Cricket
Alan Gardner and Mohammad Isam in Mirpur 10y

No sixes for England

Womens World T20, Cricket

The triple miss

Heather Knight had already lofted Erin Osborne straight down the ground for one boundary when she tried it again. Her drive was firmly struck but a little lower and Osborne missed the catch above her head by a whisker. Jess Jonassen made good ground from long-off but, in bending to collect the ball, managed to deflect it past the covering fielder, Jess Cameron, who had come across from long-on. Cameron threw herself full length after it but a third pair of hands was unable to prevent four.

The first boundary

England doesn't rely on sixes - not having hit any all tournament - but they were having a tough time even finding their first boundary in this final. It came at the end of the third over when Charlotte Edwards played the paddle sweep to Rene Ferrell. It found the gap, and went for four, but the shot looked mildly desperate.

The catch

England's openers had been penned in by some precise lines but Edwards and Sarah Taylor were still together as the end of the Powerplay neared. Sarah Coyte was bowling the sixth over when Edwards got under a drive, the bat turning slightly as the ball looped towards mid-on. Momentarily it looked as if the lack of power would save her, only for Jess Cameron to swoop to her left and take the ball inches above the ground.

The return

Erin Osborne had gone for 13 runs in her first over but when Meg Lanning brought her back, she repaid the faith with top scorer Heather Knight's wicket in the 13th over of the innings. But the wicket was more down to Ellyse Perry's catch at the midwicket boundary, as it was hit very hard and low.

The statement of intent

Australia's predilection for hitting sixes was in stark contrast to the approach favoured by England. Chasing a small target, and aware that Anya Shrubsole would be giving away little at one end, Jonassen decided to take on Danielle Hazell in the second over. Hazell's first ball was dumped over long-on (Australia's 15th six and counting), the third speared through point and the sixth bullied in front of square. Not bad for an ersatz opener.

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