There was a useful rule of thumb to predict if Mitchell Johnson would contribute with the bat during his career: if he was taking wickets, useful runs would surely follow. For England’s women, now at the business end of their World T20 campaign, they could do well with this also applying for Anya Shrubsole. Dominating with the ball through England’s pool games, her career-high 29, compiled in a 55-run partnership with Sophia Dunkley, was the only reason Heather Knight’s side made a fist of their final group game against West Indies after the top order misfired.
Until Sunday Shrubsole had more wickets than runs to her name in T20 internationals, but she set that straight in an innings that showed the resourcefulness and confidence expected from a player of far greater numerical stature with the bat.
“We’re obviously very disappointed,” she said of the loss, after West Indies’ winning runs were struck with only three balls to go. “Especially when we’d got ourselves back into a position where we could have won.”
A late dropped catch by Fran Wilson when England were rallying, along with a series of errant throws, ensures fielding will be a focus between now and their semi-final against India on Thursday in Antigua. Shrubsole acknowledged that the heaving St Lucian crowd played their role well by heaping on the pressure. “Deandra Dottin and Shemaine Campbelle put some pressure back on us and in that atmosphere it was hard to deliver as calmly and consistently as we would have liked.”
But, with England having earlier stuttered to 50 for six, it is the output of the batting lineup that first requires attention. At the conclusion of the group stage no England player has managed more than 50 runs in total. “Obviously we’d have probably liked a few more runs,” Shrubsole said. “But as [Knight] said after the game it is encouraging we took it so close. We’ve proved pretty good at staying in games when we’re up against it and it says a lot about the team’s attitude.”
Not least the approach of Dunkley, who top-scored with 35 from 30 balls in her first innings for England. “Sophia played brilliantly,” Shrubsole said. “It’s a difficult position to bat, No 7, because you either come in when your side needs quick runs or when they’re struggling. She showed great composure and she played some really nice shots. What was most pleasing was she didn’t just go into her shell, she looked to take the front-foot option. On another day it would have been a match-winning innings.”
In much the same way Shrubsole’s initial spell with the ball also deserved to have been match-defining. In her opening over the attack leader cut through the gate of Hayley Matthews then swung past the bat of the West Indies captain, Stafanie Taylor – two superb pieces of bowling to remove two fine players.
“It was a bit like the wickets against South Africa,” the vice-captain said of the hat-trick she claimed in the previous fixture. “I just look to bowl full, straight and threaten the stumps and it went my way in those early overs.”
Looking ahead, Shrubsole believes comfort can be found in how well England know the India side that topped Pool B – most memorably, having defeated them in last year’s World Cup final.
“We know all about them,” she said in praising their strengths, especially the form of Smriti Mandhana who in this year’s Kia Super League struck a competition-leading 421 runs at a remarkable strike rate of 174. The opener was also player of the match in India’s win over Australia on Saturday, stroking a flawless 83 off 55 balls.
But, drawing on her own academic studies in psychology, Shrubsole knows that a preoccupation with an adversary is a gateway to failure.
“We need to focus on ourselves though,” she said. “Every team is dangerous at this point of the tournament and we need to go into the game confident of performing as well as we can. It’s exciting – it’s a chance to go play in a World Cup final and we’re desperate to go and win.”
