CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — England made history as the first team to get 200 at the Women’s T20 World Cup on Tuesday, helped by a blistering 81 not out off 40 balls from Nat Sciver-Brunt.
Her onslaught in England’s final group game against Pakistan, combined with 59 off 33 from opener Danni Wyatt and 47 off 31 from Amy Jones, set up a score of 213-5 at Newlands in Cape Town.
England won by 114 runs, another record for the T20 World Cup, as Pakistan laboured to 99-9 in their 20 overs.
Apart from giving England a major confidence boost, the huge victory ensured they qualified top of Group 2 with four wins from four and avoided defending champion and top-ranked Australia in the semifinals.
England had already qualified for the semis but will now play South Africa on Friday after the host kept their nerve to beat Bangladesh by 10 wickets later Tuesday and make sure they are part of the last four. South Africa would have been out with a loss.
Australia face India in the first semifinal on Thursday. Both the semis are at Newlands, as is the World Cup final on Sunday.
Sciver-Brunt collected 12 fours and a six in her innings, propelling England to the best batting performance at a T20 World Cup and overtaking South Africa’s 195-3 against Thailand at the 2020 tournament.
Pakistan were no match, with No. 9 Tuba Hassan top-scoring with 28. By the time she came to the crease, Pakistan were 54-7 in the 13th over and out of it.
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South Africa had won nine of their10 previous meetings with Bangladesh but were burdened by the pressure of possibly going out early in their home tournament having already surprisingly lost the opening game to Sri Lanka.
The South Africans managed to handle that pressure and put themselves in control with a tight bowling display that kept Bangladesh to 113-6 in their 20 overs.
Opening batters Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits took South Africa sailing home with an opening partnership of 117 in 17.5 overs.
Wolvaardt finished 66 not out and ended the game by driving back-to-back fours through the off-side. Brits was 50 not out.
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