Heather Knight completes historic century feat as England get off the mark at T20 World Cup

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Heather Knight, the England captain, struck her first T20I century to drive her team to a 98-run win over World Cup debutants Thailand at Manuka Oval in Canberra on Wednesday, registering England’s first points for the tournament in the process.

Knight’s partnership of 169 with Natalie Sciver was the highest in a T20 World Cup, taking England to a score of 176 for two. Thailand were held to 78 for seven in reply.

The match was not as comfortable as those numbers suggest. England were vulnerable following an opening-round loss to South Africa, and there would have been some serious nerves when Thailand grabbed two wickets within the first two overs of the day.

Amy Jones went second ball of the match, advancing at Nattaya Boochatham only to find the ball had dipped beneath her driving bat and through for a stumping. Soraya Lateh then bowled a round-arm delivery that burrowed into the pitch to deny leverage, making Danni Wyatt lift her cover drive for Wongpaka Liengprasert to take an excellent catch tumbling towards point. Both openers were gone for ducks.

In her press conference the previous day, Knight had asked for boldness. “I don’t think in this World Cup you’ve got time to be fearful,” she said. From a score of seven for two, she and her experienced lieutenant led by example, counter-attacking with two boundaries from each of the next two overs, and racing to a 50-run partnership from 37 balls.

By then the team rooms would have been calmer. Knight played the sweep well against Thailand’s lack of pace and advanced to create full tosses and find boundaries through gaps on the leg side, raising 50 from 38 balls without trying to wallop her way to a score. Sciver played the supporting role, her highlight a straight drive to a yorker that split the two fielders waiting deep down the ground.

The Thais were sharp in their fielding, with captain Sornnarin Tippoch making a number of diving saves in the ring at cover, and directing traffic in animated fashion even during her own overs. There were runs saved by hustle in the deep, a couple of near run outs, and two near catches on the rope as the English pair lofted shots late in the innings.

But the quality of Knight and Sciver shone through, and while there was plenty of tidy bowling, there were enough errors in length that let them free their arms to swing. The hundred partnership came up from 79 balls, and with Knight beginning to strike sixes, her own century came in the final over. She finished unbeaten on 108, Sciver on 59.

“It was just about staying calm,” Knight said after play. “We knew there would be opportunities to score. Myself and Nat generally score quickly when we get in. It was just about trying to build a partnership. It can be quite easy to panic in that situation.”

With batting Thailand’s weaker suit, England’s score was never likely to be challenged. Anya Shrubsole took three wickets, but Thailand avoided being bowled out. Opener Nattakan Chantam top-scored with 32, placing some lovely drives and cuts to the off-side boundary while adding 47 with Nannapat Koncharoenkai. But from Chantam’s dismissal in the 13th over, the pattern at one end was to swing big and hole out while Naruemol Chaiwai made a crisp unbeaten 19 at the other.

“At that point we were optimistic, to get those big wickets, and thought that it could affect the game,” said Chaiwai about her team’s start with the ball.

For her part, Knight tried not to consider dropping a game to the Thai team. “You can’t really have doubts in T20 cricket, that’s when you get into trouble,” she said. “I didn’t let myself entertain that thought today.” It showed.