Heather Knight probably didn’t think she would have three decisions against her overturned in her first competitive match after eight months. But it was her steady, unbeaten 111-ball 79 after the lifelines which saved England’s blushes in a four-wicket win over Bangladesh in a Women’s ODI World Cup league match on Tuesday at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati.

“I certainly had a bit of luck today, and the kind of year I’ve had, I probably deserved it,” Knight laughed after the match.

The year she’s referring to began with a 0-16 Ashes thrashing against Australia. After leaving her role as captain in May, she was out of action with a hamstring injury.

Now back in the crease after almost a year, Knight had to lead the 179-run chase despite running out of partners at the other end. “The hardest thing sometimes, coming back from injury, is to find the rhythm in the middle, which can take some time. I’m delighted that I was able to spend a little bit of time out there and get through that pressure,” she said.

Time is something she did take to get used to the conditions under the lights as Bangladesh’s bowling attack kept hacking away at the wickets.

After 30 overs, England lost six wickets and was at sea. Knight had racked up 28 runs in 68 balls. Then, a fruitful partnership with Charlie Dean turned the match on its head.

“I always believed we were going to win. I knew that if one batter came through, then we would win it. When Alice (Capsey) came in, we sort of said that one big partnership would turn the game. It was the same with Deano (Dean).”

On the eve of the match, she revealed how sessions in the nets in similar conditions gave her an idea of the wicket.

Then, in the match, the rub of the green and some sweep shots towards the end of her knock did the job. It was truly Knight’s night.

Published on Oct 08, 2025