Danni Wyatt-Hodge smacked an unbeaten 89 runs to lead England to a comfortable win over New Zealand's White Ferns, helping her team cruise into the T20 World Cup semi-finals with 2.4 overs still to spare while chasing 164. The victory capped off a perfect group stage for England's women's cricket team — they won all four of their matches without dropping a single one.
England's batting throughout Group Two has been nothing short of dominant. They crossed the 200-run mark against both Sri Lanka and Scotland, then posted a solid 186 for 7 against a tough West Indies bowling attack at Lord's Cricket Ground. Captain Heather Knight said the team's goal was simply to win the group, but the way they've done it has exceeded expectations.
"Our batting has been particularly powerful and a real positive for us," Knight said. "We seem to be getting better with each game, which is really good going into the business end of the tournament."
The semi-final won't be easy. England could face either India — the current one-day international world champions — or South Africa, which has appeared in every World Cup final for the past three years. The exact opponent and match timing won't be known until Group One finishes on Sunday. Tuesday's slot has been reserved to suit Indian television schedules, so England would play that day only if India finishes second in Group One; otherwise, they'll take the Thursday evening slot.
Despite the tough road ahead, Knight said this England squad feels different from those that came before.
"We are going in with the most confidence we have ever done into a semi-final and with a lot of belief," she said. "A confident group is a dangerous group."
England's next challenge awaits — and on current form, they're ready for it.