Dani Gibson skipped forward and launched the ball down the ground into the parapet on Headingley's second tier, 86 metres away, on Saturday. If seeing someone bludgeon something can be beautiful, this was it - the latest six in a power-hitting masterclass by Gibson and batting partner Freya Kemp, which was far from over.
In the previous over, Kemp had driven and slog-swept Scotland's Kathryn Bryce over the rope; now, she crashed one through cow corner off Kirstie Gordon, the unfortunate provider of Gibson's maximum.
The England duo then found the boundary four more times between them off Priyanaz Chatterji, finishing unbeaten in a 61-run stand from just 21 balls and taking England past the 200-run mark.
It was only the fifth 200-plus total in the history of the Women's T20 World Cup, but the fourth time at this edition, starting with England's 219 for 1 against Sri Lanka on opening night.
Kemp, striking at 243.75, was not out on 39 off 16 balls and Gibson made 30 off 11 with a strike rate of 272.72. Theirs was the second-fastest 50-plus partnership in terms of run rate at Women's T20 World Cups and they struck 12 boundaries between them.
Gibson and Kemp's partnership was forged long before this innings. Having both been called into England's World Cup squad after battling back from stress fractures through 2025 - and, for the latter, going back further - this was the innings they'd been chosen for.
"We've probably lacked a little bit of power at the back end and it's nice to have some real six hitters coming in and giving us that momentum," Sophia Dunkley, who in her first match of the tournament set England up with a spritely half-century before sitting back to enjoy the show, said.
"They're such great all-round players and to see a performance like that is really special. It was great to watch tonight. It was an absolutely amazing partnership and those two are amazing at their roles.
"They're a great combination and to have a partnership like that at the end gives us, as a top order, a lot of confidence trying to set the game up and knowing that we can go really hard at the back end if we need to."
Dunkley was recalled for the injured Nat Sciver-Brunt and, having relinquished her regular opening spot to Amy Jones after a lacklustre run of scores against New Zealand and India in the lead-up to the tournament, she came in as a straight swap at No. 3. After Jones fell first ball to Gordon and Danni Wyatt-Hodge also dismissed cheaply, Dunkley struck 57 off just 37 balls including nine boundaries in a timely return to form.
"It was great to get back out there for sure," Dunkley said. "Being here at a home World Cup, you'd bite your arm off to go and play a game for England out there. So it's been a little bit tough, but we've got an amazing squad and a lot of depth… a great, great squad to get into and it was nice to get out there today."
Sciver-Brunt's recurring calf injury has also ruled her out of England's next group game against West Indies, who have their own share of power-hitters.
Against Scotland on Thursday, Stafanie Taylor rolled back the years with a boundary-laden 47 off 19 to rescue her side from 85 for 5 and help them secure a narrow victory.
Rocking back and clubbing the ball into the stands beyond deep midwicket for the last of her three sixes on the final ball of the innings was right up there with Gibson's stroke for stunning brutality.
Shortly after she was dropped on 4, Dunkley smashed a powerful six over wide long-on off Bryce and she went on to finish with eight fours. Asked who hit the ball furthest out of herself, Kemp and Gibson, Dunkley was clear: "If I had to put money on it, I'd probably go with Kempy, to be fair."
Gibson highlighted Kemp's power and her strength down the ground. "I get very scared at the non-striker's end when Freya's batting, absolutely smashes the ball, but it was great, good to put a good total on the end with Freya," Gibson told Sky Sports after the match.
Even before she had fully hit her stride in her comeback from injury, Gibson secured an eye-watering £190,000 at the Hundred auction to play for Headingley-based Sunrisers Leeds while Kemp was pre-signed by Welsh Fire for £120,000.
Both have returned to bowling and contributed with the ball through this tournament so far and both have spoken of making improvements on their batting game when that was all they were able to do.
Kemp had shown glimpses of her value as a finisher early in her international career, notably in her second T20I batting innings when she scored an unbeaten 51 off 37 balls from No.7 against India in Derby in 2022.
After striking a 13-ball 39 not out as part of a match-winning performance, which levelled England's series with India immediately before this World Cup - she put on 42 off 15 with Gibson that day in Bristol - Kemp spoke of her development as a batter during the long rehabilitation process. Gibson, meanwhile, has emerged with a stronger off-side game, which was on show on Saturday night.
"It's something that I worked on over the winter," Gibson said. "I was very leg side dominant in the past, so I think trying to get through the offside was a work on and it's going well, so very happy with that."
Three of the four 200-plus totals at this tournament have come against qualifying nations. Australia equalled England's record 219 for the loss of six wickets against Netherlands at Southampton earlier on Saturday and India reached 209 for 5 against the Dutch side at Headingley, passing the 200-mark with a first-ball six from Deepti Sharma.
Across the previous nine editions of the Women's T20 World Cup, there has been only one 200-plus total, England's 213 for 5 against Pakistan in Cape Town in 2023.
Only once before in the tournament has the percentage of runs scored by batters through boundaries passed 50%. It was 51.08% in 2020 and, in 2026, it's 52. And, with 54 sixes already struck in 16 matches so far, this edition is on track to break the Women's T20 World Cup record of 76 in 2020.
While sterner challenges loom from the bowlers in the knockout phase, it's worth noting that Sarah Bryce's late cut to clear the boundary off world No. 3 Lauren Bell during Scotland's reply was as eye-catching as any of the sixes in their game. And that suggests the big hits are here to stay.