Published: Jul 15, 2017, 11:10 PM (IST)
Edited: Jul 15, 2017, 11:05 PM (IST)
England’s comprehensive victory over West Indies makes them the table topper and will play the first semi-final against South Africa on July 18. On a Bristol’s slow track, West Indies did not look like they were ever in the chase. Chasing 221, the openers did get a decent start. However, the first wicket made the task easier for England. Since then, they added a meagre 66 runs and lost 8 wickets. England, after showing a disappointing show with the bat, were disciplined with the ball. For West Indies, Hayley Matthews just managed to outclass the other batters while Natalie Sciver was the pick of the bowlers. West Indies end at No. 7 in the points table.
It was Natalie who inflicted the collapse reducing West Indies to 73 for 4. She struck thrice in a span of 15 overs. West Indies did not look threatening with their chase. However, their openers Kycia Knight and Matthews were the only ones to put up the highest partnership of 34 runs in 9.4 overs.
West Indies had only one boundary and 16 runs on the board by the 6th over. However, Matthews decided to take the risk and there began the flow of boundaries. She first struck a boundary off Anya Shrubsole over fine-leg. It was followed by a boundary to midwicket off Katherine Brunt. Laura Marsh was also punished as Matthews launched a maximum over long-on.
England seized the moment, as Stafanie Taylor was removed for a 12-ball duck. Matthews and Chedean Nation looked solid at the crease with 27-run stand, but when Alex Hartley trapped Matthews for 29, West Indies had lost the sight of victory. Their mainstay batter Deandra Dottin was cleaned up by Heather Knight. Chedean was caught by Beaumont at deep backward square-leg.
Kyshona Knight and Anissa Mohammed’s fighting 28 runs in 12 overs could not repair the damage as West Indies slumped to 92-run defeat.
England were hardly clinical when they batted. Afy Fletcher’s leg-spin ripped England’s batting line-up and gave her the figures of 3 for 33 in 10 overs. Fletcher bagged successive wickets of Beaumont and Sciver. Where Beaumont was caught by wicketkeeper Aguillera, Sciver was trapped for zero. Fletcher got her final wicket of Fran Wilson with a faint edge to Aguillera for 5.
After the openers Beaumont and Laura Winfield added 47 runs for opening wicket, it was Knight’s 88-ball 67 that removed England from the ruins. Entering the crease at 54 for 2, Knight managed to find some help from Beaumont for brief period. They stitched 37 runs.
But Fletcher’s double strike put England in spot of bother. West Indies tight bowling did not allow much runs to flow from Knight and Katherine Brunt’s willow. With Brunt also picked Mohammed for 14, Knight had to take the matter into her hands and she brought up a sublime fifty with a single.
After Knight was bowled by Matthews, Jenny Gunn and Laura Marsh paced up the England innings adding 48 runs in the final 7 overs to take England to 220.
Brief scores
England Women 220 for 7 in 5o overs (Tammy Beaumont 42, Heather Knight 67, Jenny Gunn 24*; Afy Fletcher 3 for 33) beat West Indies Women 128 for 9 in 50 overs (Hayley Matthews 29, Chedean Nation 23; Natalie Sciver 3 for 3) by 92 runs
