Women’s World T20: England beat India to move into final

West Indies: England cruised into the Women’s World T20 final – where they will face Australia – after a dominant eight-wicket win over India in Antigua.
Natalie Sciver – dropped on two – and Amy Jones punished India with an unbeaten 92-run partnership as they won with 17 balls to spare.
After winning the toss, India collapsed horribly, losing their last eight wickets for only 23 runs.
England lost two early wickets but Jones and Sciver saw them home.
In the night’s opening semi-final – played on the same pitch – Australia thrashed hosts West Indies by 71 runs.
England have now reached four of the six World T20 finals to be played – winning the first tournament on home soil in 2009.
On a slow pitch which was getting slower as the day progressed, England looked to have a fight on their hands as India opener Smriti Mandhana hit six boundaries in a breezy 34 from 23 balls.
But from the minute the dangerous Jemimah Rodrigues was the first of three costly run-outs, India – who chose to omit former skipper Mithali Raj – collapsed from 89-2 to 112 all out in under six overs.
Captain Heather Knight (3-9) was on a hat-trick with her part-time off-spin after removing Dayalan Hemalatha and Anuja Patil, but unselfishly took herself out of the attack to allow Anya Shrubsole to return.
England’s openers Tammy Beaumont and Danni Wyatt then both fell cheaply, and the outcome may have been different had Poonam Yadav held a regulation chance at square leg to dismiss Sciver for two.
From there on in, it was a regulation run chase as housemates Sciver and Jones compiled almost identical innings, Jones passing 50 with the winning runs.
Unusually for a semi-final – and in stark contrast to 2017’s 50-over World Cup final between these sides – it was bordering on dull at times, with Knight even calling it a “low-key win.”
India’s approach was bizarre, with an all-spin attack content to bowl short and wide of off stump, allowing the English pair to collect singles through a vacant mid-wicket region at will.
Australia on Saturday night – the final starts at midnight UK time – will prove a much tougher task for Knight and her side, with Australia looking for their fourth World T20 title.