Women’s T20 World Cup: England go top of table with 7-wicket win vs South Africa

England won their second match on the trot and stormed to the top of the table in Group B in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. On Monday, October 7, Heather Knight and Co. took down.

South Africa, beating the 2023 runners-up by seven wickets at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. After edging past a resilient Bangladesh team, England stayed unbeaten with another strong showing.

Laura Wolvaardt’s South Africa started with a 10-wicket win over Hayley Matthews’ West Indies, but they find themselves in a tricky position. Placed third in the table, the Proteas will be looking to return to winning ways when they face a vibrant Scotland team, led by Kathryn Bryce, on Wednesday at the Dubai International Stadium.

Ecclestone keeps South Africa in check

After South Africa opted to bat first, Tazmin Brits and skipper Wolvaardt took them off to a steady start with a 31-run partnership off 5.1 overs. Linsey Smith gave England the breakthrough by dismissing Brits, who made 13 off 19. Anneke Bosch found the going tough as she made only 18 runs off 26 balls before Sarah Glenn castled her to end her miserable stay.

Coming off a well-made 59 against West Indies Wolvaardt kept the scoreboard moving with a 42-run knock. Sophie Ecclestone got rid of the big fish as England threatened to restrict their opponents to a below par score. But Marizanne Kapp and Annerie Dercksen played handy cameos, helping the Proteas post a respectable score of 124 for six on the board.

Kapp made 26 while Dercksen chipped in with an unbeaten 20-run knock. Ecclestone was the pick of the English bowlers with figures of 4-0-15-2. Linsey Smith, Charlie Dean and Sarah Glenn accounted for a scalp apiece. Nat Sciver-Brunt could not take a wicket, but affected the run out of Sune Luus when the ball deflected off her right leg on to the stumps.

Wyatt-Hodge, Sciver-Brunt guide England home
England looked tad nervous early in their run-chase as Maia Bouchier took 20 balls to score eight runs before Marizanne Kapp dismissed her LBW. With England at 28 for one in the powerplay, South Africa would have sensed a chance to stage a comeback. But Alice Capsey and Danni Wyatt-Hodge injected momentum into the innings with a handy 34-run partnership.

Wyatt-Hodge won the Player of the Match award against Bangladesh with a 41-run knock. Against the Proteas, she put her head down in tough conditions to stay not out on 43 at a run-a-ball. It was Ecclestone, who was adjudged the POTM. With England needing 11 runs off their last 13 balls, Wyatt-Hodge got out to left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba.

Sciver-Brunt did not have the best of outings with the ball. But she made amends with a match-winning knock of 48 off 36, laced with six fours. With four needed off five, she smacked Ayobonga Khaka for a four through the off-side as England romped home with four balls to spare. England also avenged their defeat to South Africa in the semi-finals of the 2023 edition.