie me, that is going to sting because it wasn’t a difficult chance, and a single to Bouchier followed by two twos to Wyatt-Hodge won’t have her feeling any the less extremely, horrifically, soul-curdlingly poorly.
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1st over: England 4-0 (Bouchier 3, Wyatt-Hodge 1) Bouchier puts bat on each of the first two deliveries but picks out fielders, then forces to mid-on and sets off for a KP-style Red-Bull single … making her ground, just. If the diving underarm shy had hit, she’d have been gone. But she’s not, so when Wyatt-Hodge hauls her second ball around the corner for one, she’s back on strike to pick a yorker off her toes and turn to midwicket for two. Solid enough start from both sides.
Chienlle Henry has the ball, and here we go!
Out come the fielders … and here come England’s openers.
Heather Knight is absolutely buzzing, grinning with eyes shining. She can’t wait, and I daresay you’d feel pretty decent about life trotting out behind her.
Anthem time. How much better would this be if West Indies was reggae or dancehall and England’s was jungle or grime?
England’s openers are both in nick, having knocked off the 110 needed to beat Scotland in 10 overs. This, though, is a very different affair, on a very different track. And here come our teams!
Oh man, I cannot wait for this. Gerronwidit!
West Indies will be concerned that Taylor isn’t fit. Not only does he have the firepower to settle this match, but she also has the experience and composure required to excel in an effective knockout tie. That increases the pressure on Matthews, Campbell and Dottin, but it feels like these matchers are as often settled by someone surprising than by one of the big guns.
I know Knight was pretty coy about her desire to bowl first, but this is definitely the kind of pitch on which it helps to chase, using the opposition to deduce what constitutes a par total. It’s hard to force the pace on a track likely to be slow, but England won’t want to run out of wickets seeking a higher target than necessary, and my sense is that they take care, knowing they’ve the spinners to twirl them home if that’s what this takes.
Teams!
England: Maia Bouchier, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Alice Capsey, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Heather Knight (capt), Amy Jones (wk), Danielle Gibson, Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn, Lauren Bell
West Indies: Hayley Matthews (capt), Qiana Joseph, Shemaine Campbelle (wk), Deandra Dottin, Chinelle Henry, Chedean Nation, Zaida James, Ashmini Munisar, Aaliyah Alleyne, Afy Fletcher, Karishma Ramharack
West Indies also make two changes, but Matthews can only recall that Taylor drops out with Chedean Nation coming in.
Heather Knight would also have fielded, but says the pitch looks OK and she’s happy to bat first. England make one change, the now-healthy Alice Capsey replacing Sophia Dunkley. Thus it’s Bell not Smith completing their attack.
West Indies win the toss and field
Hayley Matthews says her side have been successful doing that in the tournament and this year.
Waiting in the semis: Australia will face the runners-up in the group – SA if England win and Windies if Windies win– with the group winners, England if England win and otherwise SA – must take on Australia.
In an attempt so not to do, I am now chugging green juice: kale, blueberries, ginger, carrots, turmeric. Welcome to middle age, population: me.
A further question: do I have the willpower not to guzzle the Tony’s Chocolonely my daughter thinks she’s hidden for herself?
I said below that only one of these two sides can progress, but that’s not strictly true. If West Indies win, they and England qualify ahead of South Africa if:
They lose by one run and West Indies’ first-innings total is between 87 and 134.
They lose by two runs chasing between 61 and 96.
They bat first and West Indies win with one or two balls to spare.
Gorrit?
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A question: who will England pick today, Linsey Smith or Lauren Bell? It was Smith in the first two matches and she returned 2-11 then 1-32, while Bell delivered 1-16 when given the call at the weekend. My sense is that Smith will prevail, but I’d go for Bell; it’s a pretty nice choice to have.
Just finished for the day:
Preamble
How often have we found ourselves watching a World Cup grumbling about the lack of jeopardy? Well, welcome to the opposite of that.
England have won all three of their matches so far, beating South Africa – the next-best side in the group – and Bangladesh pretty handily, before devastating Scotland. And yet, thanks to the vagaries of net run-rate, if they lose today, it’ll be West Indies – devastated by South Africa before handily beating Scotland and Bangladesh – who move into the last four.
And make no mistake, Hayley Matthews’ team are more than capable of making that happen – especially on a surface likely to be slow. Matthews, Stafanie Taylor – if fit - Shemaine Campabelle and the returned Deandra Dottin all have the power to defeat the track and outfield and, more generally, the nature of T20 cricket allows for one player to have a day out and decide a match. West Indies are a live dog and then some.
England, though, are bouncing. With the bat, they have numerous talents able to deliver transcendent performances while, with the ball Sophie Ecclestone is bowling so well it’s almost unfair – and the rest of the attack isn’t bad either.
All of which sets up what should be a terrific match – and in the event of a tie, progress will be determined by which team can name more foods that start with the letter “Q”.
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