ICC Women’s World Cup 2017, England vs Pakistan: 5 Talking Points
After a brief delay due to rain, Pakistan won the toss and elected to field first in gloomy conditions at Leicester. That decision backfired though as the England women put on a sensational batting performance.
They dispatched the Pakistani bowlers all over the ground and amassed 377 runs on the board. Captain Heather Knight and Nat Sciver notched up tons, while Danielle Wyatt and Fran Wilson played crucial cameos.
It was always going to be an impossible chase for Pakistan. To make things worse, they lost Nahida Khan and the ever-dependable Javeria Khan cheaply. Opener Ayesha Zafar led a fightback accompanied by Nain Abidi, but play was interrupted by rain yet again and in the end, England won by 107 runs on the DLS method.
Here are the five major talking points from today’s game:
#1 England rake up second-highest team total in tournament history
England’s total of 377 was the second-highest team total in the history of the Women’s World Cup. The record for the highest total is held by Australia, who, in what was one of the greatest mismatches of all, put up 412 for 3 in 50 overs against Denmark in the 1997 World Cup.
377 is England’s highest ever score in the tournament’s history and their second highest overall. Previously, they had scored 378 runs against the same opposition in Worcester last year. Interestingly, seven out of the top 10 highest team totals in Women’s ODI cricket have come against Pakistan.
Although the England women endured a poor start today, Sciver’s fearless hitting and Wyatt and Wilson’s innovative batting down the order ensured a huge score. In the final 15 overs, 158 runs were scored.