SCO Women vs ENG Women, 17th Match, Group B at Sharjah, Women's T20 World Cup, Oct 13 2024 - Match Result

4:30pm And, that will be all from us for this game. There's still plenty to come today, with the small matter of an India-Australia clash, which will be pivotal to India's qualification hopes, set for an hour and a half from now. Do join us for that game, and do indulge in NRR calculations (although a caveat that they are not very straightforward). Jokes aside, it is goodbye from Chetan, Thilak and myself, and hope to see you all soon. Stay safe!

Heather Knight: Really pleased. The pitch got a lot better and the outfield had a bit of a trim. We bowled brilliantly and pure class from those two (openers). (On Bouchier stepping up) She has (stepped up). She was disappointed the other day on not being able to bat the way she wants. Once we had a good powerplay, it was about how quick we could do it and put pressure on the other teams. 10.5 (overs) it was to go above SA and then to get it as quickly as we could. We have so many options. Linsey had not done anything wrong but wanted to get Bell into the competition. She was outstanding. Really nice to have so much depth and really pleased with the way she bowled. (On their last game against WI) Just try and win, exactly the same way we have approached (the tournament so far). You want to keep winning, keep that momentum and we want to go again, get some momentum and make it to the semis.

Kathryn Bryce, Scotland captain: Pretty tough tournament in general but a massive honour to be here and to be leading the team out in a tournament like this. Only learnings to be taken from here. (On what learnings they will take back) Just the basics and doing them every time with quality. You can play the expansive shots but you need to be doing the basics all the time. Always challenging the first time you play in a different stadium against different teams. Girls are gradually getting used to it. (On the support) It has been absolutely incredible. Loads of parents out here, always cheering no matter what happens. (On Jack-Brown) She has been playing for Scotland for 18 years and nice to go, have a meal and celebrate her career. From travelling up and down on the M6 to play cricket, to playing on the World Cup stage, has been special.

4:20pm And so...in a slight turn of events, that boundary off the last ball has indeed pushed England's NRR past that of the West Indies.

Maia Bouchier, Player of the Match: I felt really good, batting with Danni, always very easy. We have an unspoken communication between us. We are thinking if we can stick to our strengths, run well between the wickets, we can get the team to wins. We got told about the eighth over about the NRR, that we had to get it done before the tenth over. Fine lines and fine margins (in the tournament). Our bowlers did brilliantly to keep them down (to this total). We want to take that trophy. We are thinking about what is happening in the present and not thinking about other teams. We are putting ourselves in a really good position and going into the next few games, we have to keep ourselves calm. It was really important for me to go out there and be still. Kept telling myself that. That is what I do best. Really important for me to play the way I did and back myself to win games.

4:12pm Well, that was quick, wasn't it? 10 overs is all it took for England to ice this run-chase, with both of their openers making merry in the Sharjah sunshine. Bouchier started it all off with a flurry of boundaries, and Wyatt-Hodge followed suit soon after. They smashed the ball to all parts and showed no mercy to the tournament debutants, giving them an inkling of how tough it is to compete against the biggest gunslingers in the game.

A tough end to a tough debut campaign for Scotland. This experience may yet enrich them, but for now, it is a day that will sting. They simply had no answers once England came after them, and their lack of accuracy was laid bare. They bowled both sides of the wicket and were, unsurprisingly, punished.

Just ten needed now. Can England finish it off in this over?

John: "Will be fascinating to see what this does for England's net run rate, as this may come into calculations for the semis." -- If they keep going at this rate, this should help them massively...

England just 17 away from a win

Here's Sampath, one of our NRR gurus, crunching the numbers for this tight group: England need to chase it in 11.5 or fewer overs to take their NRR ahead of South Africa's and in 9.3 or fewer overs to go ahead of West Indies' NRR. If England indeed go ahead of West Indies' NRR, the only way South Africa can be knocked out is if England lose to West Indies in the Super Over after both scoring 193+ runs in their respective 20 overs. Appreciate it is very complicated to understand, but with all three teams having placed their NRR so high, even a small win margin can bring down their NRR.

Around the wicket now

Here's Fraser