England maintained their winning momentum in the Women’s Cricket World Cup with a tense eight-wicket victory over Ireland, but concerns remain over the fitness of captain Nat Sciver-Brunt. England chased down a target of 119 runs with four wickets in hand and 15 balls to spare at Old Trafford on Thursday, overcoming an early collapse that saw them lose three wickets for just 35 runs.

Sciver-Brunt top-scored with 48 runs before being forced to retire hurt while England still required nine runs to win. The cause appears to be a recurrence of a calf injury that has troubled her throughout the summer. She is set to undergo a medical assessment ahead of England’s next group match against Scotland at Headingley on Saturday.

Despite the modest target, England’s chase was disrupted by Ireland’s disciplined bowling and fielding effort, particularly from captain Gaby Lewis and vice-captain Orla Prendergast. Ireland’s captain pulled off two catches in the fifth over, dismissing Amy Jones and Danni Wyatt-Hodge, the centurion from England’s previous match. Prendergast also claimed the wicket of Alice Capsey with a yorker shortly afterward, intensifying pressure on the English batting lineup.

Lewis credited her team for making England work hard for their runs. “All I asked at half-time is that we make those 119 runs as hard as possible for them to get, and we did that,” she said.

The experienced pairing of Sciver-Brunt and Heather Knight stabilized the innings with a 64-run partnership off 49 balls. Knight said: “Nat’s huge in our side. The situation tonight, having her calmness and composure and experience to play like she did. We’re really hopeful that she’ll be fine.”

When Prendergast returned to dismiss Knight leg before wicket in the 14th over, England required 20 runs from 37 balls. Following Sciver-Brunt’s injury and a late run out of Freya Kemp, Charlie Dean and Alice Tector confidently sealed the win, with Tector scoring the winning runs in the 18th over after a leg-side wide.

The match was delayed by an hour due to rain, influencing England captain Sciver-Brunt’s decision to bowl first in overcast conditions. England’s bowlers found success early, with debutant Lauren Bell and Linsey Smith striking regularly. Charlie Dean produced a wicket maiden during the powerplay and finished with figures of two for 11, her best performance in a World Cup to date. Sophie Ecclestone recovered from an expensive first over to take three wickets.

Ireland struggled to build momentum, with Lewis departing for a duck on the very first ball she faced. Prendergast hit four boundaries but was out for 22. Ireland found some resistance from No. 8 Louise Little, who scored an unbeaten 26 off 15 balls, her highest score for the national side. Little’s innings included 17 runs from the 20th over, aided by a misfield on the boundary, providing a late boost.

Ireland ended their innings at 118 for eight, unable to post a competitive total. Little was a late addition to the playing eleven after Ava Canning was sidelined with a lower back concern.

Meanwhile, the tournament group standings have become unpredictable following a surprise result earlier on the same pitch, where Sri Lanka successfully chased down 151 against defending champions New Zealand. The loss leaves New Zealand, two defeats from two matches, at risk of early elimination, reshaping the qualification landscape in Group B.

Scotland and West Indies are set to face off in Friday’s match, with the victor positioned to advance alongside England in the knockout stages. England now await clarity on Sciver-Brunt’s fitness as they prepare for their next challenge.