England thankful for TWO controversial calls as Heather Knight cashes in to avoid shock defeat by minnows at World Cup

Heather Knight survived two controversial reprieves - and England a huge scare - to edge past minnows Bangladesh at the women's World Cup.

Former captain Knight was given out caught behind on nought in the group game in Guwahati, but survived on review after technology failed to show conclusive evidence that a delivery from seamer Marufa Akhter that squeezed between bat and pad had grazed the edge.

Had Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana's catch behind the stumps been upheld, England would have been reduced to six for two, chasing 179, against opponents that only took their place in the eight-team competition by winning the qualifying tournament on run rate ahead of West Indies six months ago.

Then, having struggled to 13 off 37 deliveries, the 34-year-old followed the first drinks break by chipping low to cover, where Shorna Akhter dived forward to take the catch.

'I thought it carried and was a fair catch and that's why I walked off,' she explained, after being called back following adjudication from television umpire Gayathri Venugopalan that the ball had made contact with the turf.

'Can't say that I have been out so many times in one innings before, so that's a new one on me.'

Knight cashed in, turning her first one-day international innings since a nine-year tenure as England captain ended in a post-Ashes sacking earlier this year into her 27th half-century, an unbeaten 79 - averting a shock defeat in the process.

The contest was in the balance when England were reduced to 102 for six by the raft of Bangladeshi spinners, but an unbroken seventh-wicket partnership between Knight and new vice-captain Charlie Dean saw Natalie Sciver-Brunt's team to a four-wicket victory, returning them to the top of the standings in the round-robin stage.

England crushed South Africa at the same venue and claimed nine wickets with spin in dismissing Bangladesh in the 50th and final over of the innings - Sophie Ecclestone leading the way with three for 24. Fellow slow left-armer Linsey Smith took her competition tally to five wickets with another two victims.

However, Bangladesh leg-spinner Fahima Khatun also found conditions to her liking, putting the disappointment of being the unlucky bowler for the second of Knight's escapes by claiming the prize scalp of the aggressive Sciver-Brunt and scything through England's middle-order with figures of 10-2-16-3.

After off-spinning all-rounder Dean followed up two wickets with 27 not out, including the winning runs in an alliance of 79 in 100 balls, Knight said: 'The main thing in World Cups is getting over the line.'

England now leave India and head for Colombo, where they will face co-hosts Sri Lanka in their next fixture this Saturday.