Danni Wyatt-Hodge has been lighting up the T20 World Cup with her bat, and she is not even England's captain. That detail alone tells you something special is happening with this team.
Wyatt-Hodge heads into Thursday's semi-final against South Africa as the tournament's leading run-scorer — the top scorer among all players in the competition. She has been scoring runs at a pace that has left bowlers scratching their heads, and teammates feeding off her energy.
England Women enter the match having won all five of their group matches so far. They opened the tournament by thrashing Sri Lanka by 89 runs, posting 219 runs — a total that set the tone for everything that followed. Captain Nat Sciver-Brunt then injured her calf against Ireland, a worrying moment that could have derailed lesser teams. Instead, the squad has rallied. Charlie Dean has stepped seamlessly into the breach, and the bowlers have kept finding ways to take wickets.
Coach Charlotte Edwards, brought in last summer after England lost the Ashes in Australia, has brought what former England spinner Alex Hartley calls "calm steel" to the dressing room. Edwards herself is a legend of the game — she scored more than 6,000 runs in her playing career — and she has slowly transformed a talented group of players into a cohesive unit that believes it can win.
"I have been so impressed with them," Hartley said. "They are the best team I have seen for a good few years. They seem to have everything covered. I think they have one of the best bowling attacks in the world and with the bat, Danni Wyatt-Hodge is in the form of her life."
Thursday's opponents, South Africa, finished second in their group behind Australia. The Proteas have actually beaten England in their past two major tournament semi-finals — at the 2023 T20 World Cup and again at last year's 50-over World Cup. That history adds edge to the matchup. But South Africa looked unconvinced through parts of the group stage, while England have grown stronger with each game, adding wins against Scotland, West Indies, and New Zealand to build genuine momentum.
If England can beat South Africa on Thursday, they will face either Australia or the West Indies in Sunday's final at Lord's — the iconic cricket ground in London. For a team that rebuilding just over a year ago after a humbling tour of Australia, reaching the championship match would mark a remarkable turnaround. England have been together for less than two years under Edwards. They are young in places, experienced in others, and right now they are playing with a freedom and confidence that suggests the best may still be ahead.