Davina Perrin’s explosive batting played a crucial role in England’s convincing eight-wicket victory over the USA during the ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup.
The 18-year-old opening batsman smashed an impressive 74 runs off just 45 deliveries, propelling her team to their second consecutive triumph in Group A as they prepare for the Super 6 stage ahead.
The second iteration of the tournament has entered the critical phase of the group stage, with matches taking place across Malaysia on the fifth day.
New Zealand bounced back from a dramatic defeat against Nigeria to secure a solid 67-run win over first-time competitors Samoa.
In a closely contested match, Bangladesh achieved an 18-run victory over Scotland, thanks to a composed innings of 29 from their captain, Sumaiya Akter, and a notable four-wicket haul by leg-spinner Anisa Akter Soba.
England’s Dominance
In addition to keeping wickets and leading her team, Anika Kolan was instrumental with the bat for the USA, guiding them to a competitive score.
Kolan expertly anchored the innings with an unbeaten 46 runs from 42 balls, forming a crucial fifth-wicket partnership of 58 with Ritu Singh, enabling the USA to post 119 for five.
Perrin’s remarkable display of aggressive batting made chasing down that total look effortless.
Perrin launched a six over the head of Pooja Shah and concluded her innings with three sixes and nine fours before being caught at deep cover just two balls later.
Trudy Johnson complemented Perrin in a dominating second-wicket partnership of 117 and steered England to victory with a steady, unbeaten 44.
New Zealand Returns to Form
After being put to bat in a 17-over match, New Zealand faced early trouble, sinking to 12 for three as Samoan bowler Olive Lefaga Lemoe claimed two early wickets—her nation’s first scalps in the tournament.
New Zealand’s chances for advancing to the Super 6 were bolstered by a stellar performance from Eve Wolland, who scored 48 runs, hitting two sixes and two fours.
Wolland formed a 55-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Anika Todd, leading the team to a total of 107 for nine, a score that proved too daunting for Samoa, who were bowled out for just 40.
Samoa’s innings struggled to gain momentum as wickets fell regularly, with medium pacer Tash Wakelin claiming three wickets for just three runs and leg-spinner Rishika Jaswal picking up three for 12.
Remarkably, both Jaswal and Sophie Court bowled two maiden overs within their four-over spells, bringing New Zealand back to form at a crucial time.
Bangladesh Demonstrates Composure
Captain Sumaiya led Bangladesh with another outstanding performance, guiding her team to 121 for nine.
Initially, a strong score seemed unlikely as Bangladesh found themselves at 50 for five, with Scottish bowler Nayma Sheikh taking two wickets for 15 runs in her four overs.
However, Sumaiya steadied the innings and orchestrated a strong finish, making a composed 29, supported by contributions of 20 from keeper Juariya Ferdous and 21 from Afia Ashima Era.
Scotland’s innings fell apart as they lost wickets in quick succession.
Openers Emma Walsingham and Pippa Kelly were both dismissed in the fifth over, falling victim to Anisa’s leg-spin.
A string of five wickets fell for just 26 runs, and despite a commendable 43 from keeper Pippa Sproul, Scotland ended up 18 runs short of duplicating their vital win over Nepal from Monday.
Image Source: Davina Perrin @ Instagram
