Heather Knight (Photo ICC/Getty Images)
Heather Knight’s majestic maiden T20I century helped England to a record-breaking 98-run victory over Thailand in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
The England skipper led an emphatic response to defeat against South Africa, blasting 108 from 66 balls to become the fourth batter to make a hundred at the event and send records tumbling.
England’s total of 176 for two was their highest T20I total and Knight’s unbeaten third-wicket stand of 169 with Nat Sciver was the highest partnership for any wicket in Women’s T20 World Cup history.
Thailand managed 78 for seven from their 20 overs, with England’s victory by 98 runs the largest winning margin at the tournament.
All this was scarcely conceivable after a remarkable start to the game with the 2009 winners were reduced to seven for two, both England openers dismissed for ducks for just the second time in T20Is.
Nattaya Boochatham, leading T20I wicket-taker in the world in 2019, sparked wild celebrations as her arm ball beat a charging Amy Jones and she was stumped second ball.
Opening partner Danni Wyatt then perished for a golden duck, slicing Soraya Lateh to cover point where Wongpaka Liengprasert dived forward to take an excellent catch.
Just as in their defeat to the Proteas in Perth, Sciver combined security with expansive stroke play to grasp the impetus, scoring her third half-century in four innings.
Knight showed similar restraint and punished medium-pacer Chanida Sutthiruang when she strayed leg side, twice hooking to the boundary as the pair raced to a 50 stand from 34 balls.
Knight swept Ratanaporn Padunglerd over backward square for six to reach her half-century from 34 balls, another expertly-judged sweep notching up the 100 stand in the 15th over.
The England captain moved past 90, lifting Liengprasert over long-on in an over that cost 17, and became the fourth England player to reach three figures with a cut for two in the final over.
Knight has a remarkable record at Manuka Oval, with all four of her T20I 50+ scores coming in Australia’s capital, the most of any woman at a single venue in the format.
Her side posted an imposing 176 for two and it took just four balls of the Thai reply to strike, Anya Shrubsole jagging one back through Boochatham’s defences and trapping her lbw for 0.
Natthakan Chantam impressed with her power through the off-side, driving Katherine Brunt handsomely to the cover boundary and then cutting Sciver to the fence inside the Powerplay.
With the fielding restrictions relaxed, the flow of runs ground to a virtual halt with 12 runs coming from five overs from spinners Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn and Knight.
Ecclestone’s metronomic accuracy was rewarded with the second wicket as her quicker one foxed Chantam and pinned her in front for 32 from 53 balls.
Wickets tumbled with Sciver pouching two in an over as Nannapat Khoncharoenkai was bowled slashing across the line and Sutthiruang found mid-on.
Shrubsole returned to remove Thailand skipper Sornarrin Tippoch, stumped off a wide for one, before Liengprasert was run out by the seamer to make it 62 for six.
England’s resounding victory was capped when Shrubsole forced Onnicha Kamchomphu to chip to mid-off from the penultimate delivery.
Knight hails T20 transformation after Thailand ton
Knight – the first England player to score tons in all three formats – headed to Australia with just one T20 fifty to her name but has now added a stunning 108 not out to two tri-series half-centuries.
The 29-year-old, who surpassed Charlotte Edwards’ 80 against Bangladesh in 2014 to make England’s highest T20 World Cup score, is revelling in her an upturn in her short-form fortunes.
“It’s really pleasing,” said Knight, who put on a tournament-record partnership of 169 with Nat Sciver for the third wicket.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been anywhere near a hundred in T20 cricket, so it’s nice to finally do the business in T20.
“I’m really pleased with how my batting’s improved in that area, and it’s not often I outscore Nat. I’ll be on her back in the next few days as it’s normally her up the other end outscoring me.
“Trying to score around the ground is something I’ve really tried to develop. I didn’t score around the ground that much today, there was a lot on the leg side and over square leg, but I’ve worked particularly on my power hitting.
“I’ve played that role at six or seven where you go in and have to hit the ball hard from ball one.
“Having the spell at that stage in the order has really helped with my power hitting and scoring quickly at the back end.”
Knight came to the crease with England tottering on seven for two, openers Amy Jones and Danni Wyatt both dismissed for ducks, with calls for Tammy Beaumont to return to the top likely to mount.
It was all England from there on in, with Knight extending her incredible record at Canberra’s Manuka Oval that has seen all four of her T20I 50+ scores come at the capital venue.
“I just really like the ground, it’s quite skinny, it comes on nicely and you get good value for your shots,” said Knight, who has scored over a quarter of her T20I runs in Canberra.
“I’d love to play at Manuka all the time! We’ve got another game here to hopefully cash in and put in another good performance in this World Cup.”
After removing both of England’s openers, Thailand were the butt of Knight’s destructive display and the 98-run winning margin was the widest in Women’s T20 World Cup history.
Opening batter Naruemol Chaiwai revealed her side’s delight at getting the wickets of Jones and Wyatt so cheaply, with Soraya Lateh again impressing with the new ball.
“At seven for two, we were pretty optimistic and they were very big wickets to get,” said Chaiwai.
“We thought it could affect the game, but maybe a bit of nerves affected our fielding. There are some things we have to work on. We were mainly very excited to get the chance to play England.
“Soraya has a lot of potential but she has lacked some motivation. She’s been honing her skills in the last year and the motivation of the team is helping her take the new-ball role for the team.
“Batting has not been easy for us in the tournament, but every batter has our own role and we have to assess the situation.”
Scores in brief
England beat Thailand by 98 runs, Manuka Oval, Canberra
England 176-2, 20 overs (Heather Knight 108 not out, Nat Sciver 59 not out; Nattaya Boochatham 1-18)
Thailand 78-7, 20 overs (Natthakan Chantham 32; Anya Shrubsole 3-21, Nat Sciver 2-5)
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