After Knight set up the game for England with a century, Smith closed it out with her clever left-arm spin
Valkerie Baynes19-Oct-20253:32
Knight: ‘Managed to steal the win at the back-end’
Heather Knight oozed calm, understated satisfaction as she celebrated a century which put England on course for victory against India and a place in the World Cup semi-finals.Her demeanour couldn’t have contrasted more with the nauseous pallor and jittery knees of her squad-mates on the bench or the frantic chewing of lips and biting of fingernails going on in the India dugout as Linsey Smith defended 13 runs off the final over to deliver England a four-run win in Indore on Sunday.As one of only two recognised England batters not in the spotlight for a lack of runs, Knight stole the show early by sweeping and reverse sweeping, powering and running her way to a 91-ball 109, pushing England to a total of 288 for 8 and asking India to pull of their highest successful run chase in women’s ODIs.Related
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That they couldn’t seemed inexplicable, even after Smith claimed the crucial wicket of Smriti Mandhana, who shared a third-wicket stand worth 125 off 122 balls with Harmanpreet Kaur and put on 67 off 66 with Deepti Sharma for the fourth.All three India batters reached fifty but when Deepti fell to Sophie Ecclestone with 27 needed off 19 balls, Nat Sciver-Brunt, the England captain, turned back to Smith.She conceded just four runs off the next over as Amanjot Kaur and Sneh Rana set about reeling in the target. Lauren Bell went for nine off the next over and then Smith, the most economical bowler for the match, took the ball for the last.Rana and Amanjot traded singles off the first three balls and then Knight threw her weary body in the way of a cracking shot to cover by Amanjot to leave India needing sixes off each of the last two to win. They could only manage two and four as Smith held her nerve.Sciver-Brunt said Smith was always going to bowl the last over, and Smith relished the chance.”I knew I had one left and I thought, ‘I’ve done alright,'” Smith said. “Earlier in the game she took me off and I was like, ‘can I just have one more? I think I can get Harman out.’Heather Knight’s century paved the way for England’s win•ICC/Getty Images”But my role’s been made pretty clear, a lot of powerplay, a lot of death and I’m just glad it came off today. For me it was not trying to over-complicate too much. I’m pretty happy with how I went tonight, especially coming over. I’ve been practising that death plan all week, just trying to really bowl a tight line into their heels and just try to block off that off side.”Sciver-Brunt was also delighted with Knight’s contribution. Given the year she has had, Knight was too.”I’ve had pretty rubbish year, I’m not going to lie, before this World Cup,” Knight said. “So I was really keen to try and make the most of it and try and enjoy just being here.”It was pretty tight to make it here so I’ve made a real conscious effort to try and enjoy the trip and try and enjoy what I do and try and get the best out of myself in my batting through that enjoyment and just being happy to be here.”Sometimes you take it for granted when you’re on the treadmill of international cricket and when you do get injured you have that bit of time to reflect and realise how fun it is and the opportunities that you do get. I’m really keen to try and make the most of the opportunities during this World Cup and contribute as much as I can.”Linsey Smith bowled a nerveless last over•ICC/Getty ImagesKnight’s 91-ball 109 was her third ODI century and came in her 300th international match across formats but her first since she lost the captaincy to Sciver-Brunt in the wake of a winless Ashes tour to Australia in January and was touch-and-go to make the World Cup squad after tearing her hamstring tendon from the bone while batting in the home series against West Indies in May.”That was a pretty awful day to be honest, I felt my hamstring rip off, that was not that fun,” Knight said. “So to be here now and to be over that injury and to be contributing to the team being successful and in the semi-finals now at the World Cup is a cool place to be.”Her 113-run stand for the third wicket with Sciver-Brunt, England’s other in-form batter, was pivotal, while Amy Jones arrested a lean run since scoring 40 not out in the meagre run chase against South Africa at the start of the tournament, with 56.That included an opening partnership worth 73 with Tammy Beaumont, who continued to struggle along with a misfiring middle order. Between them Sophia Dunkley, Emma Lamb and Alice Capsey have scored just 111 runs from four innings – none were required to bat against South Africa – and all have failed to pass 20 in a single knock.3:15
Review: How did India lose this game?
Sciver-Brunt, with her century against Sri Lanka, and Knight’s blushes-saving 79 not out against Bangladesh already put them ahead of their team-mates going into this match. With Australia looming next, it is incumbent on their team-mates to back them up.Knight’s running between the wickets at Holkar Stadium on Sunday belied her previous injury although it was coming back for a second run while chancing the dangerous arm of Amanjot that proved her downfall. Amanjot fired the ball in from deep midwicket and Richa Ghosh collected it on the bounce with plenty of time to remove the bails.The Indian team’s celebrations were far more animated than Knight had been moments earlier upon reaching her ton, illustrating the importance of the wicket and whipping the home crowd into a frenzy.It reached a crescendo when Dunkley holed out to Deepti at mid-off from the bowling of Shree Charani as Knight’s departure sparked a collapse of 5 for 39 in 5.1 overs and, not for the first time at this tournament, Charlie Dean added valuable runs from No. 8 with an unbeaten 19 of 13 balls.Deepti ended with her best World Cup figures of 4 for 51 but, even though she had only had 1 for 40 from 10 overs to show for it, Smith’s feats trumped Deepti’s when it mattered.