England’s batting blitz puts winless Ireland on alert at the Women’s T20 World Cup

England return to the Rose Bowl on Tuesday to face Ireland in the Women’s T20 World Cup, and the gap between the two sides could hardly be wider right now. The hosts opened the tournament by piling up 219 for 1 and thrashing Sri Lanka by 87 runs. Ireland, meanwhile, slipped to a 40-run defeat against Scotland in their first game and are still searching for a foothold in the competition.

For Indian fans following this World Cup, the match starts at 11pm IST and shapes up as one of the more lopsided fixtures of the early round. England are heavy favourites, and the numbers behind that are hard to argue with.

England’s batting sets the tone

Danni Wyatt-Hodge was the headline act in the opener, blazing an unbeaten 105 to become only the second England player, after Heather Knight, to score a century at a Women’s T20 World Cup. The bowling did its job too. Freya Kemp finished with 4 for 22 against Sri Lanka, and a side that can post 200-plus and then take wickets in clusters is a difficult assignment for any opponent, let alone one low on confidence.

Nat Sciver-Brunt’s side know these conditions well, and on this kind of surface they will back themselves to bat first and put the game out of reach early.

Ireland looking for a response

Ireland arrived at this World Cup off a strong qualifying campaign, and captain Gaby Lewis carried much of that load, topping the run charts on the way through. Leading a side at a World Cup for the first time, she will want a sharper performance than the one against Scotland, where Ireland never recovered from a slow start.

The history is not on their side. England have never been beaten by Ireland at a T20 World Cup, and Ireland are still chasing their first win at the tournament after a long run of group-stage exits. Pulling off the upset here, against the hosts and on this kind of form, would be the biggest result in their World Cup history.

What to watch

The contest within the contest is Ireland’s bowling against England’s top order. If Lewis and her seamers can find early swing and slow England’s start, the scoreboard pressure shifts. If not, England’s openers will likely make it another long evening for the Irish, and a second straight win would put the hosts in firm control of their group.

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