England take on Windies in keen contest

Mumbai: With all the teams having achieved a win each, the Group A contests in the ICC Women`s World Cup move into the climactic stage here tomorrow with holders England taking on an equally buoyant West Indies even as hosts India clash with Sri Lanka.

The England-West Indies contest, a day match at the BKC ground, is between two sides who have bounced back with comprehensive wins over India and Sri Lanka, respectively, after losing their opening games. The winners would go through to the Super Six stage and the losers would have to await the result of the other day-night game to see whether they are still in the hunt. Yesterday, England outclassed India by 32 runs with their captain and five-time World Cupper Charlotte Edwards leading from the front with a classy century (109) after a shocking loss in their lung opener to Sri Lanka. Likewise, 21-year-old opener Stefanie Taylor did a splendid match-winning job with a personal high score of 171, that paved the way for a thumping 209-run win for the West Indies against Sri Lanka. Thanks to their record total of 368 made on the MIG Club ground with 60-yard boundaries, West Indies are on top of the group with a net run rate of plus 1. India and England follow behind the group leaders and Sri Lanka are placed at the bottom with a net run rate of -2. Edwards is aware of the danger posed by the West Indies, especially Jamaican Taylor and Barbadian Deandra Dottin, who is capable of playing blinders. "We look forward to the game against the West Indies. They are an exciting team. They have got two world class players in Dottin and Taylor. It is all set up nicely for Tuesday, which I am sure is going to be a great encounter," said Edwards, the leading run-getter now in women`s ODIs. The England captain said the key to bowling on Indian pitches is to bowl straight and not give width for the batters to free their arms. "I think we have adapted well. We had a long chat yesterday (Saturday) and it is really important that we try to bowl without giving width. Any width on these wickets is a free hit and we talked to (pace spearhead) Katherine (Brunt) about it and she bowled well during power play overs against India," Edwards said after the win over India. "As a team we obviously need to have a few plans, I am not looking forward to Dottin get going and I am sure Katherine (Brunt) will have an answer to her hopefully," she added. The West Indies fielded brilliantly and would look to their spearhead Shekera Selman, who can bowl at a lively pace, to trouble Edwards and others in the England top-order. "Taylor did extremely well. Once we get a good start I believed we could accelerate with the batting line-up we have. We can bat from 1-11," said West Indies skipper Merissa Aguilleira, after her side had whipped Sri Lanka. The teams (from): England: Charlotte Edwards (captain), Jenny Gunn (vice-captain), Tammy Beaumont, Arran Brindle, Katherine Brunt, Holly Colvin, Georgia Elwiss, Lydia Greenway, Danielle Hazell, Amy Jones, Heather Knight, Laura Marsh, Anya Shrubsole, Sarah Taylor, Danielle Wyatt. West Indies: Merissa Aguilleira (captain), Stafanie Taylor (vice-captain), Shemaine Campbelle, Shanel Daley, Deandra Dottin, Kycia Knight, Kyshona Knight, Natasha Mclean, Anisa Mohammed, Subrina Munroe, Juliana Nero, June Ogle, Shaquana Quintyne, Shakera Selman, Tremayne Smartt. PTI