A win is a win is a win. Bangladesh imploded with the bat, but England bowled well, fielded with nip and verve, and Jones and the middle-order recovered their nerve after the rush-of-blood of the first few overs. As a bonus, the debutants performed nicely and looked relaxed, Jones was tasty behind the stumps and Sciver, Knight and Shrubsole eased into third gear. They’re now top of Group A. But it’s back to the batting drawing board for bottom-of-the-table Bangladesh, they need to find someone to stick with Ayasha.
Player of the match: Debutant Kirstie Gordon for her 3-16.
That’s it from me, though you can follow Sri Lanka’s progress against South Africa on various other channels from midnight GMT. Sleep well!
9.3 overs England 64-3 (Jones 28, Knight 11) Knight stretches out her front foot and bang, she sweeps the ball for four. And then again, a swish off her legs, another boundary, as two of the Bangladeshi fielders end up cuddling as they try to stop it.Next ball Jones and Knight scamper a single and it’s handshakes all round..
ENGLAND WIN BY SEVEN WICKETS – DUCKWORTH LEWIS
We’re back on…Kubra takes the ball with nine needed.
The revised target is 64 – England need nine to win from 42 balls.
Clock ticking here as Sri Lanka v South Africa due to start at midnight GMT.
I have news, thanks to Palf on twitter – four overs lost, restart in about five minutes.
A makeshift rain-shifter does the business on the pitch at St Lucia – a rope dancing around between two golf buggies. Time ticking away here – think there will be a revised target….
High praise for Amy Jones!
Jack Russell (@jackrussellart)
Don’t know who’s been coaching @amyjones313 @LightningKS @WarwickshireCCC @englandcricket but has good technique and looks sharp and natural. Great to see @WorldT20 #WT20 #ENGvBAN #Cricket
Hmmm -will we/won’t we... the covers are being pulled away as the England team lounge in the dug-out. Amy Jones having an animated chat with Mark Robinson. Ah – the stumps are being put back in.
The umpires take the players off with England well ahead on Duckworth-Lewis. The groundstaff are sprinting on with the covers. Is this curtains?
9th over England 55-3 (Jones 28, Knight 2) Jahanara takes the ball and England have to face something a little faster. She bowls wide of the crease, resplendently fierce in black headband and slows the scoring – just three off the over. And the rain starts to fall….
8th over England 52-3 (Jones 22, Knight 1) Damn, I thought Sciver was gong all the way to the finish. She’d just toe-ended a four from Kubra before going for the charge with far too much momentum to rescue herself. Brave flight from Kubra
Sciver charges at Kubra and is stumped by a smart bit of work behind the stumps.
7th over England 46-2 (Jones 25, Sciver 19) The short haired legspinner Fahima fizzes the ball in. Jones and Sciver are wary for the first three balls. Then Sciver squares up, kneels, and plays that sweep shot again. Four all the way. Nine more from the over.
6th over England 37-2 (Jones 22, Sciver 13) Kubra is thrown the ball by Salma. Sciver shuffles across the stumps and sweeps, at an almost impossible angle. Then Kubra goes wider and Sciver upper-cuts for a couple more. Then a straight bat. I lurve watching her bat – problem solving at every turn.
5th over England 30-2 (Jones 21, Sciver 7) Sciver boom-boom: she pulls Salma for four with some relish. Then Jones lifts her high – but the soggy surface restricts her to two. Nine from the over.
4th over England 21-2 (Jones 17, Sciver 2) Rumana’s over is full of lucky escapes for England. First Jones just makes her ground going for a second run; then she skies it and the wicketkeeper Shamima Sultana runs round towards point just getting her fingertips to it. In her attempt to grab it she falls flat on her face, cutting her nose on the grill of her helmet. We spot the Bangladesh physio again. Nigar Sultana Joty pulls on the substitute gloves and in the intervening period a message seems to come out from the England dresssing room. NO HURRY or something of that ilk?
3rd over England 14-2 (Jones 12, Sciver 0) Wily Salma finding huge turn and interspersing that with an arm ball. England looking all at sea – breathe girls, breathe.
A big fat wide ball that Beaumont cuts inelegantly to point.
2nd over England 12-1 (Jones 10, Beaumont 2) A huge appeal by Bangladesh for a stumping to Rumana’s second ball. Jones takes a monster step forward but then, the third umpire shows, at the speed of light she moves her back leg so very elegantly over the line, just beating the keeper. An inside out slog later in the over beats the fielder to the boundary for four.
1st over England 6-1 (Jones 5, Beaumont 1) The slight figures of Salma bowls five super balls, but the sixth is wider, and is cut to the boundary by Amy Jones. An unexpected start. Game on perhaps.
England review the first ball of the innings, but its out! England lose their review and their big-hitter as Salma finds some turn.
A disciplined display by England with the ball and in the field. None of the debutants looked overawed, with particular congratulations to young Kirstie Gordon and her 3-16.
For Bangladesh, a booming innings by Ayasha, whose power and certainty (if not her running) has given them hope. Just a wee glimmer though. England need 77 to win.
And then there’s this. Pah! Personally I love a sundowner under grey northern skies.
Adam Collins (@collinsadam)
Dreamy sunset out the back here. Inside, Bangladesh 71-9 in the 19th. #WT20 pic.twitter.com/5hcCaYhquZ
20th over: Bangladesh 76-9 (Khadija Tul Kubra 2, Salma Khatun 3) Bangladesh bustle five runs to add to their total, surviving a run out from the last ball of the innings.
19th over: Bangladesh 71-9 (Khadija Tul Kubra 0, Salma Khatun 0) Another two-wicket cracker for England. Ecclestone is whalloped for six by Jahanara Alam over long on, but keeps her calm. The next ball Jahanara tries again and is caught. England supreme.
A slice, and a catch made simple by Knight.
Head in hands, miscommunication disaster. Khatun was slow, Sciver super-speedy with the throw.
18th over: Bangladesh 65-7 (Rumana 9, Lata 0) The outfield is sluggish, but I don’t think it is this sluggish. Classy four by Rumana though through mid-off, classy in any circumstances.
17th over: Bangladesh 57-7 (Rumana 9, Lata 0) Two runs, two wickets in the over for Gordon – not bad for a 21-year old on debut.
Lata swings… top-edges… and is caught ingloriously by Heather Knight at cover.
Straight down Dunkley’s throat at long-off – tasty!
16th over: Bangladesh 53-5 (Rumana 9, Lata 0) Bangladesh rotate the strike where they can but it has been a careful over by Ecclestone as Knight patrols the covers. Obvious frustration for Lata who is struggling to get much bat on ball.
15th over: Bangladesh 51-5 (Rumana 9, Lata 0) Well the fifty comes up for Bangladesh, but they only have five overs left… a typically tidy over by Heather Knight as the music gets going in St Lucia, and the rum starts to flow.