Pakistan v England: ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup – live! | Sport

6th over: Pakistan 19-2 (Amin 2, Sohail 7) Omaina Sohail gets off the mark with a nice looking drive that pulls up just short of the rope, the outfield is lush and a little slow. Pakistan pick up three. Sohail unfurls another drive and this is timed more sweetly than the last, beating a diving Beaumont to the fence for four. Lovely shot (s).

5th over: Pakistan 11-2 (Amin 1, Sohail 0) Brunt has it on a string. Six dots. A maiden.

England have looked sprightly in the field and well and truly up for this match, Bismah tries to come back for a risky second run but some quick work by Amy Jones scampering after the ball and Sophie Dunkley at the stumps sees her run out by half a foot. Or a full foot. Depending on how big your feet are. Ah Ian Smith on comms reckons it was four inches. Let’s go with that.

4th over: Pakistan 11-2 (Amin 1, Sohail 0)

3rd over: Pakistan 8-1 (Amin 1, Bismah 6) Brunt keeps it full and a second slip is brought in by the skipper. Good attacking cricket from England. A drive for a couple and a flick away for a single from Bismah.

2nd over: Pakistan 5-1 (Amin 1, Bismah 3) Anya Shrubsole to start from t’other end…. and she is getting vast amounts of swing through the air. Loads of the stuff. She keeps it full, enticing the drive. A couple off it.

1st over: Pakistan 3-1 (Amin 0, Bismah 2) What a start for England. Brunt nearly has another too off the final ball of the over! Another knick but this time wide of a diving Knight in the slips. Get another one in there Heather! The ball looks to be moving around out there. I’m awake. You?

BRUNT GETS ONE WITH THE FIRST BALL OF THE MATCH! Full, a bit of nibble away and Nahida Khan pokes forward in front of her body and gets a thick edge to Heather Knight at slip! Brunt has arms outstretched. That’ll do.

The players have sung the anthems and done their huddles. Katherine Brunt has the new ball. Nahida Khan and Sidra Amin are opening up for Pakistan. Let’s play!

Emma Lamb in, Charlie Dean misses out for England.

Clear and bright in Christchurch but Heather Knight has spotted a smattering of ‘live’ grass on the wicket and chosen to ask Pakistan to have first dig.

Hello and welcome to the OBO of England vs Pakistan at Hagley Oval in Christchurch.

It’s another must win game for Heather Knight’s side. The three early defeats in the tournament to Australia, West Indies and South Africa have seen them on the precipice, tip-toeing around the edge of elimination. Somehow they have managed to not topple off. A late wobble against New Zealand in their previous game, one in which they were coasting, laid bare their predicament – they simply can’t afford any more slip ups. Think a trapeze artist over a pool of piranha or Indiana Jones on that rickety bridge above crocodile infested waters. One slip and it’s goodbye. The gnashers could also then be out for a side that feels like it has been tottering towards the end of a cycle for a little while.

Still, a win here against Pakistan and a prospering over Bangladesh in their final first-round game on Saturday will see England more or less certain of securing a semi final spot. That’ll be some achievement considering how things began and from there, who knows? It’s not as if teams haven’t won World Cups without chucking in a few dud performances along the way, right?

“We’ve managed to turn it around a little bit but still haven’t played our best cricket” said Knight in the aftermath of the nerve-jangling win over New Zealand.

“We feel like we’re building. Our message at the beginning was ‘it’s not how you start at these tournaments, but how you finish.’ Hopefully we can make that come true.”

Pakistan might be propping up the table but they are a talented side who will be buoyed by finally putting an end to an 18 match, 13 year, losing streak stretch in World Cups. Off-spinner Nida Dar twirled them to victory, snatching 4 wickets for just 10 runs in their weather-curtailed game against West Indies. England have won their last ten ODIs against Pakistan but with a World Cup and at least a few legacies on the line it promises to be an intriguing contest.

As ever do get in touch with any musings, mutterings or mirth – I’m ‘doing the double’ and will be here throughout the night from my lonely-yet-surprisingly-comfy-sofa-bed in South London. So far all I have for company is a full mug of coffee and a snoring 1year old. Neither will last that way for long.

I’ll be back with news of the teams and the toss shortly, play gets underway in Christchurch at 2pm local/1am GMT/12pm/AEDT.