Cricket: England women break Twenty20 world record

Photo: Getty Images

The England team captained by Heather Knight (pictured) have smashed the women’s Twenty20 international record

Rochdale-born England captain Heather Knight’s team have smashed the women’s Twenty20 international record – just hours after a new record was set by New Zealand on Wednesday (20 June).

Earlier that day, New Zealand set a 216-1 record at Taunton, beating South Africa by 66 runs. However, England eclipsed the feat just hours later, smashing the new record with a 250-3 score against South Africa – the highest across the entire T20 board and the first time they made 200 runs in this format.

The new score set by Knight’s side is the highest ever batting total in women’s international T20, and also the largest victory margin in the history of T20. Currently the men’s T20 record stands at 230 for 8, set in the 2016 world series against South Africa.

The new women’s T20 record was set after the men’s team also set a new record during the one-day internationals (481-6), proving they can hold their own in the sport.

Knight’s side also won their One Day International Series against South Africa, winning their final game by seven wickets on Friday (15 June) levelling on Tuesday. The final score was 232-3 for England and 228 all out for South Africa.

https://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/4/sport-news/119587/cricket-rochdaleborn-heather-knight-captains-england-women-to-a-69-run-oneday-international-win

27-year-old Knight began playing cricket in boys’ and men’s teams when she was just eight-years-old after moving to Plymouth as a young girl. A talented right-handed batswoman, she played for Plymstock Cricket Club and at county level for Devon. She was part of the England squad which reclaimed the Ashes against Australia in 2013 and helped retain them in 2014.

Knight received an OBE on this year’s New Year’s honour list and was named among Wisden Almanack’s Five Cricketers of the Year for 2017 after she led the women’s team to a triumphant World Cup victory last summer.

https://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/4/sport-news/115085/heather-knight-awarded-obe-for-leading-england-to-women%E2%80%99s-world-cup-victory

https://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/4/sport-news/117954/cricket-heather-knight-named-one-of-wisdens-five-cricketers-of-the-year

One of the closest finals in the tournament's history, only the 2000 final between Australia and New Zealand was decided by a narrower margin of four runs.

https://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/4/sport-news/111488/cricket-rochdaleborn-heather-knight-captains-england-to-womens-world-cup-victory-over-india

The structure of the Twenty20 tri-series will see England women play South Africa (1pm) and New Zealand (5.40pm) on Saturday 23 June, ahead of the 2018 ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies between 2-25 November.