Talk about crunch time! Alex Hartley has fired a confidence boost ahead of England's T20 World Cup semi-final showdown with South Africa at The Oval on Thursday. The former spinner believes the current women's team is producing their best cricket in years, and she's not just blowing smoke – her words are backed up by a scintillating run of five consecutive victories in Group 2.
England's march to the semi-finals has been nothing short of dazzling. They started with a statement 89-run win over Sri Lanka, where they racked up an impressive 219-1. Although their subsequent four-wicket victory against Ireland was a nerve-jangler – captain Nat Sciver-Brunt suffered a calf injury during that match – the team has since been unstoppable, easing past Scotland, West Indies, and New Zealand to build momentum.
Hartley, who's 32 going on 'bullet-proof', admitted to feeling a tad nervous about Thursday's semi-final. She cited England's historical tendency to crumble under pressure in knockout games – a recurring theme over the last three or four years. They've struggled to translate their impressive form into trophy wins, including failing to lift the World Cup since 2017 and stumbling in five successive knockout matches.
But despite those past disappointments, Hartley remains 'very confident' in this squad's abilities. The team's strength lies not just in individual brilliance – opener Danni Wyatt-Hodge is currently topping the tournament's run-scoring charts – but also in their cohesion under coach Charlotte Edwards, who took the reins last summer following the Ashes clean sweep in Australia. Hartley praised Edwards for instilling a sense of calm steel in the team: 'They seem to have everything covered. I think they've got one of the best bowling attacks in the world and with the bat, Danni Wyatt-Hodge is on fire.'
South Africa, their opponents on Thursday, finished second in Group 1 behind Australia, who secured their place in Sunday's final at Lord's after beating West Indies. Historically, however, England have found South Africa a tough nut to crack in semi-finals – the Proteas have beaten them in their last two such encounters.
Source: BBC Test Match Special