England beat West Indies to secure semi-final place
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- England beat West Indies by 38 runs at Lord's (186-7 to 148-5) to clinch a T20 World Cup semi-final berth with one group game to play, extending their winning run to six matches.
- Danni Wyatt-Hodge struck 65 off 42 balls and Heather Knight 43 off 26 as England posted the highest women's T20 total at Lord's, countering a slow surface with sweeps that accounted for 49% of their runs.
- Stand-in captain Charlie Dean took 2-31 and removed Deandra Dottin via a long-on catch by Alice Capsey, stepping up for the injured Nat Sciver-Brunt.
- West Indies captain Hayley Matthews was given out caught behind on review in the fourth over, a decision she appeared unhappy with given the UltraEdge spike.
- England dropped six catches during West Indies' chase—five of them tough—with wicketkeeper Amy Jones the only clear culprit as the Windies limped to 148-5.
- Sciver-Brunt had another scan on her troublesome calf on Wednesday and is unlikely to be risked against New Zealand on Saturday, leaving Wyatt-Hodge and Knight to cover the top order.
- South Africa or India are currently the most likely semi-final opponents for England, who have reached the last four or final in five of the past six World Cups but have repeatedly faltered in pressure matches.
Why it matters: England's six-match streak and a locked-in semi-final give them rare breathing room heading into the knockouts—but Sciver-Brunt's continued absence forces Wyatt-Hodge and Knight to anchor the top order, and history (five of the past six World Cups ended in semi-final or final losses) weighs against them.
