England has played knockout cricket since the fourth match of the World Cup. Skipper Heather Knight believes they could not have asked for better preparation for their semi-final. On the other hand, South Africa is looking to enter their first-ever World Cup final.
England started their World Cup campaign with three straight losses and was on the brink to be eliminated in the group stages. But their response has been brilliant, with four wins out of four, making sure they are playing the semis against South Africa. Heather Knight said that she is impressed with the way the team has handled this precarious situation.
“We have been playing knockout cricket for the last four games. So, we are used to having that pressure on us, and if we make one mistake, we are out, that is the perfect preparation for the World Cup semi-final. You know what is on the line, and I think it shows a lot about the character in this group after those first three games”, she said.
Batting is still a concern
She pointed out that, as a team, they have a strong core of players, and have managed to find different ways to win the last four matches, which has shown their character. “Hopefully, it will give us a lot of confidence going into that semi-final, we have built a bit of momentum up in the last four games. And that is a nice place to be again into the semis.”
One area where England have not quite fired yet is in the batting, with most players having produced significant innings, but rarely at the same time. And Knight admits it is time to put that right.
“I think we have had each batter win us a game at some point, but I do not think we have put it all together yet, what a perfect time to change that than the World Cup semi-final”, she said.
New territory for Sune Luus
England captain will be in the knockout stages for the second time as captain, but for her counterpart, Sune Luus, South African captain, it will be her first outing. She took over the captaincy from Dane van Niekerk before the tournament after she suffered an injury.
But Luus is keen to highlight what qualifying for a first World Cup final would mean for her team. “We have an opportunity to make South Africa proud and to make history. I think that is the biggest thing for me as captain.”
She added: “It is a big honour, it is something I never really thought of doing, especially so soon in my career. It is an opportunity to make history in South Africa and change a lot of lives back home as well as for us as players. I am very excited with some butterflies as well, but that is something we will manage when the time comes.”
The semi-final is a repeat of the meeting five years ago at the same stage when England edged a thriller in Bristol by two wickets. Luus took two for 24 that day as South Africa fell just short. The winner of this game will play against Australia on Sunday.
Photograph: ICC
