🏏ICC Women's T20I WC 2024: Group B - Match 20: EngW vs WIW 🏏 - Page 51

Maia Bouchier, Player of the Match: I felt really good, batting with Danni, always very easy. We have an unspoken communication between us. We are thinking if we can stick to our strengths, run well between the wickets, we can get the team to wins. We got told about the eighth over about the NRR, that we had to get it done before the tenth over. Fine lines and fine margins (in the tournament). Our bowlers did brilliantly to keep them down (to this total). We want to take that trophy. We are thinking about what is happening in the present and not thinking about other teams. We are putting ourselves in a really good position and going into the next few games, we have to keep ourselves calm. It was really important for me to go out there and be still. Kept telling myself that. That is what I do best. Really important for me to play the way I did and back myself to win games.

And so...in a slight turn of events, that boundary off the last ball has indeed pushed England's NRR past that of the West Indies.

Over 7

Runs Scored: 11

0 1 2 2 4 2

Score after 7 overs

ENGW 77-0

Danielle Wyatt-Hodge36(17)Maia Bouchier41(25)

Abtaha Maqsood

1-0-11-0

England is going to improve their run rate a lot.

ENG Women won by 10 wickets (with 60 balls remaining)

Damn

Kathryn Bryce, Scotland captain: Pretty tough tournament in general but a massive honour to be here and to be leading the team out in a tournament like this. Only learnings to be taken from here. (On what learnings they will take back) Just the basics and doing them every time with quality. You can play the expansive shots but you need to be doing the basics all the time. Always challenging the first time you play in a different stadium against different teams. Girls are gradually getting used to it. (On the support) It has been absolutely incredible. Loads of parents out here, always cheering no matter what happens. (On Jack-Brown) She has been playing for Scotland for 18 years and nice to go, have a meal and celebrate her career. From travelling up and down on the M6 to play cricket, to playing on the World Cup stage, has been special.

Heather Knight: Really pleased. The pitch got a lot better and the outfield had a bit of a trim. We bowled brilliantly and pure class from those two (openers). (On Bouchier stepping up) She has (stepped up). She was disappointed the other day on not being able to bat the way she wants. Once we had a good powerplay, it was about how quick we could do it and put pressure on the other teams. 10.5 (overs) it was to go above SA and then to get it as quickly as we could. We have so many options. Linsey had not done anything wrong but wanted to get Bell into the competition. She was outstanding. Really nice to have so much depth and really pleased with the way she bowled. (On their last game against WI) Just try and win, exactly the same way we have approached (the tournament so far). You want to keep winning, keep that momentum and we want to go again, get some momentum and make it to the semis.

🏏ICC Women's T20I WC 2024: England Women vs West Indies Women: Group B - Match 20 - at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai on 15/10/2024 @ 7:30 PM IST🏏

It's the last match of the Group stage and the semi finalists from Group B haven't yet been decided, with the England-West Indies clash set to provide a clear picture. West Indies need a victory to get through to the semi final, and they could also finish at the top of the group considering their superior net run rate. South Africa will be hoping for a West Indies defeat, or a big loss for England that could impact the NRR of the Heather Knight-led team drastically and push them to third. Whatever the outcome, it is a high-stakes match in Dubai.

England have been undefeated so far in the competition and will look to continue in the same vein to ensure they enter the semis for the seventh successive time. Bangladesh ran them close in the first match but since then, England have been clinical, overcoming South Africa comfortably before breezing past Scotland as they chased down 110 with 10 wickets in hand and 10 overs to spare. The likes of Danielle Wyatt-Hodge, Nat Sciver-Brunt and Maia Bouchier have led their batting effort while all their bowlers have delivered as they enter this game as a well-oiled machine, with all departments functioning like clockwork.

West Indies have done well too after losing their first match against South Africa by 10 wickets. They took 11.4 overs to finish off a 100-run chase against Scotland, followed by an equally brisk chase against Bangladesh as they raced to a target of 104 in 12.5 overs. Captain Hayley Matthews didn't click with the bat in the first two matches but her 22-ball 34 against Bangladesh marked her return to form. The experienced Deandra Dottin has been amongst the runs and will have an important role to play in the key clash against England. Among the bowlers, spinners Afy Fletcher and Karishma Ramharack have done a good job for West Indies and will be crucial as the Caribbean side seek their first semi final entry since 2018.

When: Match 20, Tuesday, October 15 at 6:00 PM Local Time

Where: Dubai International Cricket Stadium

What to expect: This will be England's first game in Dubai in this World Cup, which may give West Indies a slight edge as they have played two matches here. In the last three games here, chasing sides have won twice while New Zealand's first innings total of 110 against Pakistan, which they defended, is the highest first-innings total. Bowlers are expected to have a major say in this match as well.

Team news:

England:

Alice Capsey was unwell ahead of the match against Scotland and was replaced by Sophia Dunkley while Lauren Bell came in for Linsey Smith. If she has recovered, Capsey should slot back in while Bell might come back if England require an extra spin option.

Probable XI: Maia Bouchier, Danielle Wyatt-Hodge, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Heather Knight (c), Alice Capsey, Amy Jones (wk), Danielle Gibson, Charlotte Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn, Linsey Smith

West Indies:

Stafanie Taylor had to retire hurt in the match against Bangladesh after scoring 27 off 29. Matthews later revealed that Taylor has been managing a knee problem and considering West Indies' comfortable position in the game, Taylor perhaps walked off as a precaution. West Indies might stick to the same eleven.

Probable XI: Hayley Matthews (c), Stafanie Taylor, Qiana Joseph, Shemaine Campbelle (wk), Deandra Dottin, Chinelle Henry, Aaliyah Alleyne, Mandy Mangru, Afy Fletcher, Ashmini Munisar, Karishma Ramharack

What they said:

"I think it's very exciting. I love going against the world's best and me and Deandra have great battles when we play against each other because we are people that want to get one up on each other because we play against each other so often and play in the same team with each other. So, I think it's very exciting. I'll start looking tonight at how they go about their things but I'm not going to concentrate on them too much and go about the way I'm doing stuff" - Sophie Ecclestone, on playing against West Indies.

I think after that first defeat we did speak a lot about how we want to come back and how we want to do it as a team and I think everyone was up for the challenge from that moment. Obviously in World Cups you lose one game early on, it does put the pressure on, but I think the team has been wonderful with the way they've handled the pressure and just everyone in a good mood, everyone in good spirits and I think everyone's up for the challenge, that's been the biggest thing" - Hayley Matthews, on West Indies' performance in this World Cup.