Impressive England thrash South Africa to reach World T20 semi-finals

Anya Shrubsole started her 2018 learning that she would be the first woman featured on the front cover of Wisden for her heroics in last year’s World Cup final. Now, becoming just the second player of her gender to take a hat-trick at the World T20, she has the chance to finish it with a second major trophy in two years with England progressing to the final four after eliminating an abysmal South Africa by seven wickets with 35 balls to spare after bowling them out for 85.

The achievement capped an immaculate all-round performance from Heather Knight’s side with the ball, not least from Shrubsole’s fellow seamer Nat Sciver who took three for four to make six for 15 from 7.3 overs between England’s frugal and effective openers.

Despite not having lost a game, the legacy of their washed out opener against Sri Lanka on Saturday was that this fixture become virtual sudden death against the side they only just overcame in last year’s World Cup semi-final. But it was their opponents who played with that sense of timidity, bungling their power play and never recovering.

As part of what Shrubsole later called “close to the perfect performance” from the bowlers, England’s trio of young left-arm orthodox spinners combined to squeeze the Proteas when the game was there to be set up. Linsey Smith was the first of those into the book, winning an edge from opener Laura Wolvaardt that was superbly pouched by wicketkeeper Amy Jones.

Shortly thereafter, Kirstie Gordon, the Scottish spinner who took three wickets on her England debut on Monday, claimed the first of two breakthroughs when No 3 Marizanne Kapp struck a chance high into the sky. It was the third of the newcomers, Sophia Dunkley, who did the rest with her second assured outfield catch in her first two internationals.

Later in that over, Gordon had presence of mind to throw a hand down at a straight drive, running out non-striker van Niekerk to leave South Africa’s innings reeling at 30 for four in the ninth over. Just as it was when they capitulated against West Indies in pursuit of 107 on Wednesday, they paid the price for an insipid start with Lizelle Lee – one of the world’s foremost plunderers – making just 12 from 26 balls before Sciver trapped her lbw.

The initiative was belatedly taken by Chloe Tryon, who took 14 from the 17th over to bring a triple-figure target into striking distance. But sure enough, Sciver’s reintroduction brought her immediate downfall for 27 in what evolved into a double-wicket maiden. Shrubsole did the rest with the first three balls of the final over. The perfect off-cutter completed the job, bending back Yolani Fourie’s leg stump.

With the 40-strong crew of England family and friends dancing in the aisles in St Lucia, Danielle Wyatt and Tammy Beaumont made sure of the result by putting on 41 in the power play, punctuated by a series of delightful cover drives from the former. She passed 1,000 career runs in the process, nearly half coming since her move to the top of the order this time last year, where her strike rate has been 157.

Shrubsole deflected with customary humility when asked about becoming the second woman to take a hat-trick in T20s for England. She did, however, heap praise on Sciver. “Nat has been outstanding with the new ball,” she said, noting that she had big shoes to fill when veteran quick Katherine Brunt pulled out with injury on the cusp of the tournament. “We have always known she is capable of this and she has shown it with the bat the past and now is with the ball in this tournament.”

England’s play their final group game on Sunday against West Indies – who later beat Sri Lanka by 83 runs – which will determine who tops Pool A when the tournament moves to Antigua for the semi-final stage next week.