So, that’s about us - thanks all for your company. Bye. You can read Vish’s report here:
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Summary
A special mention also to Megan Schutt, who saved numerous, if not countless runs, added a run out, and sent down four overs for two wickets and 15 runs. Brilliant performance from her, particularly at clutch.
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Well played Australia, and Meg Lanning in particular, who scored a fifty, took two smart catches, and manipulated her bowlers and fielders superbly when things got tight. England, on the other hand, will rue this missed opportunity; in particular, Tammy Beaumont and Sarah Taylor gave their wickets away in full knowledge that their middle order were not exactly firing.
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AUSTRALIA BEAT ENGLAND BY 5 RUNS TO REACH THE WORLD CUP FINAL!
They’ll play New Zealand or West Indies.
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19.6 Wyatt slings over cover, they run two more, and wow, what a brilliant performance at the death from Australia here!
19.5 Another swing, ball squirts away on the off-side and they add two. This is nearly over...
19.4 What an over this is from Farrell, another one in the blockhole and just a single added. England need 10 from two balls.
19.3 Full toss, Wyatt goes down the ground but gets very little of it and they sprint an apologetic single.
19.2 Inside-edge, Healy does well to pick up.
19.1 Greenway swishes and finds mid-off; single, and what has Wyatt got? The England bench looks despondent, but she’s a clean hitter...
19th over: England 120-7 (Wyatt 5, Greenway 1)
18.6 Another huge drive attempted by Greenway, the ball flies off over her shoulder and they run one. England require 13 runs from 6 balls.
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18.5 Full, flipped to mid-off, single.
18.4 Greenway tries a big heave but only manages a nudge to short mid-off, they scramble a single.
WICKET! Gunn run out (Schutt) 1 (England 117-3)
What an amazing fielding performance this has been from Megan Schutt!
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18.3 Gunn bunts down the ground, Wyatt calls her back, direct hit... and we go upstairs...
18.2 WICKET! Brunt b Schutt 11 (England 116-6)
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18.1 Brunt cracks for four through cover!
18th over: England 112-5 (Wyatt 4, Brunt 7) What a strike from Katherine Brunt! Well outside her crease, she pounces on a short one and clatters it over the fence at cow corner. Good over for England, but they need plenty more. England need 21 runs from 12 balls.
“As soon as I checked in with the game we lost a wicket,” says Ian Copestale, “so am going to leave you to it and let other fates decide this outcome.”
In the face of such martyrdom we all honoured.
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WICKET! Taylor c Healy b Farrell 21 (England 103-5)
England are in allsorts now! Farrell sends down a slower one and Taylor goes to lift it over the keeper, instead tapping her a simple catch behind - the kind of practice one might attempt with an infant. What on earth was she thinking?
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17th over: England 102-4 (Taylor 19, Knight 1) England bump it around and Australia help them by chucking in a wide - but England now require more than that. England require 32 runs from 18 balls.
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WICKET! Knight c Villani b Osborne 1 (England 97-4)
Trouble for England, nerves for us all. Knight forces one to long-on and it’s an easy catch for Villani. But she takes her eye off the ball, drops it, and it hits her knee, which enables her to grab it at the second attempt.
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16th over: England 61-3 (Taylor 19, Knight 1) Beams hustles through, and England, in control for so long, are falling behind the rate. They manage five from this over, three of them coming when Taylor misses a reverse-sweep, but they need to get after this now. England require 37 runs from 24 balls.
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15th over: England 91-3 (Taylor 15, Knight 0) The pigeons are well and truly catted. England require 42 runs from 30 balls.
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WICKET! Sciver b Perry 0 (England 91-3)
Full and straight as Sciver walks across her stumps to hoik legwards, she misses, and they are splayed.
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15th over: England 91-2 (Taylor 15, Sciver 0) Needing another wicket, Lanning turns to Perry, and a short one sticks on the wicket as Taylor gets through her shot far too soon, taking one in the sternum instead. She grins, waits for the physio, and gets on with it.
14th over: England 90-2 (Taylor 14, Sciver 0) One more wicket for Australia and things will really warm up - but for the moment, England still look comfy. England require 43 runs from 36 balls.
WICKET! Beaumont c Lanning b Schutt 32 (England 89-2)
A streaky but crucial innings comes to a suitable end; looking for midwicket, Beaumont thrashes at one for no especial reason, skies it, and Lanning again makes a tricky catch look simple in the covers. That was, I fear, unwise.
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13th over: England 88-1 (Taylor 12, Beaumont 32) A single to each batter begins the over before a kite invades the pitch to widespread mirth. Jonassen responds in kind, offering a full-toss, but Beaumont doesn’t get it at all, actually doing well to avoid being caught at mid-on. Taylor quickly compensates, though, skipping down - her footwork is lovely - and tickles six over cover. Beaumont then clubs to cow corner, and again Schutt is all over it, diving and throwing to save two more. But a good over for England nonetheless. England require 47 runs from 42 balls.
12th over: England 76-1 (Taylor 4, Beaumont 28) Already Taylor’s pace between the wickets is in evidence - she’s down the track to ensure a single off the first ball of Beams’ over when Beaumont sweeps behind the wicket. She flows down the track to time one over the top - and haring round the fence, Villani gets there - but again, it bounces in and out. England need 57 runs to win from 48 balls.
11th over: England 73-1 (Taylor 3, Beaumont 26) So, what does Sarah Taylor have? Can she find some form? After a leg-bye, she begins with a two, ramped to fine-leg, and then drives through cover for two more. Another wide follows, and that’s 13 extras already - Australia will rue those if they lose, which they really should from here.
Edwards c Lanning b Beams 31 (England 67-1)
The pressure tells. Edwards forces Beams straight to extra cover, where Lanning takes a comfortable enough diving catch.
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10th over: England 67-0 (Edwards 31, Beaumont 25) England have lost focus slightly - lazy footwork from Edwards means that her uppish drive is nearly caught. But it isn’t, and Beaumont cuts two more next ball.
9th over: England 61-0 (Edwards 29, Beaumont 21) Farrell returns and after two singles come from her first three balls, Edwards flips a full-toss over her shoulder that looks like four until Schutt dashes round the boundary to dive and throw superbly. Beaumont then forgets to ground her bat again, again avoiding being run out, but that’s a better over for Australia - just three from it, and a few more of those would crank up the pressure on England.
8th over: England 58-0 (Edwards 27, Beaumont 20) Australia are in big trouble here - Edwards, already the tournament’s leading scorer, adds fo mo to her tally, larruping Jonassen over midwicket. Lanning is rotating her bowlers this way and that, to no end whatsoever. Eight off the over, and England only need a run a ball.
7th over: England 50-0 (Edwards 21, Beaumont 19) Australia could seriously use a wicket here, so Lanning goes to Beams’ leg-spin. But the batters negotiate her well, taking singles off the first three balls before a reverse-sweep and a misfield combine to add two more to the total. A lucky escape follows, though, when they run a bye and Beaumont assumes the throw is coming to the striker’s end, dreams of tangerine trees and marmalade skies, and would’ve been run out by a direct hit. To compensate, Edwards reverse-sweeps the final delivery of the over for four, and England are making this look rather easy.
6th over: England 40-0 (Edwards 15, Beaumont 15) Perry returns, and her first delivery is full and on the stumps, so Edwards turns it through midwicket for two. This is really controlled batting from her, and she middles another down to square-leg but finds the fielder, so they amble through for a single. Beaumont then attempts a paddle which misses by miles and earns her a talking-to - and it works; she gets well down the track and shmices a full-toss for six over square-leg.
5th over: England 31-0 (Edwards 12, Beaumont 9) Edwards goes to schlep Schutt around from outside off, misses, and so does Healy - it gets England four byes, and after a dot, two leg-byes follow. This really isn’t great from Australia.
4th over: England 24-0 (Edwards 11, Beaumont 9) This is very unAustralian from Australia - Farrell’s first ball is wide and right in Edwards’ area - she cuts is way, and a misfield earns her four. And then Beaumont cracks one to mid-off - Mooney dives forwards but the ball bumps in and out - and then when one’s skied over her head, she’s slow to sort her feet and can’t quite catch up with it as it drops.
3rd over: England 17-0 (Edwards 6, Beaumont 7) Schutt into the attack and Edwards has a look at her first two balls then stands and delivers, cracking the third down the ground for four. Shot! And she suddenly looks confident, turning the next off her hips and finding the middle, but also finding the fielder - they run one. Solid start, this.
2nd over: England 12-0 (Edwards 1, Beaumont 7) Gosh, and there’s another wide to begin with, this time from Ellyse Perry. She responds with two dots, but then Beaumont canes a straight one for four over square-leg before missing out on a half-volley.
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1st over: England 7-0 (Edwards 1, Beaumont 3) England’s openers have done well in this competition and to combat that, Lanning selects the SLA of Jonassen to open.She begins with two wides, the Edwards nudges one to midwicket. There follow two vociferous appeals for lb, both times the ball pitching outside the line, and then Beaumont hoists over the top when Jonassen tosses one up - Villani chases well to claw back on the fence and they run two.
And here we go!
England need 132-6 to beat Australia
And will feel that could’ve been a lot worse. They’ll need to bat well to get it - if they make it, it’ll be the best chase of the competition. But England did really well to come back after Australia set off like a train, and provided they keep the scoreboard moving, have a great chance.
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WICKET! Jonassen c & b Gunn 3 (Australia 132-6)
Jonassen thrashes the final delivery high, high, high into the sky - and Gunn pouches it easily.
WICKET! Lanning run out 55 (Shrubsole) Australia 130-5)
Another direct hit in the deep! Lanning pushes for a second, the throw comes in from midwicket, and this time Jenny Gunn has the presence of mind to simply let it hit the stumps.
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19th over: Australia 127-4 (Lanning 54, Jonassen 2) Brunt returns to send down a succession of slower balls and that’s an excellent over - a wicket and just four runs from it. England will fancy themselves now ,especially with Lanning at the non-striker’s.
WICKET! Blackwell run out (Sciver) 11 (Australia 123-4)
Blackwell tries to steal an extra run to get Lanning on strike and Sciver’s throw is good. Brunt is canny enough to realise too, letting it hit the stumps instead of intervening.
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18th over: Australia 121-3 (Lanning 51, Blackwell 10) Lanning takes a pair of singles bookending one to Blackwell to bring up a superb 50. But in the wider context, this isn’t a bad over for England - they’ll feel anything up to 140 is chaseable - anything beyond, and they’ll need to bat superbly.
17th over: Australia 115-3 (Lanning 48, Blackwell 8) Shrubsole comes back for her final over, and England really need something from her. Her first ball is a slower one, and Lanning tries a cut, edges, and it’s past the gloves. Five singles follow - not terrible for England, but not terrible for Australia either, seeing away the best opposition bowler before the final thrash is underway.
16th over: Australia 110-3 (Lanning 45, Blackwell 6) After a single from Sciver’s first ball, her second is a full-bunger that’s well above waist height; no ball. Then a single and a wide, followed by two more to Lanning, again on the off-side - maybe they should change the angle and go around the wicket to her. But instead, she gets more width and tips away to leg in order to time a crash to the point fence. What a player she is; this is slipping away from England now.
15th over: Australia 98-3 (Lanning 37, Blackwell 4) As I was saying, there’s four off the first ball of Knight’s over, guided backwards of square yet again. It’s more or less tight thereafter - Marsh cedes a single with a misfield that has her chuntering and kicking in disgust - but eight off the over is good for Australia, especially with Lanning still at the crease.
14th over: Australia 90-3 (Lanning 31, Blackwell 2) Australia keep the scoreboard moving but the boundaries have more or less dried up and England will be more or less satisfied with where they’re at, if not the way that they’ve got there.
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WICKET! Perry c Knight b Sciver 10 (Australia 86-3)
Looking to up the ante, Perry tries a clip over midwicket, where Knight times her leap perfectly to take a sharp catch .
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13th over: Australia 86-2 (Lanning 29, Perry 10) On comes Knight, and she’s given no chance to find her line - they’re aggressive right away. Lanning cuts two to point - Wyatt saves the boundary with a smart dive - but the next ball goes for four, Lanning carving into her favourite area, behind square on the off-side.
12th over: Australia 78-2 (Lanning 21, Perry 9) Oh, that’s a big missed chance for England! Perry sneaks a single, and Wyatt’s throw isn’t great, but Taylor, finding herself caught behind the stumps, is yorked; Lanning makes it back despite having given up.
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11th over: Australia 73-2 (Lanning 20, Perry 7) Marsh stay on to bowl out, and the batters take her first three balls for singles - England won’t mind that too much, but will know that if these two build a partnership, they’re in a world of trouble. And when Marsh chucks down a wide full toss, Lanning doesn’t hang about, opening the face to find the fence at point. England’s fielders will be hearing this...
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10th over: Australia 66-2 (Lanning 15, Perry 5) Gunn into the attack as Lanning surveys the field with intensity. And when she spots a slower ball, it’s swept to the fence with ease, alacrity and more alacrity. And more ease.
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9th over: Australia 59-2 (Lanning 10, Perry 3) Marsh continues with a nice, tight over, giving the ball plenty of air to tempt the big shot. Then, when she drags one down, Lanning can’t help but try a pull - she misses and it’s only just past leg-stump.
8th over: Australia 58-2 (Lanning 10, Perry 2) Edwards brings Shrubsole back to exploit the situation, but she serves up a four-ball - admittedly one cut beautifully to the third man fence - and two more follow, though Perry isn’t alive to the second run and narrowly avoids being run out.
7th over: Australia 51-2 (Lanning 4, Perry 0) Well, the game done changed. Two new batters at the wicket, and England have a big opportunity in these next few overs.
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WICKET! Healy lbw b Marsh 25 (Australia 50-2)
Healy slinks down to reverse-sweep, misses, it goes straight on, and that’s the end of that.
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6th over: Australia 47-1 (Healy 25, Lanning 1) England needed that. But then Sciver hands Healy some width, and she duly opens the face and guides four down to third man.
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WICKET! Villani lbw b Sciver 19 (Australia 41-1)
All part of the plan! Villani plays across a straight one, misses, and that looks pretty plumb.
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6th over: Australia 41-0 (Healy 21, Villani 19) Sciver replaces Shrubsole and her first ball’s a dot, but she takes her eye off Brunt’s return on the way back to her mark and takes it in the face. There’s a short break, but she’s fine and they’re soon laughing about it.
5th over: Australia 41-0 (Healy 21, Villani 19) Marsh into the attack, and both batters have a look at her before Villani steps down to muscle her over the top. Gunn dives at mid-on but can’t quite make the catch or stop, and that’s four more.
4th over: Australia 35-0 (Healy 20, Villani 14) Lovely from Villani - she waits for one outside off-stump then times it away through point for four. Gosh, England are floundering here - Shrubsole over-pitches, and Villani flays her through cover - Shrubsole drops short and Villani slams her for a one-bounce four over mid-on.
3rd over: Australia 23-0 (Healy 20, Villani 2) Healy, who’s had a dodgy tournament, has decided to get stuck in and see what happens. She glides down the pitch to whack Brunt to long-on, then comes down again next ball, skying one over the infield for two more, and a further two arrive when Beaumont misfields. Oh, and that’s a lovely shot ti end of the over, picking up a cutter and crashing it away to midwicket. 12 off the over.
2nd over: Australia 11-0 (Healy 8, Villani 2) Shrubsole from the other end and she’s right there right away, pitching outside off, nipping in and crumping Villani’s pad. There follows a majestic appeal, rejected by the umpire - and Hawkeye later shoes the ball was doing plenty but still clipping leg. Villani then plays and misses twice before slicing over point for two - she’ll not mind getting down the other end.
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1st over: Australia 8-0 (Healy 8, Villani 0) Brunt is on the money immediately, full and straight, but so too is Healy, defending positively and finding the middle. Next ball, though, is on the pads, clipped summarily away to the midwicket fence. As the camera takes us down the strip, we see why this mightn’t be a bad toss to lose - there are a lot of cracks. And there’s another, in the England field - Brunt is short and wide, so Healy thrashes her through point for four more. Good start for Australia.
“Are you sure it was the Australian flag they were parading, and not the NZ one?” asks Alistair Connor. “Nobody could see the difference unless it’s really windy, but these things are IMPORTANT. I’m a proud New Zealander, but my patriotism is flagging.”
I really couldn’t say; I’m not sure we can go on.
Meanwhile, Katherine Brunt marks out her run. She bashed her thumb yesterday, but passed a late fitness test this morning.
Out come Healy and Villani, the latter swinging her bat round-arm, Botham-style.
I actually think England are going to win this. Their players huddle.
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Anthems.
And there sputter the firework things, especially effective in mid-afternoon, followed by the umpires and players.
The countries’ flags are being paraded around the boundary. This tells us that things are IMPORTANT.
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It is extremely hot out there, reveals Rob Key, who thinks the pitch will be very slow and dry - not exactly what we expected. He also reckons England might have been better batting first, given the propensity of the track to crumble.
England win the toss and will field
Australia would’ve done the same.
Preamble
So, here we go: welcome to the biggest day in English cricket history, certainly as far as the limited overs game goes.
Oddly, it’s the men’s side who are favoured to excel - the women, usually so reliable, have shown signs of fallibility in this competition. But the pitch at Delhi is greener and grassier than the deathly escalators they’ve played on until now, and with the players they have, they remain a difficult out for anyone. And, in the end, it is they who have found a way to win every game they’ve played in the competition, not Meg Lanning’s Australia.
Or, put another way, we’ve no idea what’s going to happen, other than that it’s going to be good.
