Nat Sciver-Brunt injury fear overshadows England win
The captain hit 48 before she retired out late in the innings against Ireland.
Nat Sciver-Brunt stoked fears of an injury setback when she retired out after helping England beat Ireland by four wickets to make it two wins from two at the Women’s T20 World Cup.
Sciver-Brunt only returned from a torn left calf last week but after leading England’s recovery from 35 for three with 48 to leave England needing nine for victory, she trudged off the field at Southampton.
England reached a meagre 119 target with 15 balls to spare to move on to four points in Group B and put themselves in pole position to reach the semi-finals, but the main talking point will be their captain.
England later revealed Sciver-Brunt felt tightness in her calf and walked off as a precaution, but there are just four days to go until their next match against Scotland at Headingley.
Ireland are now without a win in 19 matches at this event but they gave England a minor fright as Amy Jones, Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Alice Capsey were all dismissed within the space of 10 deliveries.
Jones skewed slow left-armer Aimee Maguire high to Ireland captain Gaby Lewis at mid-on and Wyatt-Hodge, who made a match-winning century in England’s 87-run win over Sri Lanka on Friday, followed in identical fashion two balls later.
Capsey was cleaned up neck and crop by a superb slower-ball yorker from Ireland star all-rounder Orla Prendergast as England lurched from 27 without loss to 35 for three, having made a record 219 for one last time out.
Ireland’s 118 for nine meant Sciver-Brunt and her predecessor as England captain Heather Knight did not have to take too much risk and they rebuilt the innings with a 64-run partnership in 49 balls.
Knight was trapped lbw in Prendergast’s last over on review with 20 still needed but it appeared England would coast to victory until Sciver-Brunt made her way to the pavilion after her fourth four.
Freya Kemp was run out and it was left to Dani Gibson and Charlie Dean to get England over the line, with a wide from seamer Alice Tector providing the final run.
A collective disciplined bowling performance, following the start being delayed by just over an hour because of a rain shower on the south coast, meant England were in the driving seat at halfway.
Amy Hunter and Lewis perished to premeditated sweeps and when Alana Dalzell miscued to Kemp at extra cover, Ireland were three down in the powerplay and relying on Prendergast to bail them out.
Prendergast used the crease well, backing away to cut and then advancing to hammer Ecclestone for fours in an over costing 13, but the Irish star’s cameo ended when she under-edged Gibson on to her stumps.
Ireland trickled along thereafter, only reaching three figures in a penultimate over where Ecclestone, who bounced back from her mauling by Prendergast to finish with 4-0-22-3, claimed the wickets of lower-order duo Arlene Kelly and Cara Murray to catches inside the ring.
Little at least made sure Ireland’s innings ended with a flourish with four fours in a wayward final over from Lauren Bell, who leaked 39 on her home ground – the only England bowler to go at more than a run a ball.