Summary

  • England beat Ireland by four wickets to maintain 100% start

  • Captain Sciver-Brunt retires out on 48 with "tightness in her calf"

  • Jones, Wyatt-Hodge & Capsey out cheaply as England slip to 35-3 in chase of 119

  • Ireland take 17 off final over to battle up to 118-9

  • Ecclestone pick of England bowlers with 3-22

  • NZ on the brink after shock defeat by Sri Lanka

  • Women's T20 World Cup, Group 2

Have your say on the Women's T20 World Cup

Live Reporting

Ffion Wynne

  1. Katherine Sciver-Brunt
    Ex-England bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    That's exactly what Gaby Lewis would have asked Orla Prendergast - come back and get us a wicket.

  2. Eng 99-4

    Need 20 runs to win

    Orla Prendergast finishes a brilliant spell of 2-17 as Freya Kemp joins the England skipper in the middle.

  3. Katherine Sciver-Brunt
    Ex-England bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    I'm hoping for an England game before a potential semi-final where we get to see Dani Gibson and Freya Kemp have a little flurry.

    You always want the lower order to have batted before the big games.

  4. wicket

    WICKET

    Knight lbw b Prendergast 26 (Eng 99-4)

    Excellent review!

    Knight was down the pitch trying to work the ball into the leg side but it's too full, and replays show the ball crashing into leg stump.

    I wondered earlier whether Ireland missed a trick by not bowling Prendergast out when Knight and Sciver-Brunt were new to the crease. She's shown what she is capable of but it has probably come too late now.

  5. Ire review

    Gaby Lewis finally turns back to Orla Prendergast, and she thinks she has Heather Knight lbw!

    It's very full, hitting low on the front pad, but Knight is quite far down the pitch which could work in her favour.

  6. How's stat?!

    Rufus Bullough
    CricViz analyst

    Heather Knight of England bats during the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Group B match between England and Ireland at Hampshire BowlGetty Images

    Heather Knight averages 53 in T20I chases since the start of 2025. Walking in at 35-3, the former captain was the perfect player to instil a sense of calm and shepherd England towards the total.

  7. Eng 95-3

    Target 119

    A full toss from Aimee Maguire is begging to be clubbed for four, and Heather Knight obliges.

    England will also be delighted with Nat Sciver-Brunt spending as much time in the middle as possible during these opening games, considering her lack of game time earlier in the summer.

  8. Katherine Sciver-Brunt
    Ex-England bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    I do like a minor crisis, because it never fills me with confidence when the first game is so easy and most people don't get to bat.

  9. Eng 85-3

    Target 119

    Perhaps not.

    Looks like England are focusing solely on getting over the line as it's coming pretty effortlessly. With the help of a couple of wides, nine come from Alice Tector's first over.

  10. Ed Joyce
    Former Ireland women's coach on BBC Test Match Special

    I'm delighted with the resilience Ireland have shown.

    The total isn't a big enough one to complete with England and they could have easily folded, but they have come out and attacked.

    For England, it's not the worst thing to have a bit of a scare and perform under pressure.

  11. Eng 77-3

    Target 119

    Six runs ticked off from Arlene Kelly's over, and with the partnership going along steadily now, it's probably time to put the foot on the gas.

  12. Ed Joyce
    Former Ireland women's coach on BBC Test Match Special

    That's a Heather Knight special.

    She's so strong on the sweep, really well executed.

    The game just seems to be falling out of Ireland's reach.

  13. Eng 71-3

    Target 119

    England are kicking on now.

    Alana Dalzell drifts down the leg side and Heather Knight helps it on its way for four.

    More good news for England is that they are running plenty of quick singles and Nat Sciver-Brunt looks unbothered by her calf.

  14. How's stat?!

    Rufus Bullough
    CricViz analyst

    England are one of the best running teams and on average they run nine twos per innings in T20I since the start of 2025. Only Australia run more (13 x 2’s).

  15. Ed Joyce
    Former Ireland women's coach on BBC Test Match Special

    That's far too short.

    It was so short it hit near the bottom of the bat and Sciver-Brunt might have thought she'd picked out Prendergast at mid-on.

  16. Eng 62-3

    Target 119

    Up and over!

    For a second, Nat Sciver-Brunt would've been worried but she just gets enough to loft the ball over mid-on for four.

    England's most experienced duo have calmly withstood all the pressure that had build from those three quick wickets.

  17. Ed Joyce
    Former Ireland women's coach on BBC Test Match Special

    England's Nat Sciver-Brunt batting during the ICC T20 World Cup match at the Hampshire Bowl, SouthamptonPA Media

    The last two overs have gone for 19.

    Ireland have to drag it back and get one of these two out.

  18. Eng 54-3

    Target 119

    I'm surprised that Ireland didn't stick with Orla Prendergast. There's no point saving her for the end when defending such a low total, when the only way they were going to challenge England was by taking a load of early wickets.

  19. WinViz has it 83-17 in England's favour against IrelandBBC Sport/CricViz

    England are still overwhelming favourites according to WinViz.

  20. Eng 48-3

    That's frustrating for Ireland.

    Alana Dalzell starts with a honking ball to Nat Sciver-Brunt, pitched halfway down and she clatters it for four.