ENGLAND EASE PAST SCOTLAND AT HEADINGLEY
cotland's hopes of qualification for the ICC Women's World Cup semifinals were dealt a blow as they lost by 38 runs to hosts England on a historic night at Headingley.
England racked up 200-5 in their twenty overs as Sophia Dunkley (57) and Alice Capsey (40) profited on untidy Scottish fielding, before Freya Kemp (39) and Dani Gibson (30) hammered 61 runs in less than four overs at the end of the innings.
Kirstie Gordon (2-30) bowled brilliantly against many of her former teammates, including dismissing Amy Jones with the first ball of the innings, while Hannah Rainey (1-30) also impressed, but England were gifted runs by errant ground fielding throughout.
Faced with a huge total to chase, Scotland battled gamely as Darcey Carter (29) and Katherine Fraser (20) started strongly, Sarah Bryce (34) hit some sparking shots, and Pippa Sproul (27) combined with Gordon (23 not out) for a memorable cameo partnership at the end but the task was too great as they fell well short to total 162-7.
Scotland now move on to Bristol to face New Zealand on Tuesday, with a win essential to keep their hopes of qualification alive. They finish their Group B campaign against Sri Lanka on Friday at Old Trafford.
A sun-kissed Headingley and a crowd of 11,419 witnessed drama from the very first ball, as Gordon's well flighted delivery was ballooned by Jones to cover where Megan McColl took a wonderful diving catch. This brought Dunkley to the crease, a replacement for injured England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, and she took the attack to the Scottish bowlers.
Scotland's fielding, which had been so good in the opening two matches, began to deteriorate as a series of errors led to giftwrapped boundaries. Three catches went down - two tough ones to Priyanaz Chatterji and to Fraser, and another more straightforward chance by McColl at cover.
Gordon returned in the sixth over and struck with her first ball again as Danni Wyatt-Hodge hacked a long hop to Kathryn Bryce at mid on. Capsey joined Dunkley and the momentum picked up, with England reaching 91-2 at the halfway stage, with Dunkley picking up her half century from just 33 balls.
Skipper Bryce bagged Dunkley for 57 in the eleventh over as a sweep was well caught by Rainey in the deep. The pace bowler, playing on her home ground and in the side for the injured Rachel Slater, then removed the dangerous Capsey for 40 with a peach of delivery that clipped off stump. Scotland were taking wickets, but the runs continued to flow as the ground fielding continued to be sloppy.
Chatterji, on her 150th cap, picked up the key wicket of Heather Knight for 25, but Freya Kemp brought up England's 150 with a straight six off Bryce. Dani Gibson joined her with some ferocious hitting, including a massive six off Gordon into the second tier of the Howard Stand. The pair brought up a fifty partnership in just 18 balls, and four more boundaries in the final over took the total to 200-5.
Scotland needed a fast start from their openers and Fraser smashed Lauren Bell for six over long on in the opening over before doing the same to Linsey Smith in the next. Scotland raced to 38 in three overs before Fraser was bowled by England captain Charlie Dean.
The runs continued to flow for Scotland as they reached 52-1 at the end of the powerplay, but next over there was a blow to the chase as Kathryn Bryce was bowled by Sophie Ecclestone. The required run rate had already climbed to twelve runs an over, and Ecclestone struck again in her next over to bowl Carter for 29.
The Scots were 73-3 at the halfway stage, and McColl was next to fall for 10 to a catch in the deep. Sarah Bryce was now motoring on a wicket perfect for batting, and slashed Bell for a spectacular six over point, but she - and Scotland's hopes of victory - fell with her dismissal on the boundary to Smith.
Chatterji was next to fall, caught and bowled by Kemp for 5. Eighteen-year old Pippa Sproul, a replacement for the injured Ailsa Lister, showed her talent and composure alongside Gordon as the overs ticked down with some fabulous strokes, and the Scots closed to rapturous applause from the crowd as the sun set over Headingley.