ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024: Nat Sciver and Brunt stress the importance of fast running between wickets in England's victory

New Delhi: Nat Sciver-Brunt was full of praise for her teammates Danielle Wyatt-Hodge and the England spin bowlers, acknowledging their vital contributions in securing a hard-earned victory over South Africa in a thrilling Group B match of the 2024 T20 World Cup in Sharjah.

England’s chase of 125 got off to a rocky start as they lost Maia Bouchier in the fifth over, managing to score only 16 runs initially. Although Alice Capsey struck a few boundaries, England could only muster 28 runs for the loss of one wicket during the powerplay. By the halfway mark, they found themselves in a precarious position at 55 for 2, with Capsey also back in the pavilion.

However, England found their momentum through the impressive partnership of Nat Sciver-Brunt and Danielle Wyatt-Hodge. The duo excelled at rotating the strike and occasionally finding boundaries, bringing England back into contention for victory. While Wyatt-Hodge played a pragmatic and cautious role, Sciver-Brunt scored briskly, and together they amassed 64 runs off 55 balls. Ultimately, their efforts secured a crucial win for England, allowing them to maintain their prime position at the top of Group B with two victories under their belt.

Looking back on the partnership, Sciver-Brunt discussed running between the wickets as one of the biggest positives for them. “When I joined in, we were someway behind the rate, but I knew if Danni and I could build a partnership, it could swing around. We concentrated on getting quick singles and running twos mainly, as hitting boundaries was pretty challenging on that wicket,” she said.

It was Wyatt-Hodge’s overall contribution and yet another score above 40 that made the difference in this victory. As accommodating as ever to less-than-ideal conditions, Sciver-Brunt said Wyatt-Hodge had been “frustrated” to not play at her free pace. “She’s used to scoring quickly, but her innings are important for us, and she’s managing to hit in areas that make it tricky for bowlers,” Sciver-Brunt said.

Sophie Ecclestone, too, excelled with the ball, claiming 2 wickets for just 15 runs in four overs. Reflecting on her contribution, Sciver-Brunt noted, “Sophie is versatile and can bowl at any point in the innings, and she executed her plans well based on what we learned from the pitch.”

In South Africa, skipper Laura Wolvaardt remarked that they fell short by 10 to 20 runs. “We didn’t capitalize on our chances, such as dropped Wyatt-Hodge and Capsey catches, which might have altered the game’s outcome,” she added.

They did play well despite the pressure, Wolvaardt added when asked to comment on their spinners’ inability to handle the challenge posed by England. “The point is that our spinners seemed to have lost control, especially in the middle overs, and England’s batters went on scoring freely. It was a real challenge for us to set appropriate fields,” she stated.

South Africa is in for a tough ride after losing with one win and one loss. While expressing disappointment, Wolvaardt reflected on a much better future ahead: “We had some controllable moments, which didn’t come through. If we can reduce our running more significantly and make opportunities work for us, then we have a good chance in our next two games.”

Looking ahead, she said: “We can’t hold on to this defeat. Winning our next two matches will put us in a very good position as we head into the semis.”