CRICKET | The kind of year I’ve had, I probably deserved it, says Heather Knight

On her archetypal competitory lucifer aft 8 months, Heather Knight was handed 3 lifelines arsenic her 111-ball 79 saved England’s blushes successful a four-wicket triumph implicit Bangladesh successful the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 connected Tuesday astatine the Barsapara Stadium here.

“I surely had a spot of luck contiguous and the benignant of twelvemonth I’ve had, I astir apt deserved it,” Knight laughed aft the match. After a 0-16 (points) humbling by Australia successful the Ashes successful January, she near her relation arsenic skipper successful May. She past was retired with a hamstring injury.

Back successful the crease, Knight had to pb the 179-run pursuit arsenic she ran retired of partners astatine the different end. “The hardest happening sometimes coming backmost from wounded is to find the bushed successful the middle, which tin instrumentality immoderate time. I’m delighted that I was capable to walk a small spot of clip retired determination and get done that pressure,” she said.

Time is thing she did instrumentality to get utilized to the conditions arsenic Bangladesh kept hacking distant astatine the wickets. After 30 overs, England mislaid six wickets and was astatine sea. Knight had racked up 28 runs successful 68 balls. Then, a fruitful concern with Charlie Dean turned the lucifer connected its head.

“I ever believed we were going to win. I knew that if 1 batter came done past we would triumph it. When Alice [Capsey] came in, we benignant of said that 1 large concern volition crook the game. It was the aforesaid with Deano [Dean].”

She revealed however sessions successful the nets successful akin conditions connected the time earlier gave her an thought of the wicket. Then successful the match, the hitch of the greenish and immoderate expanse shots towards the extremity of her sound did the job. It was genuinely Knight’s night.