Heather Knight survived two controversial reprieves – and England an enormous scare – to edge previous minnows Bangladesh on the ladies’s World Cup.
Former captain Knight was given out caught behind on nought within the group recreation in Guwahati, however survived on overview after expertise failed to indicate conclusive proof {that a} supply from seamer Marufa Akhter that squeezed between bat and pad had grazed the sting.
Had Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana’s catch behind the stumps been upheld, England would have been lowered to 6 for 2, chasing 179, in opposition to opponents that solely took their place within the eight-team competitors by successful the qualifying event on run fee forward of West Indies six months in the past.
Then, having struggled to 13 off 37 deliveries, the 34-year-old adopted the primary drinks break by chipping low to cowl, the place Shorna Akhter dived ahead to take the catch.
‘I assumed it carried and was a good catch and that is why I walked off,’ she defined, after being referred to as again following adjudication from tv umpire Gayathri Venugopalan that the ball had made contact with the turf.
‘Cannot say that I’ve been out so many occasions in a single innings earlier than, in order that’s a brand new one on me.’
Heather Knight survived two controversial calls as England edged previous Bangladesh on the World Cup
England now depart India and head for Colombo, the place they may face co-hosts Sri Lanka of their subsequent fixture this Saturday
Knight cashed in, turning her first one-day worldwide innings since a nine-year tenure as England captain resulted in a post-Ashes sacking earlier this 12 months into her twenty seventh half-century, an unbeaten 79 – averting a shock defeat within the course of.
The competition was within the steadiness when England had been lowered to 102 for six by the raft of Bangladeshi spinners, however an unbroken seventh-wicket partnership between Knight and new vice-captain Charlie Dean noticed Natalie Sciver-Brunt’s crew to a four-wicket victory, returning them to the highest of the standings within the round-robin stage.
England crushed South Africa on the similar venue and claimed 9 wickets with spin in dismissing Bangladesh within the fiftieth and closing over of the innings – Sophie Ecclestone main the best way with three for twenty-four. Fellow gradual left-armer Linsey Smith took her competitors tally to 5 wickets with one other two victims.
Nonetheless, Bangladesh leg-spinner Fahima Khatun additionally discovered situations to her liking, placing the frustration of being the unfortunate bowler for the second of Knight’s escapes by claiming the prize scalp of the aggressive Sciver-Brunt and scything via England’s middle-order with figures of 10-2-16-3.
After off-spinning all-rounder Dean adopted up two wickets with 27 not out, together with the successful runs in an alliance of 79 in 100 balls, Knight mentioned: ‘The primary factor in World Cups is getting over the road.’
England now depart India and head for Colombo, the place they may face co-hosts Sri Lanka of their subsequent fixture this Saturday.
