England vs West Indies
Dubai, 6pm local time
England squad: Heather Knight (capt), Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath, Amy Jones (wk), Freya Kemp, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Linsey Smith, Danni Wyatt
West Indies squad: Hayley Matthews (capt), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Shemaine Campbelle (wk), Ashmini Munisar, Afy Fletcher, Stafanie Taylor, Chinelle Henry, Chedean Nation, Qiana Joseph, Zaida James, Karishma Ramharack, Mandy Mangru, Nerissa Crafton
Tournament form guide: England are the only team in this group to remain unbeaten, having overcome Scotland, Bangladesh and South Africa. They are top of Group B with six points.
West Indies beat Bangladesh and Scotland after falling short to South Africa in their opener. With four points, they occupy third spot, behind South Africa.
News brief: Barring a couple of extreme scenarios, which will see both West Indies and England go through, this will be a virtual knockout game, with the winner directly advancing to the semi-finals. South Africa have one foot in the semi-final, but aren’t quite there yet, as England can still get into the next stage with a loss against West Indies, provided their margin of defeat is small enough: a one-run loss if the first innings total is between 97 and 134 or a two-run loss if they are chasing between 61 and 96; if England are batting first, they can afford to lose with one or two balls to spare only.
West Indies will hope Stafanie Taylor is available for their final group game. The experienced Taylor, who opened against Bangladesh, was forced to retire hurt after ten overs in the small chase. Captain Hayley Matthews later said Taylor had been nursing a knee problem through the tournament: “She knows how to manage her body pretty well. She’s a crucial part of our lineup, but once again, she’s a fighter, and I don’t think any of our doctors of physios would have her out here if she wasn’t up for the challenge.”
The last time these two teams played each other, England chased down 136 inside 15 overs to post a seven-wicket win over West Indies, at the 2023 World Cup, in Paarl. Overall, West Indies have won only eight of the 28 T20Is played against England.
Player to watch: Sophie Ecclestone will be the main threat in England’s four-spin attack that has worked well for them. The tall left-arm spinner has been economical, having leaked just four runs an over in the tournament and picked up four wickets in three innings. England will rely on her ability to keep the run-rate down and provide crucial breakthroughs.
