Maia Bouchier and Danni Wyatt-Hodge sparkled as England moved a step closer to the T20 World Cup semi-finals following a commanding 10-wicket win over Scotland in Sharjah.
Already-eliminated Scotland amassed their highest total of the tournament in their last Group B match but a score of 109 for six was overhauled by England’s openers with a whopping 10 overs to spare.
Bouchier was dropped on 12 and made Scotland pay with an unbeaten 62 off 34 balls, with Wyatt-Hodge making 51 not out off 26 deliveries, as England eased to a third win from three matches.
England significantly boosted their net run-rate but they can make it a moot point by beating the West Indies on Monday to seal top spot in the group – and likely avoid a semi-final against Australia.
Defeat against the West Indies in Dubai would complicate their chances but England, who moved back to the top of their group, are in the box seat to reach the knockout stages thanks to their opening batters.
Bouchier flicked fine and cut and drove for three fours from the first three balls of the reply but she was put down in the next over after gently lobbing to Olivia Bell, who could not hold a return chance.
It was largely one-way traffic thereafter as Bell’s next over disappeared for 18, with Wyatt-Hodge taking three fours and Bouchier one.
Boundaries came at an alarming rate as Bouchier and Wyatt-Hodge racked up 66 in the powerplay, meaning that when Scotland turned to highly-rated leg-spinner Abtaha Maqsood in the seventh over, the momentum was irreversibly with England.
Bouchier brought up her first T20 fifty since March with a 10th four at the end of the eighth over and Wyatt-Hodge followed her from what turned out to be the penultimate ball, albeit in bizarre fashion when an overthrow missed the stumps and allowed the openers to scamper back for an extra couple of runs.
It was a chastening end to Scotland’s debut World Cup campaign, with a fourth defeat in four, but they started brightly earlier, showing few alarms in the powerplay against an England side that brought in the extra seamer in Lauren Bell.
Saskia Horley and Sarah Bryce showed little of the urgency Bouchier and Wyatt-Hodge did later but it was not until the end of the eighth over that England made a breakthrough to end a 38-run opening stand.
Horley (13 off 23) miscued a skier to Ecclestone, who held on well then prised out Bryce for 27 off 31. An advancing Bryce was stumped after being done in the air by a flighted delivery that spun past a leg-side heave.
Captain Kathryn Bryce made an enterprising 33 off 28 and Ailsa Lister belted Scotland’s only six of the tournament to get their side into three figures although England never let the run-rate spiral.
Ecclestone was once again the pick of the attack with two wickets, conceding a miserly 13 from four overs, before Bouchier and Wyatt-Hodge took centre stage.
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