Bouchier leads England to thumping win over Scotland
Women's T20 World Cup, Group B, Sharjah
Scotland 109-6 (20 overs): K Bryce 33 (28); Ecclestone 2-13
England 113-0 (10 overs): Bouchier 62* (34), Wyatt-Hodge 51* (26)
England won by 10 wickets
Maia Bouchier made a classy unbeaten 62 as England moved a step closer to the semi-finals of the Women's T20 World Cup with an emphatic 10-wicket win over Scotland.
Scotland were playing for pride in their final match of their first World Cup and saved their best batting performance for last as they compiled 109-6 - their highest score of the tournament.
A measured 33 from Kathryn Bryce provided the bulk of the total while younger sibling Sarah chipped in with 27 in Sharjah.
Sophie Ecclestone was the pick of England's bowlers as she claimed 2-13 while Lauren Bell, in her first appearance of this World Cup, took 1-13.
England's opening pair Bouchier and Danni Wyatt-Hodge made light work of the target, knocking off the runs in just 10 overs without much trouble.
Bouchier, in particular, ruthlessly punished Scotland's bowlers as she and Wyatt-Hodge both made unbeaten half-centuries.
The result means unbeaten England moved to the top of Group B on six points and are guaranteed to qualify for the knockout phase with victory over West Indies in their final pool match on Tuesday.
England could still progress even if they taste defeat in that match given their net run-rate (NRR) was given a huge boost to +1.716 as they knocked off the runs with a mammoth 60 balls to spare.
Welcome runs for Bouchier
The curious scheduling of this World Cup meant England came into this fixture having not played since a seven-wicket win over South Africa just under a week ago.
England captain Heather Knight acknowledged her players had filled the days outside of training on the golf course and in coffee shops.
So this was a useful encounter to rediscover their match rhythm, even if it felt inevitable England’s experience was always going to tell.
Including this match, England’s XI had a combined 849 appearances in T20Is compared to Scotland’s 406. Equally, the average age of Scotland’s players (23) was considerably lower than England’s (27).
Knight opted to get some overs into her seamers as England bowled nine overs of pace – they only bowled eight in their first two matches of the World Cup combined.
Bell looked fairly sharp should circumstances require her in the remainder of the tournament, but the most encouraging part of a dominant England win was a welcome return to form for Bouchier.
It has been a low-key few games for the England opener and she looked particularly scratchy in her last innings against South Africa.
This knock was decidedly more fluent, and she set the tone for England’s reply with three fours off Scotland opening bowler Rachel Slater’s first three balls.
Bouchier did offer a caught-and-bowled chance to Olivia Bell in the second over, which the Scotland spinner will lament as infinitely catchable.
However, the languid England opener did not let it affect her and brought up a first half-century at a World Cup – and her first fifty in 11 innings - off 30 balls by whipping Katherine Fraser behind square for four.
With Wyatt-Hodge's batting already sizzling in the United Arab Emirates, Knight will hope this is the start of a hot streak for Bouchier.
Scotland depart having held their own
The last time Scotland’s women faced England in an official fixture - indeed, the only time - was a one-day international played at Bradfield College in Berkshire in August 2001.
On that occasion Scotland were on the end of a monumental hammering - bowled out for just 24 in response to England’s 262-7.
It’s testament to how far women’s cricket has come in Scotland that just over two decades later Kathryn Bryce felt emboldened to bat first against England after she won the toss.
Scotland may be an Associate nation, with a fraction of the funding and resources of a full member like England, but they were not overawed by the occasion.
With the bat they posted a respectable, if not especially challenging, total and one not far shy of the average first-innings score of 117 during the group matches at this venue.
There were some notable highlights as the Bryce sisters both played fluently while Ailsa Lister heaved Sarah Glenn for a 72-metre six over mid-wicket - Scotland’s first maximum of the World Cup.
Scotland’s bowling struggled against the power and crisp timing of Bouchier and Wyatt-Hodge, while their fielding was again disappointing.
But for the climax to a debut World Cup campaign this was a pretty decent showing and in none of the matches were they embarrassed.
Going forward Scotland’s players, who have only been contracted since 2022, would doubtless benefit from more matches against full members.
The England & Wales Cricket Board are not a charity, but that it has taken a World Cup for these sides to meet for the first time in a T20 international feels slightly incongruous given their proximity.
Cricket Scotland should be banging down the door to get games against their neighbours, in more familiar surroundings, inked into the calendar.
'Pure class' - reaction
Player of the match, England opener Maia Bouchier: "We got told about net run-rate in the eighth over and it’s really important at this point in the tournament.
"We want to take the trophy now. We’re keeping an eye on everyone’s scores and putting ourselves in a really positive position but we’ve got to keep our calm and not think too far ahead."
Scotland captain Kathryn Bryce: "It's been a pretty tough tournament for us, but a massive honour to be here and lead the team out.
"There can only be learnings that can be taken from it moving forward."
England captain Heather Knight: "Really pleased with the performance. The pitch has got a lot better. I thought we let them get a bit too many, but we bowled brilliantly in those conditions.
"Then it was pure class from Maia Bouchier and Danni Wyatt-Hodge."