England Women through to World Cup semi-finals with India win

England Women 288-8 beat India Women 284-6 by four runs

England Women booked their place in the semi-finals of the ICC Women's World Cup with a dramatic four-run win over co-hosts India.

Player of the Match Heather Knight scored a majestic 109 to see England post 288-8, but with the home team well placed in their reply - needing 56 runs from 54 balls with seven wickets in hand - it took an unexpected turnaround from England’s bowlers to turn the outcome on its head.

Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur put on 142 for the third wicket but when they were separated, England had a glimmer of hope and they continued to chip away right to the end.

With 27 needed from the last three overs, Linsey Smith and Lauren Bell kept cool heads at the close to get Nat Sciver-Brunt’s team over the line and into the semi-finals, much to the disappointment of the vocal home support.

Smith’s very tidy 10-over spell gave her a claim for Player of the Match, but it went to Knight who - in her 300th England game - had played a fine innings to set up the win. It was her third ODI ton and her quickest, combining with Sciver-Brunt for 113 after Tammy Beaumont and Amy Jones had put on 73 for the first wicket.

England will play Australia at the same venue on Wednesday, with New Zealand to follow, before the semi-finals on 29 and 30 October.

Please find video from Heather Knight’s post-match press conference HERE. Please find audio from Heather Knight's post-match press conference HERE.

England's ICC Women's Cricket World Cup Schedule 2025

Friday 3 October: England Women v South Africa Women, Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati - England Women won by 10 wickets

Tuesday 7 October: England Women v Bangladesh Women, Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati - England Women won by 4 wickets

Saturday 11 October: England Women v Sri Lanka Women, R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo - England Women win by 89 runs

Wednesday 15 October: England Women v Pakistan Women, R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo - No Result

Sunday 19 October: India Women v England Women, Holkar Stadium, Indore. England Women win by 4 runs.

Wednesday 22 October: Australia Women v England Women, Holkar Stadium, Indore. 10:30BST.

Sunday 26 October: England Women v New Zealand Women, Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam. 05:30GMT.

Wednesday 29 October: First Semi-Final, TBC. 09:30GMT.

Thursday 30 October: Second Semi-Final, Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai. 09:30GMT.

Sunday 02 November: Final, TBC. 09:30GMT.