It wasn’t just England’s women’s cricket team that showed their grit and determination last Tuesday. That includes beating Australia by four wickets in a World Cup warm-up match. The game played out at the equally beautiful County Cricket Club facilities. England recovered after being in early trouble at 32-3, and the young star Alice Capsey played an extraordinary innings, finishing not out on 88.
Australia, batting first, scored quickly to post a formidable target of 247 in 34.4 overs. Phoebe Litchfield had been the Australian team’s shining star as she played a captain’s knock of 71 off just 48 balls. Taking the sting out of this revival was going to take some doing, Sarah Glenn leading a dangerous English bowling attack. Glenn threw the Australian batting order into turmoil by taking 5 for 32. His brilliant performance up until that point ensured that the Australians couldn’t capitalize on their hot start.
In reply, England was rocked early on, losing Danni Wyatt-Hodge for only 10 runs among big early scalps. Though they got off to a rather shaky start, it was Capsey’s standout innings that held the middle order together. She received valuable support from Emma Lamb, who contributed 60 runs, and Sophia Dunkley, who added another 54 runs to the total. Their combined enterprise sent England racing towards its goal.
It was a memorable outing for Australia’s Kim Garth, whose 2/17 was one of the standout bowling performances in the tournament so far. England’s batting order continued to add runs with no falter, eventually earning a total of 251-6 in 44.3 overs.
As the match continued, Australia had a hard time keeping up with their early pace. Beth Mooney was the real star for the Scorchers, scoring a brisk 59 off just 42 balls. Sadly for Australia, Georgia Voll, Sophie Molineux and Georgia Wareham all succumbed to single digit scores, limiting Australia’s potential total.
Lauren Bell’s early breakthrough, removing Alyssa Healy in the first over, set the tone for England’s strong bowling display. Glenn played an unbelievable match with the ball. Capsey’s maturity and calmness under pressure with the bat were crucial in guiding England to a thoroughly deserved win.
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