Cape Town: Nat Sciver-Brunt’s 81 not out led England to a record score to defeat Pakistan by 114 runs and go unbeaten in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 group stages.
The England vice-captain shared a 100-run partnership with Amy Jones as England posted 213
for five, becoming the first team to pass 200 runs in Women’s T20 World Cups.
A late flurry from Tuba Hassan and Fatima Sana could not stop Pakistan from succumbing to the heaviest defeat in Women’s T20 World Cup history as their tournament ended with a loss.
Danni Wyatt had made just 27 runs in the tournament so far, but her drought came to an end in emphatic style as she led the bullish start to England’s innings.
The right-hander opened her account with a four and six off back-to-back balls in the first over and was unperturbed when Sophia Dunkley and Alice Capsey were dismissed for single figure scores.
Alongside Sciver-Brunt, Wyatt brought up England’s fifty with a four, and five overs later, she crashed another boundary to reach her half-century off just 29 balls.
The end to her innings came as she searched for her third six of the game as she marched down the track but did not connect cleanly and Sidra Ameen was able to pocket the catch on the boundary as Wyatt departed for 59 from 33.
Heather Knight lasted only six balls before she was dismissed by stand-in captain Nida Dar, who reached 126 T20 international wickets, the most by a woman, overtaking West Indies’s Anisa Mohammed.
Two quick wickets did not equal any let-up from England as Jones joined Sciver-Brunt in the middle, the latter bringing up her half-century off 29 balls for her second consecutive fifty in the tournament.
Jones enjoyed the history-making moment, her six over square leg bringing up England’s 200, with the pair’s one hundred partnership coming seven balls later off just 46 deliveries.
The wicket-keeper batter departed off the final ball of the innings for 47 from 31 balls and was straight back into the action as Pakistan began their chase of 214.
Jones took a catch behind the stumps as Katherine Sciver-Brunt dismissed Sadaf Sharmas for a two-ball duck.
An early introduction of spin brought wickets as Muneeba Ali could not back up her century against Ireland with a significant score, departing for three from 10 off the bowling of Charlie Dean.
Nat Sciver-Brunt had the same success with her bowling as she had done her batting, Omaima Sohail sending a catch to Freya Davies to leave Pakistan on 15 for three.
While England punished spin, Pakistan were punished by it, Sarah Glenn undoing Nida who departed for 11 before Dean dismissed Sidra an over later.
Katherine Sciver-Brunt bounced back from figures of zero for 39 against India to dismiss Aliya Riaz for five as she ended with two wickets for 14 runs from her four overs.
Having rebuilt from 54 for seven, Tuba took 11 runs off the penultimate over, before she was run out for 28 from 20 balls as she failed to track the ball.
Jones had the final say again as she stumped Nashra Sandhu off the final delivery to send England into Friday’s semi-final on a high.
Scores in brief:
England beat Pakistan at Newlands, Cape Town by 114 runs
England 213/5 in 20 overs (Nat Sciver-Brunt 81 not out; Danni Wyatt 59; Fatima Sana 2/44, Tuba Hassan 1/37)
Pakistan 99/9 in 20 overs (Tuba Hassan 28, Fatima Sana 16 not out; Katherine Sciver-Brunt 2/14, Charlie Dean 2/28)
Player of the Match: Nat Sciver-Brunt (England).
