The Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 saw England versus West Indies clash at the Boland Park in Paarl on Saturday, February 11.
West Indies won the toss and elected to bat first. The opening pair of Hayley Matthews and Stafanie Taylor provided a solid start to the Women in Maroon, with Matthews scoring 42 runs off 32 deliveries and Taylor scoring 34 off 37 deliveries. However, the rest of the batting line-up failed to capitalize on their good start, and West Indies could only post a total of 135 runs for seven wickets.
England’s bowling attack was led by young and talented Sophie Ecclestone, who took three wickets for just 23 runs. Sarah Glenn and Katherine Brunt also contributed with a wicket each, putting pressure on the West Indies batters.
Chasing a total of 136 runs, England got off to a flying start, with Sophia Dunkley scoring a brisk 34 runs off just 18 deliveries. Natalie Sciver then took over, playing a key role in guiding England to victory with her knock of 40 runs off 30 deliveries. The English middle-order held their nerve and ensured that they crossed the finish line with seven wickets in hand and 14.3 overs to spare.
Sciver was awarded the “Player of the Match” for her outstanding performance with the bat. Her knock helped England chase down the target easily, and her contribution was crucial to the team’s success. This win will give England a huge boost ahead of their next match in the tournament.
In the post-match presentation, Sciver talked about the win and said: “It was a bit tricky on this two paced pitch. Had to see the team home. We want to keep walking towards danger, want to be aggressive, got to take the team over the line. Need to keep the team going and keep going.”
