Sophia Dunkley stepped up in Nat Sciver-Brunt’s absence before an astonishing blitz from Freya Kemp and Dani Gibson steered England to a 38-run win over Scotland on the Women’s T20 World Cup.
Dunkley was dropped on six, 43 and 45 to amass 57 in her first appearance of the tournament after replacing England captain Sciver-Brunt, who has reinjured her left calf and may also miss Wednesday’s clash against the West Indies at Lord’s.
But England’s imposing total of 200 for five owed much to Kemp and Gibson, with the powerhouse batting all-rounders putting on an unbroken 61 off 21 balls, including 58 in a boundary-laden last three overs.
Kemp’s 39 not out off 16 balls and Gibson’s unbeaten 30 off 11 demonstrated England’s middle-order firepower, underpinning a 3rd win from three Group B matches to creep closer to the semi-finals.
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Top scoring
Scotland’s fielding was ragged, especially on the boundary as they struggled to stem England’s scoring, and although Kathryn Bryce’s side landed a couple of punches of their very own in front of an 11,419 crowd, a record for a women’s match at Headingley, they settled for 162 for seven.
Sophie Ecclestone claimed two for 23 after stand-in skipper Charlie Dean made the breakthrough, while Gibson and Kemp collected a wicket apiece and England now likely need just yet one more win to achieve the knockout phase.
Scotland suffered their second defeat from three matches, despite slow left-armer Kirstie Gordon making the right start for them.
Gordon switched allegiances to her country of birth in December, having made five appearances for England on the 2018 tournament, and immediately showed her former side what they were missing by dismissing Amy Jones, who limply prodded to extra-cover from the primary ball of the match.
Impressed
Having been reprieved within the third over when Priyanaz Chatterji couldn’t hold on to a diving likelihood at short fine-leg, Dunkley went on a tear and dominated a 51-run stand with Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who fell for seven after miscuing Gordon to mid-on.
Dunkley was then put down by a leaping Katherine Fraser within the deep and Megan McColl at backward point – a more routine likelihood – and went to her first T20 fifty in nine innings before holing out.
Alice Capsey impressed with a quickfire 40 and Heather Knight made 25 but England still had work to do on 141 for five after 17 overs.
Kemp kickstarted England’s charge with two sixes off Bryce while Gibson thumped two fours and a six off Gordon, who leaked 21 from her last allotment having taken two for nine from her first three overs.
Chatterji also got here in for some punishment because the England batters took 11 boundaries from the last 17 deliveries, the last of them from Gibson a flayed 4 through the covers from the ultimate ball.
Tightened the screw
Gibson, though, blotted her copybook by dropping Fraser – a tricky likelihood over her shoulder – in the primary over of Scotland’s reply.
Fraser made use of her let-off to belt 23 in 13 balls to briefly trouble England but she then missed a sweep and was bowled by Dean.
The tournament hosts then tightened the screw after the powerplay as Ecclestone castled Bryce and Darcey Carter, each of whom missed heaves across the road.
Sarah Bryce top-scored with 34 while Gordon made 23 not out and Pippa Sproul 27 but Scotland’s hopes had long since evaporated.
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