England blow Scotland away to get to the top of Group B (for now)

England have gone top of Group B at the women's T20 World Cup with a game to play after demolishing Scotland by ten wickets in Sharjah. By chasing down a modest target of 110 with ten overs to spare, they overtook South Africa, who are also on six points but have played a game more, on net run-rate.

The manner of the victory, sealed with a boundary by Maia Bouchier, whose unbeaten 62 is now the tournament's highest individual score, also saw England boast an NRR higher than West Indies. They square off on Tuesday in what is a knockout encounter, though both teams could mathematically still go through together at the expense of South Africa.

Danni Wyatt-Hodge also registered a half-century, 51* off 26, in an opening stand with Bouchier that now ranks as the highest at this World Cup. It was a boundary-laden affair - 76 runs coming in fours - that ended Scotland's maiden women's World Cup campaign with a fourth straight defeat.

Scotland were able to sign off with their highest total after winning the toss and electing to bat. Skipper Kathryn Bryce's 33 off 28 - the only Scottish batter to strike at more than a run a ball - provided the backbone of the innings, as she batted through to the end of the 17th over, having arrived for the start of the ninth. Her sister Sarah Bryce opened with 27 from 31, the only other score of note, though Alisa Lister had the honour of hitting Scotland's first six at a major tournament when she slog-swept Sarah Glenn in the 13th over.

England kept their opponents in check throughout, though they did fail to take a wicket in the powerplay for the first time in six matches as Sarah and Saskia Horley made it through the opening six overs, albeit for just 29. Sophie Ecclestone, as ever, was the pick of the bowlers, the left-arm spinner finishing with 2 for 13 from her four overs.

Lauren Bell, making her first appearance of the tournament with England keen to make use of a pitch now conducive to seam, finished with 1 for 16. She was one of two changes for Heather Knight's charges, with Sophia Dunkley replacing Alice Capsey. Capsey had been unwell in the week, with the management deciding not to take any risks, especially with the heat in England's day game of the competition.

Bell bowled Lorna Jack-Brown, who ended her international career with a three-ball duck. She finishes as the most-capped player in Scotland's history.

The peculiarity of England's day was clear when they left their hotel for this match as Bangladesh were checking out to head home. The 2009 champions had only played two so far while some other teams had completed their group-stage programme.

That included South Africa, who sat top of Group B on Sunday morning, with West Indies level on four points with England but in second with a greater NRR - by 1.055 - but having played a game more.

With everything laid out before England, the calculations at half-time were straightforward. Reach the necessary 110 in 11.5 overs or fewer to wrestle away the top spot from South Africa, and 9.3 overs or fewer to trump West Indies' NRR. Though they did not manage the latter, Bouchier's step across and heave over the leg side for four at the end of the tenth over saw England achieve both side quests with the necessary win.

Though Scotland were particularly wayward with their lines, Bouchier and Wyatt-Hodge were brutal. They struck England's first century opening stand in T20 World Cups since 2012, from just 54 deliveries. They also pocketed the fastest team fifty of this edition in just 4.4 overs, and the largest powerplay at 66 for 0.

Bouchier began the chase with three fours from the first three balls, delivered by left-armer Rachel Slater, on her way to a third career half-century from just 30 deliveries. Wyatt-Hodge's 17th 50-plus score in T20Is was six balls quicker. Nothing summed up the pair's understanding of the assignment more than the ten clinical fours they hit in a 16-ball sequence from the start of the fourth over.

The winners of England versus West Indies on Tuesday will be guaranteed a spot in the final four of this World Cup. But the losers could still make it through in the event of two extreme scenarios.

Should West Indies make 201 or more and win, England could still sneak in if the margin of defeat is just a single run. Similarly, they could lose in a Super Over and make it through provided they match a West Indies score of 194 or more in the regulation 20 overs.

Both seem highly unlikely given the way the pitch has been playing at Sharjah. But fans of South African cricket know all too well that World Cup heartbreak can take many peculiar forms…

It was dispiriting for Scotland to end their first women's World Cup with three heavy defeats. Callous ones at that, given West Indies, South Africa and England knew they had to match each other's dominance against the international tournament debutants.

After a promising opener against Bangladesh, the gulf between Scotland and the top tier of women's cricket has been made abundantly clear over the last seven days. But the tournament as a whole has been a necessary growing pain for a team looking to establish themselves at this level.

There were flashes of promise alongside the expected quality of Kathryn and Sarah Bryce, who ended as the team's leading run-scorers. Had Olivia Bell held on to a return catch from Bouchier when the batter had just 17, she would have maintained her streak of taking a wicket in every match. That three of their four matches were day games - this was England's first - was its own unique challenge, with temperatures in Sharjah constantly in the mid to late 30s.

Considering they were granted ODI status in 2022, with professional contracts only introduced in 2023, this can be marked down as another important step in the right direction for Scottish women's cricket.