Maia Bouchier and Danni Wyatt-Hodge sparkled as England moved a step nearer to the T20 World Cup semi-finals following a commanding 10-wicket win over Scotland in Sharjah.
Already-eliminated Scotland amassed their highest whole of the match of their final Group B match however a rating of 109 for six was overhauled by England’s openers with a whopping 10 overs to spare.
Bouchier was dropped on 12 and made Scotland pay with an unbeaten 62 off 34 balls, with Wyatt-Hodge making 51 not out off 26 deliveries, as England eased to a 3rd win from three matches.
England considerably boosted their web run-rate however they will make it a moot level by beating the West Indies on Monday to seal prime spot within the group – and sure keep away from a semi-final in opposition to Australia.
Defeat in opposition to the West Indies in Dubai would complicate their probabilities however England, who moved again to the highest of their group, are within the field seat to achieve the knockout levels due to their opening batters.
Bouchier x Wyatt-Hodge
Bouchier flicked fantastic and lower and drove for 3 fours from the primary three balls of the reply however she was put down within the subsequent over after gently lobbing to Olivia Bell, who couldn’t maintain a return probability.
It was largely one-way visitors thereafter as Bell’s subsequent over disappeared for 18, with Wyatt-Hodge taking three fours and Bouchier one.
Boundaries got here at an alarming fee as Bouchier and Wyatt-Hodge racked up 66 within the powerplay, which means that when Scotland turned to highly-rated leg-spinner Abtaha Maqsood within the seventh over, the momentum was irreversibly with England.
Bouchier introduced up her first T20 fifty since March with a tenth 4 on the finish of the eighth over and Wyatt-Hodge adopted her from what turned out to be the penultimate ball, albeit in weird vogue when an overthrow missed the stumps and allowed the openers to scamper again for an additional couple of runs.
Scotland Depart
It was a chastening finish to Scotland’s debut World Cup marketing campaign, with a fourth defeat in 4, however they began brightly earlier, exhibiting few alarms within the powerplay in opposition to an England aspect that introduced within the further seamer in Lauren Bell.
Saskia Horley and Sarah Bryce confirmed little of the urgency Bouchier and Wyatt-Hodge did later nevertheless it was not till the tip of the eighth over that England made a breakthrough to finish a 38-run opening stand.
Horley (13 off 23) miscued a skier to Ecclestone, who held on properly then prised out Bryce for 27 off 31. An advancing Bryce was stumped after being executed within the air by a flighted supply that spun previous a leg-side heave.
Captain Kathryn Bryce made an enterprising 33 off 28 and Ailsa Lister belted Scotland’s solely six of the match to get their aspect into three figures though England by no means let the run-rate spiral.
Ecclestone was as soon as once more the choose of the assault with two wickets, conceding a miserly 13 from 4 overs, earlier than Bouchier and Wyatt-Hodge took centre stage.
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