Heather Knight has backed England “to come back stronger” after their defeat to South Africa in the Women’s T20 World Cup semi-finals, saying the six-run loss at Cape Town “will not define them”.
England were unable to reach a target of 165 at Newlands, ending on 158-8 after a late collapse, as their hopes of a first T20 World Cup title since the inaugural edition in 2009 were dashed.
However, with her side adopting an aggressive brand of cricket since Jon Lewis became head coach in November – emphasised by a record Women’s T20 World Cup total of 213-5 against Pakistan earlier this week – Knight says England’s upward trajectory will continue.
England host Australia in the multi-format Ashes series in June and July, while the next Women’s T20 World Cup is scheduled for Bangladesh in the autumn of 2024.
Heather Knight’s England team will play Australia in the multi-format Ashes series across June and July
Knight said: “We’re obviously gutted… but this game doesn’t define us as a group. We came out here to try and entertain and I think we’ve done that in this tournament.
“There’s certainly talent in there to be able to hopefully come back stronger in the next tournament.”
Knight: England should be proud of mentality shift
“We’re starting to build something really nicely. We are really clear in how we want to go about our T20 cricket and the girls have really embraced it.
“It hasn’t come off [against South Africa] but the future for us, with the young players being really aggressive and trying to take the game on, is to entertain.
“I think the way we’ve made a mentality shift, changed the way we want to play, is something we should be really proud of, and the experience of playing under an awesome crowd was great. I think the younger players will learn a lot from that.”
A number of young players helped England win Lewis’ first 13 games in charge, including 18-year-old all-rounder Alice Capsey and 22-year-old seamer Lauren Bell.
That duo, plus batter Sophia Dunkley (24) and spinners Sophie Ecclestone (23) and Sarah Glenn (23), should be staples of England sides for years to come but Katherine Sciver-Brunt (37) has in all likelihood played her final World Cup match.
Katherine Sciver-Brunt was taken apart by India and South Africa at the T20 World Cup
The seamer recorded figures of 2-14 against Pakistan but, in the games either side of that, the 11-run win over India and semi-final defeat to South Africa, she was expensive.
Is Katherine Sciver-Brunt on her way down?
Sciver-Brunt conceded 39 runs from three wicketless overs against India and 33 from four against South Africa, with her last over in the semi-final smashed for 18.
Sky Sports Cricket’s Nasser Hussain said: “England tried to get one more World Cup out of Katherine Sciver-Brunt. England stuck with their veteran and it didn’t work for them in the semi-final.
“You felt over the last year that she has just gone over the curve, just on her way down. However much she tries and blusters, I think she is doing that because she knows her game is not where she expects it to be.”
Hussain added: “There are two things this England side have to do. One is change the brand of cricket, which they have done. The other is realise that at the moment, you are walloping everyone and then suddenly you are in a semi-final and it’s tense when you haven’t been tense for a long time.
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England captain Knight reflects on the ‘gutting’ defeat to South Africa at Newlands
“Being tense is something you have to deal with and that’s where The Hundred, Women’s Premier League, other franchise cricket will help.
“What got to them today was that a lot of the lower order hadn’t batted in pressure situations and couldn’t get England over the line.”
South Africa are into their first World Cup final following five previous semi-final defeats across the 20-over and 50-over versions, with the triumph over England coming after Knight’s team had raced to 53-0 after five overs thanks to Sophia Dunkley and Danni Wyatt.
Hussain added: “South Africa handled pressure so well. You think of the semi-finals they have lost and in a home semi-final, packed crowd at Newlands, up against it after England’s start, to come back and deliver they way they did, fair play to them.
“They deserve to be in the final.”
Watch South Africa vs Australia in the 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup final live on Sky Sports Cricket from 12.30pm on Sunday (the first ball is at 1pm).
