England will secure a Word Cup semi-final spot if they beat Bangladesh this weekend (9.30pm, Saturday, Sky Sports World Cup and Sky Cricket YouTube); Katherine Brunt and Danni Watt rediscovered form against Pakistan; "She is peaking at the right time," Phoebe Graham says of Brunt
Saturday 26 March 2022 21:30, UK
Reigning World Cup champions England have followed three straight defeats with three consecutive victories and one more win will guarantee a semi-final place. Phoebe Graham looks at a campaign revived and Katherine Brunt and Danni Wyatt making their mark at last...
Katherine Brunt is back firing. Danni Wyatt showed her class. England have won three games on the bounce. Retaining the World Cup is back on!
Knowing you need to win four matches out of four to have a chance of qualifying for the semi-finals is daunting. It applied an intense amount of pressure on to the squad and management.
Have they had the right opening partnership? Have they played enough spin? Have they given ample opportunity to breakthrough talent?
Does anyone really care if England's top guns are firing at the right time?!
Pakistan was 'technically' one of the easier games but, with so many upsets in this World Cup, England could not be complacent. That's why it was so good to see them perform at the times that matter the most.
Brunt hadn't taken a wicket since the opening game, against Australia, and you could see how much those three strikes against Pakistan meant to her.
She's back and peaking at the right time. Her energy will be contagious and I hope she continues to complement world-class bowlers Sophie Ecclestone and Kate Cross, who have been outstanding throughout the tournament.
What was nice about the Pakistan fixture is that England put bat and ball together.
Wyatt has been challenged with a new opening role and in this game you could see she was positive and took her natural T20 style into ODI cricket, scoring 76 not out from 68 balls.
Everything is still to play for with results to come in and net run-rate potentially proving the difference.
You could argue that England have the easiest game with Bangladesh left to play but it is still a must-win match.
This World Cup has been incredible: the talent, the games and the catches have been another level.
Anything could still happen and England's destiny is back in their own hands.
After a shaky start, retaining the World Cup is back on. Come on England… one more win and then time to focus on bringing it home.
Watch England take on Bangladesh, at Basin Reserve in Wellington, live on Sky Sports World Cup (channel 404) and the Sky Sports Cricket YouTube channel from 9.30pm on Saturday.
