Lauren Bell is part of an England side that can lock in a direct semi-final place when it meets the West Indies at Lord's on Wednesday. Charlie Dean, England's stand-in captain, said the job is simple: win once more and the group stage path tightens fast.
Charlie Dean's one-win target
“It’s really important for us to win one more game to get us through to the semi-finals,” Dean said ahead of the match. England will stay unbeaten at their home ICC Women's T20 World Cup if they do it, and they avoid dragging their qualification into the final group match against New Zealand.
“That is the job at hand and what we want to do. The West Indies are an explosive side and they are notoriously good in World Cups as well. To be able to get one up on them would prove how good a place we are in as a team.”
Lord's in mid-30s heat
North London is expected to sit in the mid-30s for the match, and Dean said England have already adapted their preparation. “It was quite warm batting with the helmet on. As cricket players, we play cricket in other countries where the weather is very similar,” she said.
“It’s a bit different with it being this hot at home. But we have lots of cooling methods and make sure we fuel up. It’s about being ready to get out there. It’s an evening game so might be a bit cooler.”
England do not get the luxury of easing into this one. The West Indies are unbeaten too, and they arrive with the sharper recent form line after beating Sri Lanka in Bristol by five wickets, with Karishma Ramharack taking two wickets in that win.
West Indies and 2016
“Our standards keeping getting better and better so being able to work hard and prove we can do it in the heat is a good opportunity but it’s not something we are particularly thinking about. We know we are able to perform under those conditions,” Dean said. The complication is obvious: England can seal the cleanest route through, but the West Indies have already won the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in 2016 and know how to handle this stage.
For England, that makes Wednesday a control test rather than a dress rehearsal. Beat the West Indies, and the final group game stops being the story.
