Charlotte Edwards lauded England’s character after they reached the semi-finals of the Women's World Twenty20 via a big win over Sri Lanka in their make-or-break contest.
In what was effectively a quarter-final, Edwards’ side cruised to victory when initially restricting Sri Lanka to 85 for nine.
That did not prove a challenge as Sarah Taylor’s 36 helped England home by a seven wickets, sealing their spot in the next phase.
Such a comprehensive triumph was a far cry from a disappointing beginning to the competition, when Edwards et al were defeated by West Indies in their opening game.
The captain said: “We had a bit of a blip in the first game but the way we have bounced back and the performances we’ve put in have been outstanding.
“We are in a good place now going into the semi-final stage of this tournament. We’re showing some really good signs and getting better by the game.
“This is the part of the tournament you look forward to, playing in front of big crowds and on television. That excites our team.”
Leading the way for England again was their bowlers, with Anya Shrubsole claiming 3-9 as Sri Lanka were never allowed to get going.
Edwards added: “Our bowlers were absolutely outstanding, as was Sarah Taylor behind the stumps with five dismissals.
“And she is showing good signs with the bat, which is obviously very important going into the next phase.”
Shrubsole was equally delighted to progress, saying: “We came here knowing we had to win but as a bowling unit we have been performing well and today was no different.
“We have been putting in some really good performances and now we need to make sure we can keep doing that.”