It was just a couple of nights ago, the England captain Heather Knight smashed a swashbuckling hundred against Thailand.
She took it upon herself to lead from the front after a shocking defeat to South Africa in their first match. With both the openers dismissed for nought, Thailand had taken them by surprise. Walking in at 7/2, Knight ensured that she batted through the innings to get them to a commendable score.
As England takes on Pakistan in their third encounter today, the fight will be tougher for them than what they face in the previous match. They would want Danni Wyatt and Natalie Sciver to get back to form as the tournament enters the second half of the league-stage.
A win today would put them at the top of the points table, leaving one lesser worry to ponder about. In the bowling department, Anya Shrubsole has been the principal wicket-taker for them along with Sciver.
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Katherine Burnt’s role could be crucial in the death overs for England. In the match against South Africa, Mignon du Preez smashed Burnt for a six in the last over after the latter chose not to run out the non-striker. However, she came back strongly in the second game against Thailand, as she conceded just 10 runs in three overs.
As far as Pakistan is concerned, they have started their campaign well with a victory against West Indies. However, the real test for them lies in defeating one of the top four ranked teams, as that will help them in securing a semifinal spot.
It was a collective batting effort against West Indies as all the top four batters contributed in their eight-wicket victory. Javeria Khan and Muneeba Ali’s performance would be a significant factor against a team like England.
Provided the openers give them a good start, the onus will be on their captain Bismah Maroof to carry their batting throughout the innings.
Diana Baig and Anam Amin have been the pick of the bowlers for Pakistan so far. Despite being expensive, Aiman Anwar and Nida Dar have a crucial role in picking up wickets in the middle overs.
Pakistan has to bring out their ‘A’ game to beat England. A Pakistan win here would open up a lot of exciting stimulations for the semifinal spot.
