India thrash England by 97 runs in first women’s T20 cricket – as it happened
Right on cue, Raf’s report is in,It doesn’t pull any punches,And why should it? That was a chastening defeat for England,But it also rightly sings the praises of the Indians were magnificent,Don’t take my word for it, read it here:Thanks for keeping me company.
Til next time…While we wait for Raf’s report, get a load of these stats.They come from the brilliant X account ‘hypocaust’:Biggest win by runs in a T20I against England women:97 IND at Trent Bridge today93 AUS at Chelmsford, 201972 AUS at Adelaide, 202557 AUS at Sydney, 202557 AUS at Brabourne, 2018Best figures by an Indian woman on T20I debut:4-9 Sravanthi Naidu v BAN, 20144-12 Shree Charani v ENG, today3-21 Poonam Yadav v BAN, 20133-23 Soniya Dabir v ENG, 2010Now for the player of the match, who wins a very big bottle of wine.No prizes for guessing it’s Smriti Mandhana for scoring her first hundred in international cricket:It was a long time coming.I had this habit of going out in the 70s and 80s.It was high time I scored a century and I’m so glad it came in this first match.
We had good prep.England wickets are really good to bat on.If you keep the wind factor in mind you just have to time the ball.The way Harleen [Deol] got going was amazing.She made it so easy for me to keep batting.
We discussed that after the first innings, of course it is a good wicket, but if they’re hitting against the wind we kept the pace off the ball.The bowlers, the way they executed the plans, was amazing to watch.Really happy.But it’s just the start.We have four more matches.
Sciver-Brunt is the first to speak:India are a world class side and challenged us throughout.We didn’t bowl as well as we wanted to.You’d like to take every catch but it didn’t go our way that innings.Something to work on for next time.When you’re chasing 200 you have to keep going.
Losing wickets [held us back].We maybe looked to play too square.I was trying to get on strike and come back for twos and keep hitting boundaries.That was the only way we were going to win.We executed well and gained energy towards the back end of the [bowling] innings.
We look forward to coming back in Bristol.There were still five overs and one ball remaining.India have simply destroyed England.They totally outplayed them across all three disciplines.Phew, England knew that the West Indies were below par but that is some wake-up call.
England have been hammered.That’s their heaviest ever loss.Bell on 2 is the last to go as she slogs Shree Charani – who signs off her first T20I with 4-12 from 3.5 – and is caught in the deep.Another good catch from Rodrigues.
Smith is not-out without facing a ball.Brilliant from India.Sensational with the bat.Outstanding with the ball.Clinical in the field.
Action replay! And Nelson strikes again,Almost identical to the Filer wicket,Shree Charani offers width, Sciver-Brunt chases it but can only get a slight nick,Original decision was not-out but there was a clear sound,Brilliant from tje keeper.
Brilliant from the debutant,And despite Sciver-Brunt’s brilliance, she’ll be speaking as a losing captain,Nelson does the business! Someone in the England dressing must have had both feet on the floor because Nelson strikes,Another great catch from Ghosh, standing up to the stumps as Reddy dangled a wide one to Filer,The right hander hurled her hands towards the ball but could only manage a tickle.
At the other end Sciver-Brunt monstered another stand and deliver biff over cover for four,But she’s on her own,14th over: England 111-8 (Sciver-Brunt 66)13th over: England 104-7 (Sciver-Brunt 60, Filer 1) Brilliant from the debutant Shree Charani,She’s delivering her front-on finger spin with a lovely high action and release,Subtle changes in pace as well.
She’s got two wickets for just 10 runs from three overs.Holed out in the deep! Ecclestone caught a good piece of this slog sweep but picked out the fielder at cow corner.Rodrigues ran in, misjudging it in the air, but she managed to hold on above her head.12th over: England 102-6 (Sciver-Brunt 59, Ecclestone 1) Top work from NSB.She crunched the first ball of this Sharma over for four off the back foot then moved around her crease and turned a fuller ball into a full toss which she swept fine for four.
That movement caused panic in Sharma who chucked a wide down the leg side.A two off the last ball off a flick through the leg side adds up to 14 runs off the over.The required rate is 14.2.Brilliant, as you’d expect, from the best player in the world.
I said it.I don’t think there’s anyone on her level.And that’s another milestone for England’s skipper.A 31-ball 50 is reached with a biff over cover.She just wallops spinners who miss thir length.
A muted celebration.Job’s not done.11th over: England 92-6 (Sciver-Brunt 48, Ecclestone 0) Arlott spanked a six, collected a two and then chipped to cover.Yadav has 2-15 from two overs.What can England manage from here? They’re being strangled by spin at both ends.
Another one goes! I mistook Arlott for Sciver-Brunt.It wasn;t the skipper who belted that six but it’s unquestionably Arlott who chipped, off the leading edge, Yadav straight to cover.Sciver-Brunt, not yet on 50, will have to face as many balls as she can from here.10th over: England 78-5 (Sciver-Brunt 47, Arlott 3) NSB thwacks Rana over the infield and for four to the cover fence.They needed that.
They’ll need a lot more to be fair.But while the skipper climbs through the gears and farms as much of the strike as possible (she’s only faced 29 balls) there is a chance.Seven runs off that over and as they take a drinks break, England will look up and notice they need 13.3 runs an over to win this.9th over: England 71-5 (Sciver-Brunt 42, Arlott 1) Superb from the debutant Shree Charani who now has 1-8 from her first two overs in T20Is.
Not only has she got the wicket of Capsey, and not only did that over only cost two runs, but she kept Sciver-Brunt off strike.The new batter Arlott chopped a single to mid-off which will delight the Indians.England’s captain will start to itch.She’ll know that she is the only hope England have of turning this around.Soft dismissal! No other way to say it.
That was just so tame from Capsey.Shree Charani, on debut, tossed it up and invited the drive from Capsey.But rather than hit it, she wafted her hands towards the ball and caught a thick edge that carried down to fielder at short third in the edge of the circle.India’s spinners have put the squeeze on and they’re suffocating the life out of England.8th over: England 69-4 (Sciver-Brunt 41, Capsey 5) India are bowling to their field and keeping the scoring down.
Sounds simple, but it’s something Englaind failed to do,18 balls since the last boundary as Rana is tight and keeping the scoring towards the leg side where everyone is stationed,They’re also reading the wind,If England want to take on the desirable boundary they’ll have to hit into the breeze,Just six runs off that set.
7th over: England 63-4 (Sciver-Brunt 39, Capsey 1) Sciver-Brunt just needs someone to stay with her,This is a top set from Yadav who bagged the wicket of Jones and conceded just five runs,Lovely flighty spin,India have opted to take pace off and it’s working a treat,England now need 148 from 78 deliveries.
England are falling apart! Jones, facing only her second ball, skipped down to a flighter from Yadav and missed it entirely,Ghosh fumbled,Jones could have got back if she wasn’t admonishing herself,As it turned out, Ghosh collected the ball and tipped the bails off,Sciver-Brunt is running out of mates.
Bowled on the charge! Sciver-Brunt started this Sharma over by spanking two fours – clobbering off the back off over cover and drilling down the ground.But she was cramped for four dot balls thereafter and after a leg-bye Beaumont was on strike.Perhaps it was that string of dots that prompted the premeditated charge down the wicket.Sharma spotted her coming, pulled her length back and castled the onrushing Beaumont.6th over: England 58-3 (Sciver-Brunt 37)5th over: England 48-2 (Sciver-Brunt 29, Beaumont 10) Reddy into the attack
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India thrash England by 97 runs in first women’s T20 cricket – as it happened
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