England’s World Cup Report: Scrivens spearheads exciting new generation
Wins – 6
Losses – 1
Finishing position – Runners-up
The brilliance of England captain Grace Scrivens is just one of a large number of positives for the U19 squad to take away from the inaugural U19 T20 World Cup.
England were brutally dominant with the bat on a number of occasions, had some outstanding performers with the ball, and showed the ability to produce huge match-winning moments under great pressure.
So while Scrivens and company depart South Africa with a set of silver medals rather than the title that they hoped for, the future is extremely bright for English cricket with this level of quality coming through.
That semi-final win over Australia was one of the most dramatic moments of any World Cup, and they can take further solace from the presence of three English names in the official Team of the Tournament – Scrivens, Hannah Baker and Ellie Anderson.
STAR PERFORMER – Grace Scrivens
The all-rounder wasn’t just England’s star performer, she was the tournament’s leading light, winning the Player of the Tournament Award for her efforts.
The skipper was second only to India opener Shweta Sehrawat in the run-scoring charts, accumulating 293 runs at an average of 41.85 across her seven innings at the tournament.
And with the ball she was hugely effective, taking nine wickets in total and proving extremely difficult to take for runs.
Scrivens showed her mental strength in the clutch over against Australia, keeping things tight to build the pressure before snaffling the tenth wicket with a beauty.
And the 19-year-old won’t have to wait long for senior international appearances; on this evidence she is ready to step up.
NOTABLE MENTION – Hannah Baker
The leg-spinner was outstanding throughout the campaign, finishing as England’s leading wicket-taker with ten dismissals to her name.
Some of Baker’s returns were really exceptional: 2/9 against Rwanda, 3/9 against Ireland and then that incredible 3/10 against Australia.
If it wasn’t for the brilliance of Baker’s bowling, England would not have been able to put Australia under such enormous pressure in the semi-final. She, along with Scrivens, were the key to making it through to the final.
WHAT THE MENTOR SAID
Former England international ICC Mentor Lydia Greenway worked with the England squad.
“This is a hugely exciting stepping stone in the players’ journey.
“We wanted to ensure they finish the tournament with brilliant memories and experiences, with the motivation to take the game forward.
“It’s been an exciting time with the players and observing their growth with the passing of every match in the tournament has been really gratifying.”
RESULTS
Zimbabwe – Won by 176 runs
Pakistan – Won by 53 runs
Rwanda – Won by 138 runs
Ireland – Won by 121 runs
West Indies – Won by 95 runs
Australia – Won by 3 runs
India – Lost by 7 wickets
