As ever, Australia are setting the benchmark in women’s cricket.
The seven-time 50-over World Cup champions are very much on course for an eighth title, with England, beaten by six wickets in Indore on Wednesday, their latest victims.
Australia were not wobble-free against Nat Sciver-Brint’s side at Holkar Stadium, faltering at the start of both innings.
First, they conceded 55 runs across the opening eight overs after bowling a lot of filth and then they tumbled to 68-4 inside 16 overs of the chase. Around that, though, normal service took hold.
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Former Australia men’s white-ball captain Aaron Finch discusses how England can bounce back after suffering their first loss of the World Cup
An Australia victory with 57 balls remaining showed England the level they need to reach. The bravery they need to show.
The biggest take home from the game was England’s playing of spin, with a lack of impetus against that style of bowling in the middle overs the root cause of their first defeat of this World Cup
England picked up just 43 runs between overs 21-34 – 12 of those 14 overs were bowled by spinners Alana King and Ash Gardner – as they became stuck after a confident start.
In stark contrast, Australia, through Gardner and Annabel Sutherland, scored 98 runs between overs 21-34, cutting their requirement to 59 from 96 deliveries. Job basically done.
Leg-spinner King was England’s chief nemesis, using immaculate control and sharp turn to record figures of 1-20 from 10 overs, a spell featuring 41 dot balls out of 60.
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Australia leg-spinner Alana King tied England up in knots and had Nat Sciver-Brunt caught at mid-off by Annabel Sutherland
As good as King is – and she is very, very good – England needed to be more courageous, according to ex-Australia men’s white-ball captain Aaron Finch, who told Sky Sports: “There was almost a concession that England would play King out as soon as she came on.
“You can’t afford to just sit there and wait for the best players in the world to make easy mistakes. It just doesn’t happen very often. It was almost as if they were worried about making a mistake themselves. You have to be brave at some point.”
Sweeps? Foot movement? Wyatt-Hodge? How do England solve spin issues?
England skipper Sciver-Brunt – who scuffed King to mid-off to be dismissed for seven – said afterwards that her side could have played the leg-spinner more off the back foot, while Nasser Hussain lamented a lack of sweeps and use of the feet, as well as an absence of left-handed batters. That, Hussain says, is a long-term fix.
King bowled 41 dot balls across 60 deliveries against England
In the short term, England probably have a decision to make over their lower middle order ahead of the final group game against New Zealand on Saturday and then their semi-final versus one of Australia or South Africa next week.
Sophia Dunkley, the team’s No 5, saw her toils continue against Australia with a painstaking 48-ball 22, a knock which followed scores of nought, 18, 11 and 15 and leaves her with an average 13.20 in the tournament. Emma Lamb is faring even worse.
No 6 batter Lamb was bowled for seven by Sutherland against Australia as her average dropped to 7.20. She has made double figures just twice in five innings with a best of 13.
There were calls for the experienced Danni Wyatt-Hodge to come in before the Australia game and that idea only gathered momentum after England’s defeat. Should she play, Wyatt-Hodge would help the issue of getting bogged down by spin in the middle.
Should Danni Wyatt-Hodge come into England’s misfiring lower middle order?
You probably wouldn’t want a player coming in cold for a semi-final so if Wyatt-Hodge is to make her mark it is probably New Zealand or never for the 34-year-old.
As for Australia, there is still a clash versus a resurgent South Africa – who have won five games on the trot since being skittled for 69 and routed by England – to deal with before they can focus solely on the semis. Whoever wins that fixture on Saturday tops the group.
Most pundits will expect that to be Australia because if you see off one of their match-winners another is almost certain to get you.
The victory over England was achieved with practically nothing from the top order, and the new-ball bowlers fluffing their lines, but then up stepped King with her leg-spin brilliance and also all-rounders Sutherland and Gardner with bat and ball.
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Annabel Sutherland’s three wickets against England included bowling Amy Jones for 18
Australia could also be boosted by the return of captain Alyssa Healy after the wicketkeeper and opening batter, who has hit hundreds in this tournament against India and Bangladesh, missed out against England with a minor – the side hope – calf niggle.
They will take some stopping. And if England are to be the ones to do that later in this tournament, more bravery is going to be required.
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