Monday 10 July 2017 13:14, UK
Another match, another set of new batting records for England. This time it was the turn of Tammy Beaumont and Sarah Taylor to rewrite the history books as they defeated South Africa by 68 runs at Bristol.
Both struck big centuries - Taylor making a career-best 147 - as they forged a partnership worth 275 runs, an all-time best for England and the World Cup.
Already in this tournament England have had four centurions, each one by a different batter. That total means they've notched up more hundreds in this World Cup than the previous two editions combined.
It's an achievement that speaks of a team unleashed, confident in one another and themselves, and, something few other sides can boast, a depth in the batting line-up which means opposition bowlers are unable to slip from their A-game even after dislodging the first couple of wickets.
It also tells of the influence coach Mark Robinson and his staff, especially assistant coach Alastair Maiden, have had on the players since they took up their roles towards the end of 2015. Their first series in charge came in a tour to South Africa, which they won 2-1, and this game provided the perfect opportunity to note how far England have come during his reign.
Not everything has been straightforward for Robinson, though. When he made the controversial decision to no longer select Charlotte Edwards last March, he explained it away as allowing the younger, underachieving elements of the side to grow.
Sixteen months on and Robinson will feel that strategy, however difficult to initiate (his daughter endured abuse on social media over the dropping of England's all-time run-scorer), is paying off. Under him, England's approach has changed dramatically, the self-assurance he's instilled in the players is most evident in the manner in which they bat.
The free-willed attitude adopted, giving license to the batters to play attacking cricket, has taken them into a new era of exciting scores: four of England's top five one-day international totals have been achieved since Robinson's arrival.
Indeed, so backed are the top order by Robinson that even if dismissed cheaply, as long as it occurs while 'playing their shots' there are little in repercussions. That belief for the batters cannot be underestimated when assessing the reasons behind their turnaround in performances. The ability existed before, yet it needed drawing out and honing. The players had to believe they were capable.
One concern Robinson did have entering the tournament, though, was the state of the pitches. Having experienced dormant strips during the World T20, which prevented attacking batting and gave way to attritional cricket, there were hopes of improved conditions for this tournament.
He needn't worry, as this game demonstrated, with England and South Africa setting a new highest aggregate total for a one-day international, beating the previous best by a massive 101 runs.
There was also no need to be apprehensive about South Africa's much-vaunted fast bowling, following their thrashing of the West Indies. There they dismissed the World T20 champions for 49 and beat them by 10 wickets.
This time, on a pitch designed for runs, they suffered at the hands of a merciless England. Robinson spoke eagerly in the run-up to this encounter of his side enjoying pace and they were true to his word.
Beaumont and Taylor dispatched the ball with ease, sending it to all parts in a brutal display of batting. Beaumont, struggling for runs up to this fixture, ensured a solid start to England's innings before switching her sharp cuts and drives for ramp and lap shots to score a fantastic 148. Her rise is one of the most impressive parts of Robinson's tenure.
However it was Taylor who fashioned the most thrilling innings. Serene at the crease, she effortless picked out the gaps, showing once again, following her half-century against Sri Lanka, why England were so keen to bring her back in after taking a break from the game.
Upon reaching her century, she shifted up a gear, punishing Shabnim Ismail, the fastest bowler around, with five consecutive fours, as she put on 47 runs off 24 balls, to help England to 373-5, their fourth highest total in ODI cricket.
In truth, it felt like there were even more runs available to England, so good did they look with the bat. If the footwork and audacity to play unorthodox shots that gave them such high rewards in the latter stages of the match were deployed sooner, then a total of 400-plus was possible.
There will be little fretting over that for England, though. This will go down as a job well done, and there are harder challenges to come anyway.
They will be more mindful that they are still to be tested in a chasing situation by one of the best teams. There are also concerns over their catching - they have now dropped 14 chances in their four matches of this competition. Against better teams such as Australia and New Zealand, who they face next, those mistakes will likely prove costly. But with their newfound confidence, they'll believe they can do what's required to win.
