England dug in to close out a four-run win over hosts India and secure a place in the semi-finals of the Women’s Cricket World Cup after Heather Knight had marked her 300th international appearance with a fine century in Indore.Knight’s superb 109 was the mainstay of England’s 288 for eight, with India fighting back to take a flurry of wickets.Set a highest ODI run chase, India looked well-placed after skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (70) and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana (88) both made half-centuries.England’s bowlers were able to exert some late pressure to dampen the partisan home crowd as hopes of victory faded away.The result means England join Australia and South Africa in the final four, while co-hosts India have it all to do.

PA MediaRighto, Raf’s report will be along shortly but that’s me done for the day.Thanks for your company.England march into the semi-finals and can luxuriate in a match against Australia on Wednesday.Arf.India have it all to do, they must beat New Zealand in their next match on Thursday to have any hope of avoiding an embarrassing early exit.

England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt is beaming:So so happy.Everyone showed how calm they were and clear in what they need to do.We knew in the bowling innings we needed to stick in.A partnership happened and they looked like they were going to chase it easily but we knew that if we could take a wicket, we could put them under pressure.It’s something we’ve spoken about before the game that we haven’t been tested towards the end of our innings with the ball.

We wanted to be prepared with our skills and tactics,Everyone had brilliant plans and executed brilliantly,”Harmanpreet Kaur isn’t mincing her words,The India captain says she is heartbroken by the loss:Smriti’s wicket was a turning point for us,We had many batters who can bat, I don’t know how the game went the other way, but credit to England.

The last five or six overs didn’t go to according our plans,It’s very hard to take,”We are playing good cricket and are not giving up, that last line we need to cross now, in the last three games we’ve played good cricket but not crossed that line,A lot of things went right, but the last five overs - as a group we need to sit and have a think,It was a very important match for all of us.

Unfortunately in the end we were not able to make it.The next game is very important.”A lot of scrutiny and pressure will fall on her side now after a third defeat in a row in a home World Cup they everyone had them pegged as finalists for.Heather Knight is named Player of the Match for her 109 off 91 balls:Really pleased! It was nice to get conditions conducive to batting, it felt like we needed 300 so I was frustrated with how I got out.300 caps for me which is a big occasion.

Pleased to put in a match-defining innings,Being back in the ranks is different, having responsibility was good for me but it’s a slightly different role,Australia are a quality team, it’s a good chance to test ourselves against the best in the world now that we’ve qualified,”Phew,How did India lose that match? They were cruising until the last five overs, credit to England for hanging in there when Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana were going strong.

Linsey Smith was a revelation once more with 1-40 off her ten including two ice veined overs to close it out,She spoke to Sky Sports a second or two ago:The heart-rate’s recovered but the hamstring is in pieces! The fight we showed was amazing,I knew I had one over left, and I’d gone alright,My role is clear, a lot of PowerPlay, a lot of death (bowling),Trying not to overcomplicate things too much – bowl a tight line into their heels and block off the off-side.

I try to keep it simple and not rewrite the books.I back myself to do it out here.I was trying to take it all in, learn as much as I can and put the big performances in for the team.”That’s huge win for us.Looking back twelve months, we could have thrown that game away and not taken it as deep as we could.

The way everyone put their hands up,We’ve still not played our best game, I don’t think,Two big games coming up to try and learn as much as possible,”The heist is completed and Nat Sciver-Brunt’s side book their place in the World Cup semi-finals! Linsey Smith did the business in the final over and England’s players embrace on the dew soaked outfield,They showed real character there, they looked gone with ten overs to go but held their nerve much the better of the two sides.

India are not out of the tournament but they know have plenty to do to qualify,The crowd fall silent, there’s a real sense of shock at the Holkar Stadium,Linsey Smith is closing this out in style! Three singles and a dot… India need a boundary but cannot find one,49th over: India 275-6 (A Kaur 11, Rana 8) Bell starts with a loose full toss and is swatted to the fence at cow corner,Immense pressure in Indore, it’s all about who holds their nerves and - dreadful phrase – ‘“executes their skills” best.

Bell takes the pace off for a couple and then goes back of a length.India can’t find the boundary but manage to take nine runs off it.It’s going down to a final over, as it has always felt like it might.India need 14 from six balls.Linsey Smith will bowl it.

Here we go…48th over: India 266-6 (A Kaur 8, Rana 2) Lynsey Smith has two overs to bowl, she is at the stumps with her fast spin and doesn’t give the batters any room.Just four runs off her over as India start to wilt under the pressure and suddenly England are in the ascendancy and favourites to steal this game!Who will bowl the penultimate over? Sciver-Brunt has gone to Lauren Bell! A big moment coming up.India need 23 runs from 12 balls.47th over: India 262-6 (A Kaur 6, Rana 0) Sneh Rana the new batter, she blocks out the final ball of Ecclestone’s over.India are spluttering at the close.

27 runs needed from 18 balls.Deepti Sharma had played so calmly but lost her head with the finish line in sight.It could be a rush of blood that costs India dear in this World Cup.Ecclestone drops short and is punished! Amanjot cuts powerfully for four! But hang on a second…Deepti Sharma goes goes for a big one and holes out! A huge wicket as Sharma departs and the pressure ramps up for India.46th over: India 257-5 (Sharma 50, A Kaur 1) Amanjot Kaur is the new batter, England’s line up is short of Jemima Rodrigues, which could cost them if the wickets keep falling.

Kaur gets off the mark off the last ball of the over and pinches strike from the well set Sharma,India need 32 from 24 balls,Sciver-Brunt sends down a series of cutters, Sharma sweeps for a single to bring up her fifty,England’s captain strikes with the very next ball though! Ghosh drives in the air and the catch is snaffled by Heather Knight in the ring at wide mid off,Now then!45th over: India 253-4 (Sharma 48, Ghosh 7) Ecclestone is worked around with a minimum of risk.

This has been a fine knock from Sharma, she’s taken the sting out of England’s attack and has thus far played with an ice cold clarity,36 from 30 balls,44th over: India 247-4 (Sharma 46, Ghosh 3) Nat Sciver-Brunt brings herself on,If you need a job doing… a couple of dot balls and the pressure builds but Deepti Sharma plays a sublime flick for four through the leg side, impeccable timing and splits the fielders perfectly,She enjoyed that one and so did the crowd.

England did not.42 needed from 36 balls.43rd over: India 241-4 (Sharma 41, Ghosh 2) Deepti Sharma wins the first battle against Ecclestone, a well timed sweep crashes into the boundary hoardings.48 needed from 42, where’s your money?42nd over: India 235-4 (Sharma 36, Ghosh 1) Richa Ghosh is the new batter, England have the opportunity to put some pressure on the new batter.Just two runs and the wicket off Smith’s over.

India need 54 from 48 and here comes Sophie Ecclestone for a bowl,Linsey Smith gets the big one! Mandhana holes out to Capsey at long on and England have a sniff,41st over: India 233-3 (Mandhana 87, Sharma 35) Bell attempts a slower ball but it comes out as low full toss that Sharma swipes to the leg side fence,40th over: India 227-3 (Mandhana 87, Sharma 30) Charlie Dean bowls a tidy over for the cost of just four runs,India need 62 from 60 balls.

Can they pull this off without it going right down to the wire?39th over: India 223-3 (Mandhana 85, Sharma 28) Lauren Bell comes back with four overs of currency,After consecutive dot balls Sharma pre-empts a pull and flat bats for four,Bell responds with a doozy that angles in and scuds away late,Sometimes this game just doesn’t go your way,38th over: India 218-3 (Mandhana 85, Sharma 23) Nasser Hussain thinks England haven’t quite bowled a tight enough line, especially to Mandhana.

Charlie Dean returns and immediately targets the stumps as if she’s got a direct line into the great man.Gah! That is no good though, five wides flung down the leg side releases the pressure after two dots.The run rate is less than a run a ball now.Mandhana cuts behind square for four more and in a flash India re-assert their dominance in this chase, the fifty partnership comes up too, snuffing out England’s hopes after the wicket of Kaur gave them hope.37th over: India 206-3 (Mandhana 80, Sharma 21) Ecclestone can’t prise out either of the two left handed batters.

Mandhana is struggling with cramp, hobbling between the wickets,The physio is summoned at the end of the over,36th over: India 200-3 (Mandhana 76, Sharma 19) Capsey worked around for seven off her latest, India bring up the 200,Over to Ecclestone once more,35th over: India 193-3 (Mandhana 73, Sharma 15) Ecclestone returns with five overs up her sleeve, England could really do with her winkling a couple out here.

Sharma flat bats through long on for an improvised four,The crowd roar their appreciation,96 needed from 90 balls, all India’s if they keep wickets in hand,34th over: India 186-3 (Mandhana 72, Sharma 9) Capsey is worked for singles off each ball of her over,You sense this is the calm before the storm…33rd over: India 180-3 (Mandhana 69, Sharma 6) The win predictor has both sides at 50 per cent likely.

We head to the business end and after a quick drink it is Nat Sciver-Brunt with the ball for England.Three singles off the over, it very much feels like we are dancing into the fire towards the wire in this one.Stop getting Bond wrong!32nd over: India 177-3 (Mandhana 68, Sharma 4) The dew is glistening on the ground now, Alice Capsey is called up for a bowl.She offers up too much width and Mandhana cashes in.Capsey tightens up her line and manages to get out of the over for just two more singles.

31st over: India 170-3 (Mandhana 63, Sharma 2) Deepti Sharma arrives in the middle.If England can pick up Mandhana, BIG IF, then it is a real case of game on.Huge wicket! Harmanpreet is gone! Nat Sciver-Brunt gets her opposite number, A poke outside off is well caught by Emma Lamb at short third.The mammoth partnership is ended and England sense their moment.30th over: India 163-2 (Mandhana 62, Kaur 66) Dean worked around for five runs off her 8th over