England playing their best cricket in years - Hartley

Former spinner Alex Hartley stated that England are playing their best cricket for "years" and expressed confidence in their chances for the T20 World Cup semi-final against South Africa on Thursday. England qualified for the semi-final at The Oval after winning all five matches in Group 2, showcasing a series of impressive performances. Despite their current form, England has not won a World Cup since 2017, having struggled in knockout matches during the intervening years.

Hartley commented, "They look good. I don't want to put the mockers on them. I am going into the semi-finals nervous because we haven't seen them under pressure, and it's where England have crumbled over the last three or four years, but I am very confident."

England's journey to the semi-finals included a decisive 89-run victory over Sri Lanka, where they scored 219-1, followed by a tense four-wicket win over Ireland, which saw captain Nat Sciver-Brunt sustain a calf injury. They subsequently defeated Scotland, West Indies, and New Zealand, building momentum leading up to the semi-finals. Danni Wyatt-Hodge has emerged as the tournament's leading run-scorer, while Charlie Dean has successfully stepped in for the injured Sciver-Brunt.

Hartley praised coach Charlotte Edwards, who joined the team at the start of the previous summer after the Ashes clean sweep and seems to have instilled a sense of calm in the dressing room. She remarked, "I have been so impressed with them. They are the best [England] team I have seen for a good few years. They seem to have everything covered. I think they have one of the best bowling attacks in the world and Danni Wyatt-Hodge is in the form of her life."

South Africa finished second in Group 1 behind Australia, who advanced to the final after defeating West Indies. The Proteas have defeated England in their last two semi-final encounters, at the 2023 T20 World Cup and the previous year’s 50-over World Cup, but were not particularly convincing throughout the group stage.

Women's T20 World Cup semi-final: England vs. South Africa
2 July, 18:30 BST
Ball-by-ball commentary will be available on BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website.