Unbeaten England eye place in semis but results have masked woeful batting | Raf Nicholson

<p>Nat Sciver-Brunt’s side have ditched excesses of ‘Jon-ball’ but are yet to settle into their new strategy. They need to now</p><p>England find themselves in a curious position at the halfway point of their World Cup campaign as they prepare to face the hosts, India, on Sunday. They are unbeaten, sit third in the points table, and – partly because India have already lost twice – have a 98% chance of qualifying for the semi-finals. One more win would seal their progress to the knockouts.</p><p>Yet their batting has been woeful. With the honourable exception of Nat Sciver-Brunt, England’s top seven have looked desperately lacking in the technique and temperament that is required on tricky batting tracks at Guwahati and Colombo. Without Sciver-Brunt’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/oct/11/nat-sciver-brunt-shines-as-england-recover-to-sweep-aside-sri-lanka">century against Sri Lanka</a>, England’s total would have been a mere 136 and they would almost certainly have lost. On Wednesday they found themselves 78 for seven against Pakistan: they were saved from a historic maiden defeat against Fatima Sana’s team only by <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/oct/15/england-pakistan-womens-world-cup-match-report-cricket">a well-timed deluge</a> that forced an abandonment.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/oct/18/women-cricket-world-cup-england-eye-place-in-semi-finals-but-results-have-masked-woeful-batting">Continue reading...</a>