By The Telegraph (World News) | Created at 2024-10-07 13:30:37 | Updated at 2024-10-07 15:20:00
1 hour ago
Good afternoon and welcome to coverage of England’s second T20 World Cup group game against South Africa in Sharjah. For England they will be seeking revenge after South Africa ended their dreams of winning the T20 World Cup last year, losing by six runs at Newlands last year at the semi-final stage.
England began their campaign with a 21-run victory over Bangladesh on Saturday, with Danni Wyatt-Hodge top scoring with 41 and both Linsey Smith and Charlie Dean taking two wickets as England’s bowlers led Heather Knight’s side to victory.
Smith, who last played in a T20 World Cup in 2018, believes that the players who were involved in that defeat to South Africa last year will have learned from that experience.
“It’s obviously spoken about quite a fair bit that game. I think the girls took a lot of learning from it.
“We’re just looking forward to taking them on again in a World Cup. Obviously, they had a really strong win the other day and we’re going to have to be at our best again to take the fight to them and hopefully get another win.”
Smith took two wickets in the opening match against Bangladesh and she is delighted to be back involved at a World Cup for England.
“It was obviously six years ago now I think, so a long time. I took a bit of time away from the England setup, which I think just helped me grow and do a lot of self-reflection and think about how I wanted to be and how I wanted to play the game.
“It was tough, but I knew I always wanted to get back in an England shirt and kind of do myself a bit of justice. I felt like I didn’t play very well six years ago so it was nice to obviously get another chance to do that in a World Cup.”
England’s total of 118 was the lowest they have ever defended at a T20 World Cup but scores have been fairly low at Sharjah on a low and slow surface.
South Africa started with a comprehensive victory over the West Indies as they cruised to a 10-wicket win, chasing 119 with ease on Friday. That game was in Dubai so that could be an advantage for England, having beaten Bangladesh in Sharjah, where today’s game takes place. Can England make it two wins from two or will South Africa do so?
The match begins at 3pm UK time.
