England Defeated 107 for 6 (Capsey 51, Murray 3-15). Ireland 105 (Lewis 36, Ecclestone 3-13, Glenn 3-19) by four wickets
Capsey fell shortly after reaching her 21-ball half-century, the joint-fastest in Women’s T20 World Cup history, as England looked to increase their net run-rate in pursuit of 106. But Ireland’s collapse with the bat ensured that England were never under any scoring pressure.
Ireland needed early wickets – and got one, as Sophia Dunkley chipped in at mid-on. But they bowled poorly with the new ball, on the nerves of a young team playing their first T20 World Cup match in four-and-a-half years.
Gabby Lewis gets Ireland off to a flying start.
Ireland had not played in the Women’s T20 World Cup since 2018 but hopes were high after their victory over defending champions Australia in the warm-up match. He also rose to the occasion when he hit four fours off the first nine balls of the innings, with openers Lewis and Amy Hunter trading boundaries.
After two long delays to fix a loose stump camera cable, Orla Prendergast’s brilliant cameo ended when she was bowled by Glenn’s ball which was low, but Lewis and skipper Delaney continued with the takeover, which ended But reached 80 for 2 wickets. In the 12th over when they wanted to create a platform for a late launch.
England’s spin squeeze
Ecclestone is Knight’s trump card, and he chose to play him in the 13th over, looking to break the growing partnership between Lewis and Delaney. It worked, as Lewis swept White – who hung on to that low chance at deep backward square leg – and Ireland’s middle order was exposed.
Aimee Richardson was left lbw off his first delivery, swinging a paddle. Louise Little survived the hat-trick ball and drove Dean back over his head for Ireland’s only six, but miscued his next delivery to Ecclestone at mid-off.
Glenn struck twice in his next over. First, he trapped Waldron – playing his record 180th game for Ireland – lbw at sweep and then hit one to Leah Paul’s middle end off stump. Ireland had lost five wickets in 17 balls, and the game was over as a contest.
Murray gave rise to the end of semen.
England needed just 33 runs from 13 overs when Murray was introduced, and Delaney must have regretted keeping him back for so long. A wicket fell in his first over when White pushed to short cover and headed for a single that was never to be, and Murray’s first wicket fell on his seventh ball when Nets bowled Brent at long-off. Out.
Both Knight and Amy Jones fell along the finish line, Knight deflecting a ball through the glove onto his stumps and Jones sticking gently into cover. But Ireland never had enough runs to play with, and it was too late for England to give Ireland any real hope.
WPL offers England subplots.
Knight admitted ahead of the tournament that the inaugural Women’s Premier League (WPL) auction was “on everyone’s mind”, saying: “It would be naïve to think it’s not a minor distraction.” Before Monday’s game, three England players – Nate Skewer Burnt, Dunkley and Ecclestone – had secured contracts, but Knight himself was not sold in the first round of bidding.
By the innings break, three more players had been signed: Kepsey, Bell and Knight himself, along with traveling reserve Issy Wong picked up. The rest of the squad remains unsold, and Knight will have to make sure players’ franchise deals don’t become a distraction for the rest of the tournament.
Matt Roller is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @mroller98
