England reach semi-finals after exacting revenge on West Indies

England showed maturity to overcome their first real test of the Women’s Twenty20 World Cup to secure a place in the semi-finals with a 38-run win over the West Indies at Lord’s. It was the visitors who knocked England out of the last edition of the tournament, in a dismal performance where they shelled five catches and stuttered in absence of then-captain Heather Knight. The capitulation prompted questions about fitness and professionalism that have been difficult to shift even with a change of leadership. But in scorching heat more typical of Barbados than London, England held their nerve against the team who proved their undoing just two years ago, scoring 186 for seven and then limiting the West Indies to 148. There was a bizarre moment when England were celebrating their first wicket following a successful Decision Review System (DRS) review, but captain Hayley Matthews protested the decision before reluctantly trudging back to the dugout. It was a significant call and a fortunate one for England. There was a spike on UltraEdge but the pictures also showed a gap between bat and ball, which was acknowledged by the third umpire. Matthews was given out, but she was adamant the noise had come from something else.