Right, that’s it from us with England smoothly through to the semi-finals with a game to spare. West Indies are still second. still most likely to qualify alongside them, though they didn’t quite find their mojo with the bat today. Thanks for your messages and have a lovely evening.
Hayley Matthews: “Was hot all day. We probably missed our lines but we probably let ourselves down a little bit in the field. We were all pretty happy to play at Lord’s. we’ll have to get a win against Ireland in the next match. I felt like I did not hit it, but at the end the umpire’s decision is final, there was a gap between bat. ball, but in the end have to respect the decision. Staphanie Taylor wasn’t feeling too good, difficulty in breathing.”
Charlie Dean, “It is brilliant to qualify with a game to spare. To get up to that score was good. A few catches went down, they all looked hard, we got to those balls which previously we wouldn’t have,. I don’t think the fielding is really a problem. But the girls put in a good performance in really hot weather. NSB is in the nets and looking forward to her coming back.”
“ I tried to watch the ball, have good energy, show intent. That was the hottest I’ve ever batted her in England. very close to being in Dubai a couple of years ago, a really dry heat. Need to improve on our running for the next game”
England gave West Indies a pasting there, despite a slightly scruffy fielding display – ah we’re already onto the awards.
20th over: West Indies 148-5 (Henry 51, Alleyne 2) Smith with the final over of this contest. A drop by Linsey Smith is surrounded on either side by two huge sixes from Henry. which bring up a 29 ball century. Small consolation for a thumping England win.
19th over: West Indies 133-5 (Henry 37, Alleyne 1)
Claxton has a tame end, caught at point of a Bell slower ball.
18th over: West Indies 126-4 (Claxton 20, Henry 33) Ten from Dean’s over, including a couple of fours from Clxton,. it’s all too little too late. Shame they haven’t given it more of a go as England have shelled plenty of catches. it could have been close. But England have bowled well. West Indies need 61 from 12 balls
17th over: West Indies 116-4 (Claxton 11, Henry 32) Ecclestone wheels in,. from the penultimate ball, Henry finally finds the gap through cover and picks up four – and then a fifth catch goes down! Danni Gibson diving at deep mid wicket, not easy, but down she blows.
West Indies need 84 from 18 balls
16th over: West Indies 103-4 (Claxton 10, Henry 21) Henry pings Kemp down the ground for four. Next ball Jones whips off the bails. the crowd – of 14,279 crowd – cheer loudly even as this game dribbles to a close. The skies are darkening at last. West Indies need 84 from 24 balls
15th over: West Indies 96-4 (Claxton 10, Henry 14) The floodlights are now turning the grass florescent. Henry drives back at bowler Ecclestone but a leaping Ecclestone can’t quite hold on. Just four singles from the over. we get a close up of a waxing gibbous moon in the June sky. 91 needed from 29 balls.
14th over: West Indies 90-4 (Claxton 8, Henry 10) From the nursery end Dani Gibson. On the radio they think West Indies have given up – certainly some of the tension has slipped away. Claxton has a couple of dirty hoikes and misses, then tries to ramp but only meets Amy Jones. Finally bat meets ball and but Linsey Smith running from deep midwicket over dives the ball. Claxton survives another chance as Jones. Gibson converge on a ball skied into the cloudless sky – and Jones can’t hold on as it drops.
13th over: West Indies 86-4 (Claxton 5, Henry 9) Charlie Dean thinks she’s got an lbw against Caxton – goes upstairs. the ball has pitched outside leg. Dean, probably with sweaty hands, bowls a high full toss that misses everyone and trundles down to the rope. The batter appeals and the third ump gives it a a no ball on height. But nothing much comes from the free hit.
12th over: West Indies 79-4 (Claxton 4, Henry 8) Kemp starts with a dot but then serves up a legside gateau. Henry fans it away to the rope. Some excellent running brings a couple – the umpires check the run out but Claxton is just home.
11th over: West Indies 71-4 (Claxton 3, Henry 1) The crowd are fully enthralled by this now – roar on the possible hattrick, then every time Jones knocks off the bails. the stumps light up. In the dug out, West Indies shoulders are stumped.
Glasgow plumps for a cut. it’s the wrong choice as with wide apart boots she nudges the ball onto her own stumps and Dean is on a hat-trick!
10th over: West Indies 69-3 ( Glasgow 6, Claxton 3) Smith, with suncream across her nose. cheeks, can’t quite reach a chance from Glasgow as Claxton dodges to try and get out of the way. Just four singles from the over.
9th over: West Indies 65-3 ( Glasgow 4, Claxton 1) Big dog gets big dog.
A quicker ball does the job! Campbelle on one maroon sweeps and misses. “C’mon!” says Ecclestone.
8th over: West Indies 62-2 ( Campbelle 19. Glasgow 3) There are definitely more people in the Lord’s stands now that the sun’s rays are less fierce. A bowling change – Gibson. Three singes. then Campbelle finds her mojo – four from a late cut with a flourish, then a swivel-pull that just evades a diving Knight.
7th over: West Indies 50-2 ( Campbelle 9, Glasgow 1) Ecclestone time, her hair in a long fishtail braid. West Indies cannot get her away,. there’s a snazzy bit of fielding by Ecclestone off her own bowling to save a single.
“This has been an excellent batting innings by England, Tanya,” writes Guy Hornsby. Especially the use of the reverse sweep, which has been a real weapon against spin. On a relatively slow pitch, you’d think they’d be happy with over 180. But if any team can do shock factor hitting in a game like this, it’s this West Indies team. The Powerplay will be crucial, as will England’s spinners. Come on!”
Sorry Guy, you sent that a while ago –. that powerplay could well be crucial with West Indies already well behind the run rate.
The last ball of the power play – Dottin plugs her front foot. swings high – it looks as if its gong for six but Capsey is there at wide long on and takes a fab catch on the run.
6th over: West Indies 46-2 ( Campbelle 8) Charlie Dean’s first two ball are drilled through the off side by Dottin for four, splitting the two fielders,. she then fires her up, up and away for six. It feels like a tinderbox moment, but Dean snares her just in time.
5th over: West Indies 30-1 ( Dottin 4. Campbelle 7) Matthews is still arguing, this time off the pitch, I think with the third umpire. My rudimentary lipreading tells me she’s not happy. Another fabulous over from Bell – five dots. the first six of the match as Campbelle flat bats into the stands. Bell wipes her face and neck with a big red hankerchief.
4th over: West Indies 24-1 ( Dottin 4, Campbelle 1) Smith, in sunglasses,. Matthews reaches the boundary at last, twisting and pulling to backward square leg. A couple of balls later another four from a slog sweep. Then the wicket and a missed chance as Dottin gets moving and gets an outside edge which Jones can’t grab.
The umpire says there is no edge, but Jones is sure there has been. Dean doesn’t need any encouragement to review… we wait …. there is a spike…but there seems to be a gap between bat and ball….Matthews is not happy, waves her arms around, points to the big screen and argues with the umpires but eventually must stride furiously away.
3rd over: West Indies 12-0 (Matthews 6, Dottin 2) A dot, a wide, a play. miss as Matthews swings wildly, another wide. Who is going to blow first? Matthews drives on one leg for a couple. And the over continues to be quiet. The run rate needed is already above 10.
2nd over: West Indies 7-0 (Matthews 4, Dottin 2) Matthews is on the charge, drives, cuts, but finds the fielder. Then leans back. pulls Smith, looks every moment a boundary, but there’s a brilliant save by Gibson, diving and palming the ball in mid air to prevent the four before roly-polying over the rope. West Indies already behind the rate.
1st over: West Indies 3-0 (Matthews 1, Dottin 1) Lauren Bell with the first over from the pavilion end. West Indies are eager for runs but they don’t get them – just a couple of singles. a wide as Bell finds her bowling boots.
As the players take to the field for West Indies chase, an email drops from Stephen Nichols. Hello!
“I am at Lord’s for my first ever World Cup match. There are no flags or vuvuzuelas, and the temperature has dipped to “really warm” from “stupidly hot”. I think we are 10 runs short, aren’t we? No sixes, no fireworks from Kemp or Gibson, but perfect placement of 4s from Knight and DWH. I hope our bowlers are on form.”
Fingers crossed you get a thriller.
20th over: England 186-7 ( Dean 9, Ecclestone 4 ) What a cameo from Dean – two reverse-sweeps for four,. Ecclestone does her job too, sweeping her only ball down to the rope. Lovely to see so many women in the Long Room as the players walk through – MCC must have relaxed the dress code – lots of shorts on show. not a jacket or a tie to be seen.
A very good score there by England,. Heather Knight is pretty pleased too, reporting “a pretty decent wicket with tennis bally bounce with the new ball.” Time for me to grab a drink before we follow West Indies in the chase.
Kemp swings – she has to – but is well caught at point by a leaping Alleyne.
Ever optimistic, Knight starts running blind but Campbelle is just out of her eye line. throws down the stumps, beating a suddenly aware diving Knight.
19th over: England 172-6 ( Gibson 2) Ooooh. lucky Heather Knight gets an outside edge to Alleyne’s first ball, which then parties all the way down to the rope. Another run out chance fluffed by the Windies. Knight is in the zone, lofts four over mid off, until finally her running luck runs out.
18th over: England 162-5 (Knight 34. Gibson 1) The commentators have spotted that West Indies are behind the clock so they’re not hanging around here. England have slowed down considerably, though Knight picks the boundary just after Kemp’s wicket with a point perfect reverse sweep.
Looks stylish momentarily as she bends her knees but then tips over and gloves the ball into the stumps
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