For a World Cup campaign built on positivity, the scenes at the end of England’s fielding innings were overwhelmingly negative.
After a brilliant opening spell in the powerplay, Katherine Sciver-Brunt was taken out of the attack and saved until the end – a potentially risky move given the fast bowler had conceded 19 runs from the last over against India.
Here she leaked 18 runs in the last over, including bowling a chest-high no-ball that was hit for six, after having become visibly irritated in the preceding overs.
Sciver-Brunt is a feisty player renowned for wearing her heart on her sleeve, but few could argue against the view she went too far as she was seen shouting at her team-mates for misfields, swapping fielders without first consulting Knight and punching the floor in frustration.
“I know she is passionate but that is not acceptable,” said former England spinner Alex Hartley on BBC Test Match Special. “She is putting more pressure on her team-mates.
“It makes you more nervous. It makes you physically shake. There were a few girls that looked fed up and intimidated.”
The question over Sciver-Brunt’s place in the side, after a stellar international career that has spanned nearly two decades, lingers – especially as she no longer plays domestic cricket, has retired from Tests and been rested for recent one-day international series.
“I don’t know if it’s Katherine’s last game for England,” said Knight. “She’s still bowling very well so we’ll see what happens.
“She’s very passionate and maybe tries a bit too hard, but it’s probably unfair to look at that one over in isolation, during the whole innings there were things we could have done better.”