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Player of the Match
Player of the Match

England blow Scotland away to get to the top of Group B (for now)

Maia Bouchier cracked a 30-ball fifty Getty Images

England 113 for 0 (Bouchier 62*, Wyatt-Hodge 51*) beat Scotland 109 for 6 (Kathryn Bryce 33, Ecclestone 2-13) by ten wickets

England have gone top of Group B with a game to play after demolishing Scotland by ten wickets in Sharjah. By chasing down a modest target of 110 with ten overs to spare, they overtook South Africa, who are also on six points but have played a game more, on net run-rate.

The manner of the victory, sealed with a boundary by Maia Bouchier, whose unbeaten 62 is now the tournament's highest individual score, also saw England boast an NRR higher than West Indies. They square off on Tuesday in what is a knockout encounter, though both teams could mathematically still go through together at the expense of South Africa.

Danni Wyatt-Hodge also registered a half-century, 51* off 26, in an opening stand with Bouchier that now ranks as the highest at this World Cup. It was a boundary-laden affair - 76 runs coming in fours - that ended Scotland's maiden women's World Cup campaign with a fourth straight defeat.

Scotland were able to sign off with their highest total after winning the toss and electing to bat. Skipper Kathryn Bryce's 33 off 28 - the only Scottish batter to strike at more than a run a ball - provided the backbone of the innings, as she batted through to the end of the 17th over, having arrived for the start of the ninth. Her sister Sarah Bryce opened with 27 from 31, the only other score of note, though Alisa Lister had the honour of hitting Scotland's first six at a major tournament when she slog-swept Sarah Glenn in the 13th over.

England kept their opponents in check throughout, though they did fail to take a wicket in the powerplay for the first time in six matches as Sarah and Saskia Horley made it through the opening six overs, albeit for just 29. Sophie Ecclestone, as ever, was the pick of the bowlers, the left-arm spinner finishing with 2 for 13 from her four overs.

Lauren Bell, making her first appearance of the tournament with England keen to make use of a pitch now conducive to seam, finished with 1 for 16. She was one of two changes for Heather Knight's charges, with Sophia Dunkley replacing Alice Capsey. Capsey had been unwell in the week, with the management deciding not to take any risks, especially with the heat in England's day game of the competition.

Bell bowled Lorna Jack-Brown, who ended her international career with a three-ball duck. She finishes as the most-capped player in Scotland's history.

Full report to follow