Women sweating on Sophie for semis

CRICKET England face an anxious wait over the fitness of Sophie Ecclestone for their Women’s Cricket World Cup semifinal against South Africa after the star spinner damaged her shoulder in the final group game.

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Ecclestone was hurt in the first over of England's comfortable eight-wicket win over New Zealand in Visakhapatnam chasing a ball to the boundary.

Her knee appeared to lock just yards from the rope and the 26-year-old jarred her left bowling shoulder as she took a heavy fall.

Ecclestone - the world’s number one ranked bowler in women's ODIs who has taken 137 wickets in 81 matches for England - left the field before returning to bowl.

She removed Brooke Halliday, caught by Sophia Dunkley at deep mid-wicket, but called it a day after sending down just four deliveries, with the England and Wales Cricket Board later confirming Ecclestone was receiving treatment for the injury.

England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt told Sky Sports: “I don’t know anything further, but it (Ecclestone's departure) was definitely precautionary.