England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt provided an update on star spinner Sophie Ecclestone, who had to exit the field early during the Women’s World Cup match against New Zealand on Sunday, October 26, in Visakhapatnam.
Ecclestone sustained an injury in the first over of New Zealand’s innings while making a couple of crucial diving stops, leading to her knee getting stuck on the ground. She briefly left the field after the second over but made a return during the 17th over, offering a glimmer of hope to the England team.
Later, Ecclestone reentered the game in the 23rd over and managed to dismiss Brooke Halliday. However, she left the field again immediately after, with Sophia Dunkley stepping in to complete the remainder of the over.
Despite initial hopes of her return, Ecclestone did not come back to play, with Sciver-Brunt confirming that resting her was a precautionary measure ahead of England’s upcoming semi-final clash against Laura Wolvaardt’s South Africa on October 29 in Navi Mumbai.
Sciver-Brunt mentioned in the post-match press conference, “Don’t know anything further, but it was a precaution with a huge match coming up. Wouldn’t want to risk anything.”
Ecclestone has been a pivotal part of England’s bowling attack, standing as one of the top wicket-takers for the team alongside left-arm spinner Linsey Smith. With an impressive record of 12 wickets in six matches at an economy rate of 3.98, Ecclestone’s standout performance includes figures of 4 for 17 in 10 overs against Sri Lanka.
England wrapped up the league stage with a dominant eight-wicket win over New Zealand. Smith’s three wickets restricted the visitors to 168 runs in 38.2 overs, with Georgia Plimmer being the top scorer for New Zealand with 43 runs.
In pursuit of the target, England comfortably secured victory with 20.4 overs to spare. Amy Jones spearheaded the chase, finishing unbeaten on 86 off 92 balls, featuring 11 boundaries and a maximum. The triumph allowed England to bounce back from their prior loss to Australia and conclude the league stage on a positive note.