England's Maia Bouchier and Danni Wyatt-Hodge celebrated a dominant 10-wicket victory over Scotland in their Women's T20 World Cup 2024 match on October 13.
England thrash Scotland by 10 wickets to close in on semifinal spot
England's chances of reaching the semifinals in the Women's T20 World Cup 2024 received a boost with their emphatic win against Scotland at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. England's impressive net run rate of 1.716, coupled with one remaining group stage match against the West Indies, puts them in a strong position to qualify for the semifinals. The West Indies, on the other hand, must win their final match to secure their place in the next round. South Africa's fate now rests on the outcome of the England-West Indies match.
Maia Bouchier, Danni Wyatt-Hodge shine with brilliant fifties
Openers Maia Bouchier (62 off 34) and Danni Wyatt-Hodge (51 off 26) made light work of the 110-run target, securing victory for England in just 10 overs. The duo maintained a consistent run rate of 11 runs per over throughout the innings, having scored 66 runs without a loss at the end of the PowerPlay.
Scotland's captain Kathryn Bryce (33 off 28) won the toss and elected to bat first. The debutant made a promising start, maintaining a wicketless PowerPlay for the first time in the tournament. However, the Scottish batting lineup faltered soon after, with Sophie Ecclestone claiming two wickets.
The Bryce sisters played crucial roles in guiding Scotland to a total of 109 runs. Kathryn Bryce contributed 33 runs from 28 balls, while Sarah Bryce scored 27 runs from 31 balls.
Meanwhile, England skipper Heather Knight was pleased with her team's convincing win over Scotland:
"Very pleased, the pitch got better later. Actually, we allowed them to get a few more runs but happy with the result. [Bouchier] She hit the first three balls for fours and then she went on from there. Once we had a great powerplay it was about how quickly to finish it off and put pressure on the other teams. We talked about getting over South Africa. Credit to how both of them batted. Really pleased, we have got so many options. Linsey has done nothing wrong but we wanted to get Bell in the competition. (On Lauren Bell) She was outstanding, slightly different role for her bowling in the middle overs and Sophie was brilliant as well. (On their next match against WI) We will try and win just the way we approached the last two games. We want to go again and keep the momentum going," Knight said in post-match presentation.
Meanwhile, Scotland captain Kathryn Bryce rued the massive loss to England. In the post-match presentation she said:
"It's been a disappointing run for us but honoured to lead my side. It was challenging for us, for the first time we were playing against different sides in a new stadium. They (crowd) were brilliant, they were cheering for us no matter what happened. (On Lorna Jack Brown's retirement) She has been there in the side for 18 years. She has been a huge part of the Scotland journey, it has been a special career for her."
