England set down a marker with a record-breaking 114-run victory over Pakistan in their final group game of the Women’s T20 World Cup in Cape Town.
Heather Knight’s side had already qualified for the semi-finals ahead of the match but showed no signs of slowing down, becoming the first side ever to score more than 200 in an innings at the tournament.
Nat Sciver-Brunt struck an unbeaten 81 from just 40 balls as England set Pakistan 214 to win.
Pakistan fell far short of the target as England sent another record tumbling with the tournament’s biggest ever winning margin by runs, beating South Africa’s 113-run win over Thailand in 2020.
England won the toss and elected to bat, starting as they meant to go on when Danni Wyatt struck two boundaries off the first over.
Despite the loss of Sophia Dunkley and Alice Capsey inside the powerplay and having been 33 for two, England rebounded to great effect as Wyatt hit 59 off 33 balls, with seven fours and two sixes, and put on 74 with Sciver-Brunt.
Heather Knight came and went cheaply but Sciver-Brunt, who struck 12 fours and a six in all, shared a century partnership with Amy Jones – who scored 47 from 31 deliveries before holing out off the final ball seeking her half-century.
Pakistan’s line and length was wayward at times, especially an over from Fatima Sana that included two above-waist-height full tosses, but England cleverly manipulated the field and played the ball all around the wicket.
Jones had said before the game England had yet to have a ‘complete performance’ but they took nine wickets in the second innings and restricted Pakistan to just 99 runs.
Katherine Sciver-Brunt had a difficult match against India, including a costly final over, but struck in her first over against Pakistan.
Then Muneeba Ali, who scored the only century of the tournament so far during Pakistan’s win over Ireland last week, could only top-edge Charlie Dean to Jones having scored just three.
From the loss of the first two wickets, Pakistan collapsed to 99 for nine with Katherine Sciver-Brunt and Dean taking a further wicket apiece.
Pakistan were also punished for some poor decision-making, with a pair of run-outs including an awful mix-up for the eighth wicket, as England dominated throughout.
