Sarah Glenn's all-round brilliance helps England beat West Indies by 47 runs again
England (151-8) beat West Indies (104-8) by 47 runs
It’s time to replace the record player because this one’s broken. England have played the West Indies three times this year and after Wednesday night’s effort have beaten the tourists in similar fashion on each occasion, notching up a 46, 47 and now another 47-run win.
Float it up and pace off was the order of the evening as England’s three spinners, Mady Villiers, Sarah Glenn and Sophie Ecclestone, picked up six wickets between them. Unless you’ve got the pinpoint accuracy of the fiery opener Katherine Brunt, once again going at under three per over, it was hardly even a choice but to opt for slow and steady.
It worked for the West Indies, too. Afy Fletcher, the leg-spinner, was the first to show signs of turn and, on occasion, getting the ball to stick in the turf. Wicketless and hit for 25 from her three overs on Monday, Fletcher kept on confidently wafting it up. In the 14th over of England’s innings she was rewarded, claiming captain Heather Knight for 17 and just one run conceded.
When Fran Wilson fell the following over, neatly stumped by the dynamic wicketkeeper Shemaine Campbelle for just four, England were, we thought, reeling on 96 for six. So when captain Stafanie Taylor, her own off-spin returning two wickets for 12 runs, turned not to the slower, tidier seam of Chinelle Henry to round off England’s innings but to the faster, more wayward, Shamilia Connell, you’d be remiss not to wonder why. Already having conceded 18 from two overs, the West Indies’ penultimate was disastrous, pelted for 19.
On Wilson’s dismissal the tourists would have been eyeing up an England total under 130 and a real chance of success. You could feel it, and see it; three wickets had fallen in a cluster, the West Indies were buoyant and England’s young tail had yet to be tested. But if 2019 was the year that Sophie Ecclestone broke onto the scene as a world-class spinner-cum-lower order basher, 2020 is surely the one where she has found an ally of a similar guise in Sarah Glenn.
In just her 12th T20I, the 21 year-old didn’t even bat at the T20 World Cup earlier this year. But reports of some confident showings in both disciplines during England’s intra-squad warm-up matches saw her enter the crease before specialist Wilson in the first match and with work to do in this one.
With youth, however, comes less inhibition and Glenn doesn’t appear to have any. She swivelled and struck 26 from 19 and we got a quick glimpse perhaps into England’s future as she and Ecclestone brought England beyond 150.
"It's quite special - this is the ground I grew up playing on," said Glenn, born and bred in Derby. "I’ve been wanting to work my way up the order, so it felt like quite a special moment to get some runs in an England shirt. I want to be seen as a genuine all-rounder."
Bravery isn’t only a batting requirement, as far as Glenn is concerned, either. "It’s pretty hard to bowl at these batters - you can end up going for a few runs," conceded Glenn. "You’ve just to got to try and figure out a way. I think I’ve got to keep being brave and trusting my game for it to pay off."
Worse for the West Indies, England didn’t even play that well. Deandra Dottin once again top scored for the match, with 38, as no England player surpassed Glenn’s total and the fielding, on a cold autumnal evening, looked hard on the hands.
"We got off to a decent start, then they came back," said a despondent Taylor. "We were on target for restricting them to under 145, or 135, which would've been good. The batters didn't come to the party and we need to improve in that area. It just can't be one player."
The West Indies will look for positives - they have to - and Campbelle’s four stumpings in two games gives something at least to write home about. She had been busy and fluent with the gloves in game one, without being able to effect any decisive change, but patience is a virtue and we saw many of Campbelle’s come Wednesday night. First Nat Sciver, looking powerful at the crease, made one decisive step too many and Campbelle smartly whipped off the bails. A couple of balls later and Danni Wyatt, whippet-quick between the wickets, couldn’t beat the smooth, singular action of Campbelle as she collected the throw from the deep and England’s innings stuttered.
There was a time when Sarah Taylor dominated the highlights reel for wicketkeeping around the world. No longer; Campbelle is as skilful as they come and her four stumpings across these two matches show why. If only she had the rest of her team to support her.
