Which means we’re just about done – thanks for your company, and enjoy the rest of your weekend. Ta-ra.
Here’s Raf Nicholson’s match report.
Twenty-one, world cup dayboo, wicket in your first over. Not bad.
This, I’m afraid, was the point at which this match was decided.
On the other hand, in Knight and Sciver they’ve got two batters in form with the temperament to deliver, and I’d expect Anya Shrubsole to grow into things from here.
I wonder what the pitch will be like at the G, where the final will be played. I’d expect something a bit less sticky than we saw today, which is another reason I find it hard to see England winning the thing.
I’ll tell you something about this world cup: I’ve not a clue who’s going to win it. I imagine that we’d all be fairly surprised if it weren’t Australia-India in the final, but I’d disbelieve anyone who felt certain about how that might turn out.
England’s big advantage is the variety in their bowling and, on slower tracks, the number of bowlers they have who can make things even slower. I’d worry about them on a flat deck and they’re far from favourites, but on a good day they’re a hard night for anyone.
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That Australia-New Zealand match is tomorrow. It would be a gigantic shock if the hosts went out, but it’s absolutely possible. The winners will meet South Africa in the semi on Thursday night, while England will face India on Thursday afternoon. Both matches should be brilliant.
Heather Knight says she’s really happy with how clever her team were in keeping it simple and keeping the score ticking. She goes on to say that in tournament cricket you need to change things quickly so they moved Amy Jones down because she wasn’t scoring and is pleased it came off, though Tammy Beaumont did not. She also praises Mady Villiers, her team who’ve been “playing knockout cricket since the second game” and won’t say who she wants to win of Australia or New Zealand. I think we can guess, but.
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No Stafanie Taylor, so Anisa Mohammed steps in. She says Taylor is in a lot of pain, and losing her was huge in the game. She’s happy with the energy her team showed in the field, but they needed to bowl a little straighter in the last five overs, when England got away. She accepts that her team allowed too many dots, and keeping the score ticking is something at which they need to work.
Nasser Hussain – least said about his beige trainers the better - is with Nat Sciver, the player of the match. She says she’s in nick and is enjoying her time in the middle, also noting the wicket was slow, so England reckoned that if they ran well and had a batter in the middle at the end, they’d be set. She praises Wyatt’s running, and tells us watching the previous game showed her how to bat and what sort of score was decent. She is very, very good.
That’s a very good evening’s work from England, who won the toss, got their team right, their order right, and found something every time they needed something. They’ll need to play better to beat whoever comes next, but the batting was good enough and the bowling was strong.
ENGLAND BEAT WEST INDIES BY 47 RUNS, AND QUALIFY FOR THE SEMI-FINALS!
WICKET! Mohammed b Ecclestone 5 (West Indies 97 all out)
Ecclestone befuddled Mohammed in the flight; the batsmen is lost in supermarket, unable to settle upon a course of action, and a belated sweep isn’t where it’s at, the ball clipping off stump.
17th over: West Indies 97-8 (Mohammed 5, Selman 0) Target 144 Mohammed nails four through cover; this will be so frustrating for the West Indians, because their boundary-hitting has been good enough to compete. A single follows.
WICKET! Alleyne run out (Glenn/Villiers) 10 (West Indies 92-8)
Mohammad sweeps to fine leg and sets off bu the call is nice and early, Glenn hurling past the strikers’ to the bowlers’ where Villiers again does the rest. Taylor won’t be returning, so England are a wicket away.
WICKET! Fletcher run out (Knight/Villiers) 0 West Indies 92-7)
Fletcher bunts to cover and sets off, but she’s never making it and a throw to the bowlers’ is enough to see her away.
17th over: West Indies 92-6 (Alleyne 10, Fletcher 0) Target 144 Villers opens her final over with three wides as Jones misses down the leg side, then Alleyne stretches down on one knee to bang another one-bounce four down the sides. West Indies now have nine fours and two sixes; the problem is that they’ve also faced 92 dots, and 59 of the first hundred balls were dots. That’s the difference here.
16th over: West Indies 84-6 (Alleyne 5, Fletcher 0) Target 144 This has been excellent from England, but that injury to Stafanie Taylor killed this game just as it was getting going.
WICKET! Cooper st Jones b Ecclestone 15 (West Indies 84-6)
Cooper has a humungous hoik, misses, andJones has the bails off in a trice. But Cooper was so far down she could’ve done all sorts in between.
16th over: West Indies 84-5 (Cooper 15, Alleyne 5) Target 144 Ecclestone returns and her first ball is on the pads, easily turned behind for four by Alleyene.
15th over: West Indies 79-5 (Cooper 15, Alleyne 1) Target 144 Lovely from Cooper, waiting for Shrubsole and using her pace, opening the face to glide four through third man. A wide and a dot follow, then Cooper picks one up and then some, down on one knee to turn length ball into a half-volley, carting a one-bounce four over deep backward square. A single comes next, then another, and West Indies are coming back well here, problem being they need 65 from 30 to win.
WICKET! Kirby c Sciver b Shrubsole 20 (West Indies 68-5)
The return of the gun does the trick for England, Kirby stretching down the track to kitchen-sink a pull, but a top edge picks out Sciver at mid on and this time she hangs on.
14th over: West Indies 68-4 (Cooper 6, Kirby 20) Target 144 Three singles off Villiers - Cooper won’t have enjoyed them - so Kirby goes big and here’s Brunt running along the fence. She looks to claim nonchalantly, oh so nonchalantly, to be left inspecing her hands for holes, and the ball goes through them and over the fence for another six, then backed up by a single. Ten from the over.
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13th over: West Indies 58-4 (Cooper 4, Kirby 12) Target 144 England will be really happy with how they’ve played today, and what’s this? Cooper looks to go over on an ankle running a single; it never rains, but sometimes it pours so hard it makes your head bleed. In the meantime, Kirby comes down the track to absolutely mass-murder Glenn over long on for six! Then she goes again, a leading edge sending one into orbit ... and the infallible Sciver scells it! A single follows and that’s the end of Glenn, who returns figures of 2-16 off her four overs.
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12th over: West Indies 42-4 (Cooper 2, Kirby 5) Target 144 Villiers continues, and the batsmen need to make a decision: do they try and avoid embarrassment, just batting to lose anyway, or do they try and win because you never know? After a single to Cooper, Kirby lashes a wide one for four through cover, and two further singles follow. hat’s West Indies’ best over in quite some time, but they need 95 from 48 balls. Good luck with that one.
11th over: West Indies 42-4 (Cooper 0, Kirby 0) Target 144 Kirby tries a mow and the ball loops up, away from Jones, luckily for her, and that’s another wicket maiden. There’ve been so many dots in this innings.
WICKET! Nation c Jones b Glenn 0 (West Indies 42-4)
Yup, that brushed the gloves, and that’s three wickets plus a retired hurt in 14 balls. West Indies are, in the parlance of our times, done.
REVIEW!
11th over: West Indies 42-3 (Nation 0, Cooper 0) Target 144 Glenn comes in again and Nation makes room to cut one that goes straight on, missing ... there’s appeal for caught behind, nothing doing, and England review!
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10th over: West Indies 42-3 (Nation 0, Cooper 0) Target 144 Easy, this world cup jazz. Villiers, 21 years old, starts with a wicket made. As Ryan Giggs would say, she’d’ve took it. I probably would’ve done too.
WICKET! Campbelle c & b Villiers 1 (West Indies 42-3)
Campbelle comes down the pitch seeking to force the issue but can only punch into the air, and Villiers takes a smart return catch, leaning over a ducking Nation. When it goes it goes quick!
10th over: West Indies 42-2 (Campbelle 1, Nation 0) Target 144 England use their sixth bowler, Knight chucking Mady Villiers the ball for her dayboo World Cup over. She opens with three dots...
9th over: West Indies 42-2 (Campbelle 1, Nation 0) Target 144 That’s a huge over for England, and huge little passage. One run from it, one wicket, and I can’t see a way for West Indies from here.
NOT OUT!
The ball didn’t straighten enough, and West Indies are still in this ... just.
REVIEW!
I’m not sure that was hitting and nor are the batsmen!
WICKET! Nation lbw b Glenn 0 (West Indies 42-3)
When it does it goes quick! Glenn sends down a straight one that deviates off the pitch and into the pad! The bat is nowhere near it, but it is hitting?
WICKET! Matthews b Glenn 1 (West Indies 42-2)
It’s all falling apart now. Glenn tosses one up and Matthews plays an airy swipe. She misses, and there’s the death rattle.
9th over: West Indies 42-1 (Matthews 10, Campbelle 1) Target 144 Pressure. West Indies need to get going again quicksmart, and Campbelle takes a single from her first ball.
Taylor retired hurt 15 (West Indies 41-1)
I hate to say it, but that might just be the match. West Indies were going nicely, and losing their captain at this point will be very hard to take. Who else will stand up?
8th over: West Indies 41-1 (Matthews 10, Taylor 15) Target 144 Both teams will know that this is the partnership, and Sciver looks to break it but will take another cheap over. West Indies really need to get the soft hands going for when they can’t force a boundary and this is a decent enough over for them, a single to Matthews, two leg byes, and then Taylor absolutely zetzing to midwicket ... where she’s dropped! That would’ve been a monumental take, given how hard it was hit, but what’s this? Oh no! Taylor takes a single but can barely complete the run! She looks to have torn her groin playing the previous mow, and the stretcher is on! That is such a shame, and they can barely get her onto it. i can’t see her playing again this competition.
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7th over: West Indies 35-1 (Matthews 9, Taylor 12) Target 144 Glenn comes on to skip through some off-breaks and Matthews has a look, taking a single from the second one, then a leg bye follows and, under pressure to score, Matthews finds her release, stepping right back in the crease to drive hard to the cover fence! She celebrates in her follow-through; she needed that, and the chase is oan.
6th over: West Indies 28-1 (Matthews 3, Taylor 12) Target 144 Taylor will need to do something serious here, and she forces Brunt from under the tootsies to backward square; they run two. Two more follow when the bowler strays straight, turned behind square on the leg side, and a wide then yields a stumping review! But Taylor, though she was on the ball and wavering, is fine, and doesn’t she make the most of it, absolutely shmicing a one-bounce four over long on ... and creaming a square drive through cover! What an end to the powerplay!
5th over: West Indies 15-1 (Matthews 3, Taylor 0) Target 144 Eeeesh! Matthews comes down to Ecclestone and tries to hit her into the future but misses by plenty and they run a bye. Already, this is a troubling situation for West Indies; 21 of their first 29 balls have been dots, and a leg bye is all they can add, Taylor just grounding her bat in time, but should take the ensuing review as a warning.
4th over: West Indies 13-1 (Matthews 3, Taylor 0) Target 144 When England weren’t hitting boundaries they did a really good job of keeping the scoreboard ticking while RO-tating strike. West Indies need to do that, because the bad balls will come; the question is whether West Indies are in position to take advantage. Well, many more overs like this and they won’t be, Sciver coming on and ceding just a single, pulled by Matthews to the leg-side sweeper.
WICKET! Dottin c Sciver b Ecclestone 9 (West Indies 12-1)
NO SHE CANNOT STAY PATIENT! NO SHE CANNOT! Dottin tries to lug from outside off to leg, falling away in the process, and picks out the fielder!
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3rd over: West Indies 12-0 (Matthews 2, Dottin 9) Target 144 Ecclestone has the ball and will look to bowl her left-armers wicket to wicket, restricting pace and width; can Dottin stay patient, while keeping the score ticking? This is a good over for England, three singles and a wide from it and Wyatt saving four with a great diving stop.
2nd over: West Indies 9-0 (Matthews 1, Dottin 8) Target 144 Brunt has the ball from the other end and Jones opts to stand back to begin with. Her first three ball are dots, but then Dottin imposes her capital letter, cracking a short, wide one for four through the covers. She picked the length of that so quickly, and chucked her hands right through it, then followed it up with two and one into the leg side; that’s an excellent over for West Indies, who will feel like the chase is now on.
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1st over: West Indies 2-0 (Matthews 1, Dottin 1) Target 144 The more I think about Shrubsole and Brunt, the more I fancy England; what an absolute pair they are. After three dots, Matthews panics and sets off on a Red Bull single; a direct hit, or even a throw into the gloves, the keeper, and that is the height of gawn, but Beaumont is wild. Dottin, opening to give some early gas, then gets off the mark with an inside edge; they run one more.
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Shrubsole has the ball and here we go!
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England will be happy they picked the extra spinner; forcing boundaries on this track is difficult. West Indies need to decide whether to hang in there early and go large at the end or look to get ahead of the game from the start. My guess is they’ll pursue the latter.
So England need to win to reach the semis; West Indies need to win, then either beat South Africa or lose while sorting a net run-rate that’s better than England’s. It’s a lot to ask.
Though England moving Beaumont up didn’t work, moving Amy Jones down absolutely did; her 23 off 13 and Brunt’s 10 off four lifted England from an acceptable total towards a commanding one. A decent performance from West Indies won’t be enough here, but as we said up front, one knock from one player can be enough.
England will be very happy with that. They set it up well, Sciver and Knight working the ball around, then forced the issue at the end and will back their attack to do the necessary. West Indies, though, absolutely have the firepower to win here; what I’m saying is, we’ve got a potential classic on our hands.
England set West Indies 144 to win!
20th over: England 143-5 (Jones 23, Brunt 10) Jones forces to midwicket and they look for two, but Cooper wings in a screaming throw ... and off come the bails! But what’s this? A dive! Jones is safe, and teaches her captain a lesson in the process. A single follows, then Brunt takes two to long on before skipping down and personalitying four under deep midwicket’s drive! And have a look! Brunt stretches down the pitch and turns Selman’s final ball into a full toss, hammering four through cover! That’s brilliant last over for England, 13 from it, and it’ll take a monumental effort from West Indies to chase that on this pitch.
19th over: England 130-5 (Jones 20, Brunt 0) Here we go with the final over...
WICKET! Sciver c Matthew b Taylor 57 (England 130-5)
Sciver looks to hit over midwicket but picks it out instead! Still, she’s constructed another beautiful innings in difficult circumstances.
19th over: England 130-4 (Sciver 57, Jones 20) Here we go, a dot from Taylor then two to Jones and here we go! First, she eases four through backward point, then she chases a wide one to crack a filthy delivery through point and to the fence! The switch in the order wasn’t just to get Beaumont to the top of the order, it was to get her to the middle.
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18th over: England 119-4 (Sciver 57, Jones 9) Fletcher continues and Sciver takes a big step down the ground to cart her first ball over the top for four down to long off. here she goes! A single to cover follows, then Jones does brilliantly to force one from outside off which bisects long on and midwicket ad rushes through for four more. Fletcher comes back really well, her final three deliveries yielding just three singles, but England will be happy enough with this; they’ll want another 20 from the remaining two overs, but what they already have is defendable.
17th over: England 107-4 (Sciver 51, Jones 3) Sciver eases two to third man – she’s in such command of her game – and after as dot, cracks towards mid on – Matthews dives, Ramprakash-style, but can’t quite complete a brilliant effort so that’s Sciver’s fourth 50 in six innings. What a player!
16th over: England 102-4 (Sciver 47, Jones 2) So here comes the other half of England’s gamble, Amy Jones looking for death runs. After Sciver takes a two and a one, she adds two of her own through midwicket.
“Off-red? Is this a Handmaid’s Tale reference?” yuks Ravi Nair. “My usual colour is sallow, with purple panting highlights. Goes just as well, or badly, with anything.”
The OBO expects nothing less nor nothing more.
WICKET! Wilson c Cooper b Fletcher 3 (England 97-4)
England look to move it on, and fail! Wilson gets reasonable hold of a straight one – either side of Cooper and it’s four – but it’s down her throat at midwicket, and she holds on! That’s really good bowling too, straight enough to force the batsmen to force the issue. We’re going to have an arse-nipper, but the looks of things.
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16th over: England 97-3 (Sciver 44, Wilson 3) Fletcher returns to the attack and goes for two singles from her first two balls.
15th over: England 95-3 (Sciver 43, Wilson 2) Selman returns and Sciver forces one down the ground; three more follow. The question now is whether England accept a score of 120-130, or look to push towards 140-150, which would put them in a great position.
“Won’t be the first or last person to say this,” emails Abhijato Sensarma,” but just wanted it to be out there - Nat Sciver is a gem”.
I couldn’t agree more. There’s so much to like about this England team – the way they play and the way they compete – and she’s a huge part of that. And this is a proper expert’s knock.
14th over: England 91-3 (Sciver 41, Wilson 0) West Indies needed that; a couple of tight overs now and suddenly they’re favourites.
WICKET! Knight run out (Selman) 17 (England 90-3)
Oh dear oh dear! Knight miscues to midwicket and as they steal a single she doesn’t sprint or dive! Selman shies, hits, and that is so, so lax! What a giveaway! But West Indies have fielded really well and it’s earned them a colossal wicket.
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14th over: England 90-2 (Sciver 40, Knight 17) West Indies bring midwicket into a catching position, so Sciver simply chips over her head for four; that’s beautifully done! A slog-sweep then adds two more, and this is exhibition stuff at the moment, calm accumulation from both batsmen, complete in control of the situation. But have a look!
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13th over: England 83-2 (Sciver 33, Knight 17) Sciver takes a single then Knight cracks to to midwicket and two more to square leg; she looks so controlled out there, all her moving parts working cohesively. The batsmen swap singles and then Knight sees Mohammed coming, coming down the track so quickly to set and drive through cover. England are ticking, 11 from the over.
12th over: England 72-2 (Sciver 31, Knight 8) Matthews returns to the attack as England continue setting it up and setting up like a jungle tune; when are we getting the drop? Five singles from the over, after which the bowler gets treatment; I think she, er, dove, onto Sciver’s bat trying to save a single.
Ravi Nair would like to play for the England women’s team, saying that “at least some of them aren’t twice my height”. I hope off-red is your colour.
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11th over: England 67-2 (Sciver 28, Knight 6) At what point do England seek to put the stamp down? On the one hand, these are their form players, the ones they’ll want to get most of the runs, but on the other, they need to get moving. Some batsmen prefer to just play every ball on its merits and get whatever score they get; others will clue up what a good score is and try for that. On a track like this, I’d suggest that the latter is important, and this over yields just two singles and a two, very bowled by Mohammed.
10th over: England 63-2 (Sciver 27, Knight 3) Stafanie Taylor brings herself on, looking to tempt the batsmen with some loopers. Her first four balls go for singles and a wide follows, before a full toss – they’ve been pretty nifty so far – draws Sciver out of her crease, on the stretch, to clout four through square lef.
9th over: England 54-2 (Sciver 21, Knight 1) Sciver takes one to long on, bringing Knight onto strike; she takes a single from her second ball, Sciver then adds one more, and this is extremely well poised.
WICKET! Wyatt c Selman b Mohammed 29 (England 51-2)
Have a look! Wyatt slaps over the off side towards long on but the contact is far too high on the bat and Selman holds a belter of a catch, sliding in, hands awkwardly positioned. That’s what happens when you’ve got to force the issue!
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9th over: England 51-1 (Wyatt 29, Sciver 19) Anya Shrubsole says she’s happy with how England are doing, as Wyatt twists two through midwicket.
8th over: England 49-1 (Wyatt 27, Sciver 19) Wyatt carves Fletcher over cover and they run two; she does likewise next ball but this time hits it towards the fielder, the ball dropping just short as they run one. Sciver adds a single of her own and then Campbelle misses one after Wyatt steps across her stumps, leaving but in the process obscuring what’s going on; they run through for two byes and Wyatt then takes one more. West Indies could use a wicket, but England will want to get a wriggle on now.
7th over: England 42-1 (Wyatt 23, Sciver 18) Anisa Mohammad comes on to loop down some off-spinners and this has been a good little period for West Indies, slowing England down just as they looked to be easing away. This over yields three runs, and a fine stop from Hayley Matthews is the highlight; that’s how West Indies need to field, and Stafanie Taylor does similarly two balls later.
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6th over: England 39-1 (Wyatt 21, Sciver 17) Fletcher replaces Selman and Wyatt greets her in the proper manner, cutting her first ball through backward point for four; she’s played herself in here. And just as nauseating for West Indies should be the ease with which England are taking singles, another coming immediately thereafter. But Fletcher responds well, her leg spin gripping a little but also doing little enough to give nothing to play with.
5th over: England 34-1 (Wyatt 16, Sciver 17) Matthews into the attack, going around the wicket, and Wyatt takes two to fine leg then absolutely knucks her over square leg for four; what a sound that is! A wide and three ones follow; West Indies need a wicket. And a question from me: you can play for any international team, who are you picking? I’m going Pakistan.
4th over: England 24-1 (Wyatt 8, Sciver 16) Oh that’s nice from Sciver, standing to clout Alleyne down the ground for four, after Wyatt hands her strike with a further single. Two singles, a two and a scoop for four – Sciver is absolutely having this – then make it 13 from the over, England’s best so far, and they’re settled out there.
“Power’s off here in Bombay,” tweets Ravi Nair. “No wifi, no TV, 42% battery on my phone. You’re my lifeline on England v West Indies. Please see England through for me?”
I would absolutely take no power to be away from the north London wind. I might turn mine off to pretend.
3rd over: England 11-1 (Wyatt 5, Sciver 5) Wyatt is looking sharp, both at finding singles and running between the wickets, nudging another one into the off side; Beaumont does likewise into the leg side. Perhaps the fielders need to come in a coupe of yards, or smarten up. Wyatt then carves two more to deep backward point, one to mid on, and this is already looking like a crucial partnership.
2nd over: England 6-1 (Wyatt 2, Sciver 4) Alleyne comes in from the other end and Wyatt moves over to cut a wide one to backward point; they run one. Two dots follow, and then Sciver comes out of he crease, presumably to find some pace on the ball, and chases a wide one – she only just gets bat on it – but does enough to carve four in front of point. Campbelle calls for the helmet, which seems sensible, and this is hotting up.
1st over: England 1-1 (Wyatt 1, Sciver 0) Brilliant start for West Indies, but Sciver is in form and will fancy a nice long go-around.
WICKET! Beaumont lbw b Selman 0 (England 1-1)
Eeesh! Well that worked then! Selman sends down a slower ball that nips in off the pitch and beats the bat as Beaumont comes forward and misses ... and that is absolutely DEAD! It’s an absolute jaffa is that, that is, and the reality is that England’s approach won’t be shown as right or wrong at least until Jones has batted, though really you can’t judge much on one match. England sensibly decide not to review.
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1st over: England 1-0 (Wyatt 0, Beaumont 1) Wyatt leaves the opening delivery and we can see how the slow the ball is off the pitch, going through one bounce; I wonder if Campbelle should be standing up. Wyatt knocks the next ball to cover and nicks a single, bringing Beuamont onto strike...
Selman to Wyatt, and off we go!
Yup, it’s Wyatt and Beaumont opening.
Kate Cross seems to have knacked an ankle – the footage we see, or her sock being cut off and her being stretchered off, doesn’t look good at all.
In short, I would very much like to rally round the West Indies.
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Anthem time.
Beaumont does indeed have the pads on.
Here come the teams!
Nasser also thinks Beaumont will be coming up the order, while Cricinfo report that Kate Cross, who wasn’t playing, has hurt herself warming up and been driven off the ground.
Our teams!
England: Wyatt, Jones, Sciver, Knight, Wilson, Beaumont, Brunt, Shrubsole, Villiers, Ecclestone, Glenn.
West Indies: Matthews, Kirby, Taylor, Dottin, Cooper, Campbelle, Alleyne, Nation, Fletcher, Mohammed, Selman.
Deandra Dottin is talking about her way back from injury; apparently she practises in her sleep!
In commentary, they recon Tammy Beaumont will open tonight. That makes sense to me; the Jones-Wyatt experiment hasn’t worked, and leaving it longer is leaving it too long.
We’re watching some VT on Knight, who says she’s not really into Churchillian speeches, but likes to lead by example. Others say she works hard, and runs a happy team; she’s also in serious nick.
He’s expecting the ball to die on batsmen, and reckons bowlers should bowl into the pitch, especially spinners. If they bowl full, they’re taking the pitch out of the equation; back of a length, and the batsmen have a problem.
It’s pretty windy out in the middle, and with the boundaries largely equidistant, hitting well with the breeze will be key. Nasser Hussain reckons it’s a pitch for cutters, and that 130 might be a decent score.
For West Indies, Britney Cooper comes in.
England win the toss and "We'll have a bat, obviously".
Heather Knight says the wicket looks like the ones they played on in Malaysia, but refuses to say whether England will adjust their batting order. I’m guessing they will. Mady Villiers comes in because she wants another spin option on what looks a dryish track.
Breaking news: it looks nice in Sydney.
This has been a great tournament so far: close games, favourites getting a doing, continuing jeopardy. But, in the end, the whole is judged on classic knockout matches, and more or less, this is the first of those. Then we’ll have Australia v New Zealand, and the last four, which is where things will need to really excel.
Earlier today: South Africa secured their spot in the last four, beating Pakistan by 17 runs. They’ve been excellent so far, and a likely semi against Australia will be a nice little tester for them.
Elsewhere: in the world Test championship, New Zealand are well set against India, trailing by 96 runs; India have four second-innings wickets left intact.
Preamble
All the talk, all the practise, all the preparation – and for England, it comes down to this: win and they’re in the last four, lose and they’re relying on South Africa or net run rate Such are tournaments, and such is T20.
More than any other version of anything else, T20 can be decided by margins – most particularly whether one player has a day out. Cricket is already an individual sport masquerading as a team game, but T20 amps that up beyond the norm. If your one to 11 “execute” then you should win ... but if one of the opposing 11 is a “gun” then you’ve got a problem.
On the face of things, England should win here: ultimately, they’re the better team, in better form. But there’s a sense that they’re not quite right, their experimental batting order seeking the best of all worlds, and overcomplicating in the process. West Indies, meanwhile, still boast eight of the team who won this pot in 2016, the problem being that they’re not in anything approaching that kind of form ... except they, or someone, could be.
Play: 7pm local, 8am GMT
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