Sciver-Brunt retires hurt as England beat Ireland
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- England beat Ireland by four wickets in Southampton, chasing 119 with 15 balls to spare after restricting Ireland to 118-9 to go 2-0 at their home World Cup.
- Nat Sciver-Brunt retired on 48 with tightness in her left calf — the same muscle that ruled her out for six weeks before the tournament following a "minor" tear on 29 April — and will undergo a scan before facing Scotland on Saturday, four days away.
- Katherine Sciver-Brunt, Nat's wife and former England international, told BBC Test Match Special the captain hadn't been crying and that from what she could see "it's not that bad."
- Sophie Ecclestone took 3-22 while Charlie Dean (2-11) and Dani Gibson (2-10) shared the remaining wickets, with Dean inducing false shots on 36% of her deliveries through accurate off-spin.
- Heather Knight scored 26 in a 64-run partnership with Sciver-Brunt after England's top order collapsed to 35-3, and said the team has shown they can "do things really well without Nat" in recent series.
- Ireland have now lost all 19 of their T20 World Cup matches, though this bowling performance was more encouraging than Saturday's defeat by Scotland, with Orla Prendergast taking 2-17.
Why it matters: The source describes Sciver-Brunt as "England's best batter and most important player," yet the same left calf that sidelined her for six weeks before this World Cup tightened again as she closed in on a fifty. With a scan pending and only four days until England face Scotland, her availability for the rest of a home tournament is suddenly uncertain despite England's 2-0 start.
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