That’s it for today. Thanks for your company and emails – I’ll leave you with Raf Nicholson’s report from Canterbury. Bye!
The player of the match is Harmanpreet Kaur
It was a very important game for us and we’re very happy to win the series. I’m really happy [with my form as captain], I am getting great support. England were bowling really well and I took my time for the first 50 runs; then I just wanted to play my shots.
Amy Jones’ verdict
Every loss is tough. They got away from us at the end – Harman batted brilliantly, it was almost like she flicked a switch. It felt like wherever we bowled it, she was finding the boundary. We have some very exciting, inexperienced bowlers and they will learn a lot from this.
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INDIA WIN BY 88 RUNS!
WICKET! England 245 all out (Dean st Bhatia b Hemalatha 37) That’s it! Dean runs past a delivery from Hemalatha, and Bhatia whips off the bails to complete a memorable series victory for India, their first in England since 1999. They have outplayed England, both here and at Hove on Sunday, to take an unassailable 2-0 lead with one game to spare.
The match, and the series, will be remembered for an astonishing innings by the Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur. She hammered 143 from 111 balls, including 43 off the last 11, to set England a near impossible target of 334.
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44th over: England 245-9 (Dean 37, Bell 11)
43rd over: England 243-9 (Dean 36, Bell 10) A grubber from Vastrakar beats Dean and misses the off stump by this much. England’s tail have at least made this defeat vaguely respectable; at one stage they were 183 for eight and in danger of losing by 130-140 runs.
42nd over: England 237-9 (Dean 33, Bell 7) Dean belts Gayakwad over the labouring Verma at mid-off for four, which makes this her highest ODI score. She goes again later in the over, this team slicing over extra cover for another boundary.
41st over: England 226-9 (Dean 23, Bell 6) Diligent, determined and entirely futile last-wicket partnerships are not an OBOer’s favourite thing.
40th over: England 223-9 (Dean 21, Bell 5) Dean gets four thanks to a misfield by Deol at cow corner. She has batted well into this series, having made an unbeaten 24 on Sunday.
39th over: England 216-9 (Dean 15, Bell 4) Bell crashes Thakur through backward point for four. It was in the air but well wide of the fielder. There’s no five-for for Thakur, but she does finish with superb figures of 10-0-57-4.
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38th over: England 211-9 (Dean 14, Bell 0)
WICKET! England 211-9 (Cross LBW b Verma 14)
Shafali Verma is going to have a bowl. She’s never taken an ODI wicket, though that might be about to change. And it has!
Cross missed a whip across the line and was hit on the flap of the back pad. She reviewed it – DRS is working again – but it was plumb.
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37th over: England 206-8 (Dean 10, Cross 13) Six from Gayakward’s over.
36th over: England 200-8 (Dean 8, Cross 9) Cross cuffs Thakur wide of mid-on for four; then she scampers a single to bring up the 200. England are still ahead, sort of, on the comparison: at this stage India were 184 for three.
35th over: England 193-8 (Dean 8, Cross 2) Gayakwad is back, and Cross drives her just short of Mandhana at long on. England are still batting with intent, even though the game is up.
34th over: England 187-8 (Dean 3, Cross 1) Chastening days like this are an occupational hazard for teams in transition, and in time England’s young players will probably regard it as an important part of their development. For now, though, it’s going to smart.
33rd over: England 184-8 (Dean 1, Cross 0)
WICKET! England 183-8 (Kemp run out 12)
A miserable ODI debut is complete for Freya Kemp. She was at least halfway down the track when Charlie Dean sent her back, and despite a desperate stretch she couldn’t make her ground in time.
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32nd over: England 182-7 (Kemp 11, Dean 0) Thakur’s figures are 7-0-42-4.
WICKET! England 182-7 (Ecclestone c Deol b Thakur 1)
Thakur has her fourth wicket! Ecclestone picked up a shortish delivery towards deep midwicket, where Deol took a simple catch.
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31st over: England 175-6 (Kemp 4, Ecclestone 1)
WICKET! England 169-6 (Jones st Bhatia b Hemalatha 39)
Another bowling change from Harmanpreet, another wicket. Like Thakur, the offspinner Dayalan Hemalatha needed only three balls to strike. Jones came down the track, missed and was smartly stumped by Yastika Bhatia. India are heading for their first ODI series victory in England since 1999.
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30th over: England 168-5 (Jones 38, Kemp 1) That was Thakur’s third wicket, and she almost gets a fourth when Jones is beaten by a beauty that straightens off the seam.
WICKET! England 167-5 (Wyatt b Thakur 65)
Outstanding bowling from Renuka Singh Thakur! She was brought back because India needed to break this pesky partnership, and it took her just three deliveries to bowl Danni Wyatt with a lovely dipping yorker. Wyatt played superbly, making 65 from 58 balls, but there was nothing she could do about that.
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29th over: England 165-4 (Wyatt 64, Jones 38) Jones biffs Sharma back over her head for a one-bounce four. This is now her highest score for England this summer. This year, in fact.
28th over: England 158-4 (Wyatt 62, Jones 33) Wyatt pulls Vastrakar for four, her first boundary since the 15th over. But Vastrakar recovers impressively, conceding only one run from the last five deliveries. England need 176 from 132 balls.
27th over: England 153-4 (Wyatt 57, Jones 33) Sharma returns in place of Deol, and Jones drives a single to bring up a solid fifty partnership. England are dealing largely in ones and twos at the moment, with just one boundary since the 19th over. Wyatt has gone slightly quiet.
26th over: England 149-4 (Wyatt 55, Jones 31) Jones works the new bowler Vastrakar for three twos, though on the first two occasions there’s a slight mix-up with Wyatt. A single off the last ball allows Jones to keep the strike.
25th over: England 142-4 (Wyatt 55, Jones 24) Jones drives Deol just over the leaping Harmanpreet at extra cover, then blazes a drive through the same area for four. A decent over for England, nine from it.
24th over: England 133-4 (Wyatt 53, Jones 17) Jones’ innings started promisingly, with those drives for four and six off Sharma, but since then she has become a bit stuck. She has 18 from 29 balls, Wyatt 53 from 45.
At this stage of their innings, since you asked, India were 117 for three. But they had a zone-bound Harmanpreet.
23rd over: England 131-4 (Wyatt 52, Jones 17) Harleen Deol, who mixes leg and offspin, comes on to replace Deepti Sharma. Wyatt survives a huge shout for caught behind after fiddling outside off stump, and there’s no DRS so India can’t review the decision. The first replay isn’t conclusive, though my instinct is that Wyatt nicked it. It was a superb take from Yastika Bhatia as well.
22nd over: England 127-4 (Wyatt 50, Jones 15) Goswami replaces Gayakward, who bowled a quietly useful spell of 4-0-15-0. The required rate is starting to become an issue, never mind the fact England are four wickets down. Mind you, Danni Wyatt is beyond reproach – she back cuts Goswami for a single to reach an excellent fifty from 40 balls.
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21st over: England 124-4 (Wyatt 48, Jones 14)
20th over: England 119-4 (Wyatt 44, Jones 13) Gayakwad goes up for LBW when Jones misses a sweep. It was missing leg, and DRS isn’t working anyway.
“Evening Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “Just thinking that India’s total was only 37 short of what Essex and Lancashire managed between them in four completed innings. And Harmanpreet made more on her own than each of those four team innings. Strange game is cricket.”
It’s a funny game, and it’s certainly old.
19th over: England 116-4 (Wyatt 42, Jones 12) Amy Jones has had a difficult summer with the bat - I think her highest international score in any form is 36 – but maybe England’s desperate position will free her up. Less thinking, more hitting and all that. She launches Sharma over mid-off for four and then lofts a lovely six straight down the ground.
18th over: England 105-4 (Wyatt 41, Jones 2) The required rate has sneaked above seven an over. This game is only going in one direction.
17th over: England 103-4 (Wyatt 40, Jones 1) England have two chances of winning this game, and Slim has buggered off to watch Answer Smash on Richard Osman’s House of Games.
WICKET! England 102-4 (Capsey c Verma b Sharma 39)
A huge wicket for India! Capsey gives Sharma the charge but doesn’t get to the pitch and can only slice a drive to mid-off. It’s a soft way to end another charming innings from Capsey: 39 from 36 balls with six fours.
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16th over: England 100-3 (Capsey 38, Wyatt 39) Capsey is still scoring at more than a run a ball – 38 from 32 – though she has slowed down after a very fast start. But while she and Wyatt are at the crease, England have a slim chance of a record-breaking victory. They need 234 from 34 overs.
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15th over: England 94-3 (Capsey 35, Wyatt 37) The offspinner Deepti Sharma almost comes on. Wyatt cuffs her second ball over mid-off for four; then Capsey, for the second time in her innings, survives a fairly tight run-out referral. She would have been out with a direct hit.
14th over: England 87-3 (Capsey 34, Wyatt 30) Time for some spin, with the left-armer Rajeshwari Gayakward coming into the attack. England will have to go after the slow bowlers at some stage, but for now they are content to milk five low-risk runs.
13th over: England 82-3 (Capsey 33, Wyatt 26) Goswami drifts onto the pads of Wyatt, who drags the ball round the corner for four. Wyatt is dominating this fourth-wicket partnership with Capsey; so far she’s made 26 of the 35 runs they have added. Time for drinks.
12th over: England 76-3 (Capsey 32, Wyatt 21) Vastrakar changes ends to replace Thakur. A loose stroke from Wyatt flies between point and backward point at catchable height and runs away for four. Wyatt’s placement was inadvertent perfection. Capsey also gets away with an edge later in the over, with the ball drifting to the left of backward point.
11th over: England 68-3 (Capsey 30, Wyatt 15) Jhulan Goswami returns to the attack in place of Vastrakar. Capsey wasn’t born when Goswami made her ODI debut in 2002; here they are, competing as equals. It’s a good over from Goswami, including four successive dot balls to Capsey.
10th over: England 66-3 (Capsey 29, Wyatt 14) A quiet over from Thakur – no boundaries, no wickets, nothin’.
9th over: England 61-3 (Capsey 28, Wyatt 11) Wyatt uppercuts Vastrakar for four more, then takes a couple of quick singles to move to 11 from six balls. Capsey has 28 from 14. Dude, the run-rate is not the issue here.
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8th over: England 52-3 (Capsey 25, Wyatt 5) Danni Wyatt blasts her first ball through backward point for four. England are going to be hammered here, but at least they are going down swinging.
Ah, apparently DRS isn’t working, so Lamb couldn’t have reviewed the LBW decision anyway. To the naked eye it does look like she was just outside the line.
WICKET! England 47-3 (Lamb LBW b Thakur 15)
Emma Lamb has been given out LBW – but I think she should have reviewed it. She walked a long way across to Thakur, missed an attempted flick to leg and was given out. However, the replay suggested she might have been hit outside the line.
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7th over: England 45-2 (Lamb 13, Capsey 25) Pooja Vastrakar replaces Goswami, and Lamb laps her cleverly for four. England, Capsey in particular, are batting with the freedom of the damned.
6th over: England 38-2 (Lamb 7, Capsey 24) This is glorious stuff from Alice Capsey. She belts Thakur back over her head for four, then clatters another boundary through the covers. Capsey has raced to 24, all in boundaries, from only 10 balls. In other news, she’s 18 years old, playing in her second ODI, and she has a finger injury.
5th over: England 29-2 (Lamb 6, Capsey 16) After surviving a tight run-out referral earlier in the over, Capsey flicks Goswami classily through midwicket for her third boundary in five balls. Make that four in six: she’s just driven Goswami superbly through extra cover.
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4th over: England 20-2 (Lamb 5, Capsey 8) Alice Capsey doesn’t look entirely comfortable after hurting her bottom hand in the field, but she still belts her second and third deliveries for four.
WICKET! England 12-2 (Dunkley b Thakur 1)
Sophia Dunkley dies by the sword. She walked down the track to Thakur and heaved across the line at a ball that nipped back to hit off and middle stump. India are heading for a crushing, series-clinching victory.
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3rd over: England 12-1 (Lamb 5, Dunkley 1) The new batter Sophia Dunkley is beaten by a fine delivery from Goswami, survives an appeal for a catch down the leg side and then flashes a drive not far wide of the diving backward point.
England aren’t going to die wondering. They have started very aggressively, and Lamb gets her first boundary with a pristine cover drive.
2nd over: England 7-1 (Lamb 1, Dunkley 0) Renuka Singh Thakur was the bowler; I should have said that earlier.
WICKET! England 7-1 (Beaumont run out 6)
And for her next trick, Harmanpreet Kaur ran out Tammy Beamount. Beaumont, who had made an encouragingly busy start to her innings, took a quick single to mid-on and was beaten by a superb throw from Harmanpreet. She knew straight away and didn’t even wait for the third umpire.
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1st over: England 4-0 (Beaumont 4, Lamb 0) Tammy Beaumont is desperate to get after Jhulan Goswami from ball one – a required rate of 6.66 will do that to you – but Goswami is crafty enough to start with four dot balls. Beaumont gets off the mark with a pull for four, but those are the only runs from the over.
England’s highest successful runchase in ODIs is 245 against New Zealand last year. If you’re going to break a record, I suppose you might as well obliterate it. (No, I don’t give them a prayer either.)
Cheers Daniel, hello everyone. I’m struggling to find words to describe that amazeballs awesome innings from Harmanpreet, so for now you’ll have to settle for numbers:
India belted 62 off the last three overs
Harmanpreet hit 72 off her last 29 balls
She also hit 43 off her last 11 deliveries
In all she made 143 not out from 111 balls, with 18 fours and four sixes. And it’s not even the best innings of her career.
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Righto, that’s me done; thanks for your company, and here’s Rob Smyth to ease you through England’s famous chase. Harmanpreet Kaur, but!
Deol says she’d been preparing for the series a long time, so just wanted to go out and play. The pitch is good, she deadpans, before smiling when asked about her captain, saying she’s never seen a knock like that. India have different plans for every batter and reckons changes of pace are the way to go.
England need 334 to beat India and stay in the series!
50th over: India 333-5 (Kaur 143, Sharma 15) Does Kemp go pace off? A low full toss to begin, taken for one … she’d’ve took that, except Harmanpreet is now back on strike, and seeing it in slowmo; shonuff, she makes room and caresses six over cover, then backs away and lasers four between two covers! This is so refined yet so brutal, and four more go over the top between converging fielders, chugging over from long on and midwicket respectively. We’re privileged to be watching this, people, even if we’ve got hands over eyes, and Harmanpreet absolutely devastates the penultimate ball of the innings to deep point for another four! This is sensaaaational batting, Kemp finishing with a dot but returning an analysis of 1-82 off her 10, the most expensive figures ever by an Englishwoman. welcome to international cricket! England need 334 to win, and much as I feel for Bell and Kemp, I can’t stop smiling at the ludicrous brilliance of that knock from Harmanpreet.
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49th over: India 314-5 (Kaur 125, Sharma 14) Harmanpreet Kaur! Sharma takes a single, then the skip showcases wrists made of elastic wire, flicking four off her toes and in front of square, before annihilating another slog-sweep for six! She timed that so well – of course she did – and when even Eccles is getting animalled, you know the batter is on one. And yup, just HAVE AN ABSOLUTE LOOK! We are witnessing greatness here, mates, four more launched over cover – that’s the 50 partnership, off just 22 balls – with two singles completing the over. Seventeen off the over, and it looks like it’ll be Kemp to finish off. Ah, the fearlessness of youth. Good luck, old mate.
48th over: India 297-5 (Kaur 110, Sharma 12) Kemp bounds in again, but when she strays towards leg, Sharma easily flicks her around the corner for four; one ball bowled, and pressure ratcheted up. Which means it’s no surprise to see a pair of wides – the right/left combo won’t be helping in that regard – followed by a single, which brings Harmanpreet back onto strike. Good luck, Freya! Yeah, and when she goes outside off, the boss backs away and waits, then absolutely creams six over cover! Gosh, this is getting as hard to watch as it’s easy to watch, another paid of wides adding two to the total and the second squirting out of the hand in slightly painful style. So Kemp has no choice but to stop with the slower ones … but of course, Harmanpreet is waiting for her, flashing a drive to the point fence for four. Oh jeez, the next delivery is a wide too, Jones misses it and they run one; then Sharma collars fro outside off and over midwicket fo fo mo. Twenty-five from five legit … and one more, forced to cover, means a wounding welcome to the big show; dare Jones allow her the final over? And if not, who on earth is going to be punished with it? England are seriously struggling here.
A dazzlingly brilliant century for Harmanpreet Kaur!
47th over: India 271-5 (Kaur 100, Sharma 0) Ecclestone returns and Kaur looks for the favourite slog-sweep that’d also take her to her ton. But she has to change her plan when the ball arrives, forcing away one; a single to Sharma follows, then a wide. AND NOW LOOK! There’s that slog-sweep, a big stretch, front foot down, and it’s humped away to deep square for four! Harmanpreet goes to 99, then shoves to long on, and there it is! The pressure of leadership? Nah, not for her, and this has been an innings of total mastery.
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WICKET! Vastraka c Lamb b Kemp 18 (India 262-5)
Freya Kemp has her maiden ODI wicket! Another slower one, this time out the back of the hand, and Vastrakar makes room but doesn’t get all of it, slapping to cover. Kemp has bowled pretty well today, so has earned that.
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46th over: India 262-4 (Kaur 94, Vastrakar 18) Kemp returns, and will have to search her 17 years of accumulated wisdom to somehow tax Harmanpreet … who waits for her, leaping a little as the ball arrives to ease four away through backward point. She’s into the 90s and that ton is hers for the taking now; I’m sure there’s a bit of extra rhythm and zest in that little bat-flap she does as she waits to play, and rightly so. Anyhow, one more gives Vastrakar a go, and immediately, she canes a slower ball through extra for four.
45th over: India 253-4 (Kaur 89, Vastrakar 14) Can Harmanpreet reach what would be a dazzling ton? Well, after Vastrakar laps one to fine leg, she flips one over her head for four, then takes a big stride to create a half-volley, then lamps four through cover. This is just devastating competence: it hasn’t had the pyrotechnics with which Harmanpreet introduced herself to the world, but the extent of her control today has been no less inspiring. Ten off the over, and England are in deep, deep trouble.
44th over: India 243-4 (Kaur 80, Vastrakar 14) Yeah, bringing in Bell for Wong could be said to have gone badly, Bell ceding just three from her final over, but finishing her 10 with 1-79, the most expensive analysis in women’s ODI history. On which point, Rob Smyth, who’ll be crooning you through England’s chase, notes that 289 is the highest successful chase.
43rd over: India 240-4 (Kaur 79, Vastrakar 11) Three singles begin this latest Cross over, then Harmanpreet makes room to thrash her good mate back over her head and down to the fence for four. Oh yes, and she goes again, slamming a slower one to wide long on for four more! She is so, so good, and this has been such an innings, devastating in the precision of its measure.
42nd over: India 230-4 (Kaur 70, Vastrakar 10) Vastrakar takes one to cover, then Kaur collars a drag-down slower-ball and sends it to the fence at midwicket for four. Eesh, and the next delivery is similar, but this time the pull finds Wyatt on the fence, who dives, hurls, and saves two. A single follows, then Vastrakar opens the face at one that cramps her and it races away just by the keeper and for four. That’s 12 off the over and that 250 I said would be India’s minimum? Yeah, they’re going to get that and plenty.
41st over: India 218-4 (Kaur 63, Vastrakar 5) That was a very fine innings from Deol, who looked in almost total control throughout. But this doesn’t look the easiest pitch on which to ensconce and, right as I type that, Vastrakar shoves cross airily … and eludes Lamb at cover, just, to get off the mark with a four. A single and a wide follow, and with nine overs to go, India will be looking at another 50, minimum.
WICKET! Deol c Wyatt b Bell 58 (India 212-4)
HAVE A LOOK! Deol again looks to welly over the leg side, but this time she top-edges and Wyatt races over to take a decent catch, diving forward at midwicket. England needed that, badly.
40th over: India 212-3 (Kaur 63, Deol 58) Bell returns and Deol welcomes her to her spell in the grand style, making room to swat six over deep square! A single follows, but all that does it hand Harmanpreet the strike and she times a fine cover-drive that turns a length ball into a half-volley, earning her four. Gosh, when a wide comes next you worry for the bowler, 12 conceded and two still to come….
39th over: India 199-3 (Kaur 58, Deol 51) Cross returns and Deol takes her for one to cover, then Kaur tries to slam her over the top; she doesn’t get all of it, so they make do with a two that again comes because once she’d decided what to play, she committed to it fully. Next, she opens the face to add another brace wide of third man, and that’s five from the over. India have, at various points, threatened to cut loose, but haven’t quite managed it.
38th over: India 194-3 (Kaur 54, Deol 50) Before her last over, Ecclestone had a chat with Jones, which made me think they’d decided she should have one more. But here she is again, twizzling through a tight one that yields just two singles – the second of which, turned to midwicket, raises a fine fifty from Deol.
37th over: India 192-3 (Kaur 53, Deol 49) The partnership is now at 85, and after Deol strokes one to long on, Harmanpreet gets down on one knee and monsters Dean over midwicket for six and her third 50 on the spin. She was so quick to get down there, and once she’d decided what she was doing, she absolutely unloaded the suitcase. Them, facing the final ball of the over, Deol comes down, punches, and looks set for her 50 … until the shot hits her captain’s bat.
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36th over: India 184-3 (Kaur 46, Deol 48) I’m afraid to say that, for the first time this summer, I’ve asked the umpire* for my hoody. Which is, ultimately, better than putting the heating on – though I’m braced for a long winter of domestics, as my wife feels the cold more than I do. Anyhow, back in the middle, Kaur takes one then Deol comes down … and schmeisses Ecclestone over the top for six, overtaking her skipper in the process! A single follows, and India are turning it up now.
*myself
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35th over: India 176-3 (Kaur 45, Deol 41) A single to each batter, then Deol stands and delivers, carting Dean over extra for four; but the bowlers responds well, with three dots and, though India have wickets in-hand as I said, they’ve not got away from England.
34th over: India 170-3 (Kaur 44, Deol 36) Ecclestone returns too; can she find the wicket her team so badly need? Harmanpreet shoves one to point, Beaumont on her heels, then when Deol goes again next ball, we see the lesson has been learnt and smarter fielding forces her to regain her ground. Ecclestone’s final delivery to sent to point for one, but the over yielded just two, which is something. The wickets in-hand, situation, though, will be troubling Amy Jones
33rd over: India 168-3 (Kaur 43, Deol 35) Dean returns as England seek a breakthrough, and Kaur drives her to deep cover for two. A slog-sweep follows, fielded by ADR, on as sub, at long on, and what might’ve been four is only one.
32nd over: India 165-3 (Kaur 40, Deol 35) Kaur drives to cover for one, then Deol turns two away to midwicket. A leg-side bouncer follows, signalled wide, then two more singles – the second of them asking to be pulled but in the event, Deol picks out the fielder at midwicket, so they settle for six from the over.
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31st over: India 159-3 (Kaur 38, Deol 32) Deol knocks one to deep point, then Kaur waits for a slower one, pulling it off her pads, almost French-cricket style, and rolling hands over the ball too, to add four through backward square. Three singles follow, though Bell gets away with one when Harmanpreet waits for a slower one only to slap it straight to the sweeper.
30th over: India 151-3 (Kaur 32, Deol 30) Kemp returns and sends down a pretty decent over, that yields just two singles. India, though, have constructed an imposing platform.
29th over: India 149-3 (Kaur 31, Deol 29) Capsey has to go off but will hopefully be good to bat. Meantime, Bell returns with a wide, a single to Kaur follows, and then Deol swings a hard, snending the ball over the infield and for four to deep backward square; that raises the 50 partnership, off 9.5 overs, and with these two set I’d expect the rate to increase sharply.
29th over: India 143-3 (Kaur 30, Deol 25) Lovely from Harmanpreet, who waits, leans forward, and when the ball comes to her, she flicks it over midwicket and watches it run away for four. Two singles follow, but diving to stop the second, Capsey jams a finer or two into the surface – it looks sore – so while she’s treated, we’ll take drinks.
28th over: India 136-3 (Kaur 25, Deol 24) Another missed pull – and off Cross, who’s a bit quicker than Bell. Kaur wears it on the box and crouches, then performs some deep breaths before the physio comes on to help her out. What will Cross send down next, once she’s recovered? Er, a leg-side wide, after which Kaur gets off strike by bunting into the off side … then Deol signals that she’s had enough. First, she swings down the ground – well enough to clear the infield without getting all of it and they run two – before a late-cut to backward point earns four. Eight off the over.
27th over: India 128-3 (Kaur 24, Deol 18) Bell, who went at seven in her first spell, replaces Dean, and might find it easier to fix on a line now the swing has all but gone. And she starts well enough, probing outside off – this is much better – though Deol does ease two to third man, after which the players are told that DRS is down again. Bell’s final delivery is a decent one too, Deol looking to pull and missing.
26th over: India 126-3 (Kaur 24, Deol 16) Cross replaces Ecclestone; England might’ve tried to fiddle a few cheap overs from a part-timer, but instead go to a strike bowler to try and break this partnership. And, er, she begins with a wide, then, after two singles Deol is deceived by the wobble-ball, edging to where slip isn’t and they run one. Before play, Jones said England needed to remember to be positive; I wonder if she was partly talking to herself, because her field placings have been pretty defensive so far.
25th over: India 122-3 (Kaur 23, Deol 14) Dean is bowling nicely, Deol taking one to cover and Harmanpreet doing likewise to square leg; Deol adds one more with a further drive to cover. India are setting this up nicely – the way this is going, they’ll have plenty of batters left to go at the last 15 or so.
24th over: India 117-3 (Kaur 21, Deol 11) A decent over from Ecclestone, the batters making do with a single each from it. Given how deep India bat, they could do with another wicket or two and soon, but they are at least squeezing.
23rd over: India 117-3 (Kaur 21, Deol 11) Kaur takes Dean’s first ball, given air, to cover for one – the only scoring shot of the over.
“A quick freeze-frame shows that it’s a fiver for a regular ice-cream with a flake,” tweets @Mysteron_Voice. “Is that taking the mick, or am I getting old...”
I daresay it’s both, but I had a conversation on that theme with a vendor at Lord’s, not so much about the expense, though it was intense, but about the miserly quantity allowed.
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22nd over: India 116-3 (Kaur 20, Deol 11) After a decent little spell from England, India have got away again, Harmanpreet using Ecclestone’s extra pace to eases four to the backward point fence – an area that’s becoming increasingly well-trodden against the spinners. A wide and a single follow then Deol sweeps, just about, and earns two to finest leg. Cross, though, charges after it, hurls in superbly and off comes the bails … but via Jones’, er, posterior, as she stands in front of the stumps to receive and nudges them in the act of collecting. Eight from the over.
21st over: India 108-3 (Kaur 15, Deol 9) Deol looks pretty well-organised, seeking to be positive in defence and put bat on ball; she does miss one, but then after four dots, she waits, leans back, and again cuts four through the 45, the only runs from the over.
20th over: India 104-3 (Kaur 15, Deol 5) We discussed earlier that Ecclestone’s spell could well be crucial in determining what happens here – I admit, not a massive speculation – but her team need more from her because India are still in a decent spot. So Deol has a look at two, then steps back to a short one and cuts it hard along the 45 to the fence for four. A single follows, and I keep saying it but if England might be wanting Wong to bring on here, a new batter in and wickets urgently required.
STILL OUT!
Mandhana was almost outside the line but not quite – it’s umpire’s call in that aspect – with the ball presumed to be smashing middle, two-thirds of the way up.
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REVIEW!
Here we go, DRS is back…
WICKET! Mandhana lbw b Ecclestone 40 (India 99-3)
Mandhana gets down on one knee, sweeps, misses, and wears ball on pad. That looks good to me.
19th over: India 98-2 (Mandhana 40, Kaur 15) Spin from both ends now as Charlie Dean replaces Kemp and goes around to the lefties, who take one from her first three deliveries, Mandhana edging to midwicket. Then she goes over and beats Harmanpreet’s outside edge, the batter looking to shove towards cover, and this is better from England, who’ve put the breaks on somewhat – the last two overs have failed to yield a boundary.
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18th over: India 98-2 (Mandhana 39, Kaur 15) Mandhana forces one to mid on, then two more singles follow before Harmanpreet chops one into the ground that, for a second, looks to have beaten the bat and only just passes off stump. Still, Ecclestone is into her spell now; can she make it count?
17th over: India 95-2 (Mandhana 37, Kaur 14) I love the way Smiriti goes about her batting: she’s so calm and correct in how she gets into position to play the ball and, like so many of the best players, of anything, she always has time. Anyhow, three singles comes from Kemp’s first four balls, then a drag-down allows Harmanpreet to yank around the corner for four to deep backward square. The partnership is now 29 off 34, and again, England could use something.
16th over: India 88-2 (Mandhana 35, Kaur 9) Ecclestone into the attack and this contest might be pivotal: if she does well, England will fancy themselves to roll India for something nice, but if she doesn’t, they’ll have a problem. So Kaur takes her loosener to cover … then Mandhana gets into a great position, launching six over wide long on! She made that look so easy, picking length, dancing down, and carting ball. One more follows, and India are still going well – but if England can break this partnership, the match is there for them.
😮💨😮💨😮💨
— Lancashire Cricket (@lancscricket) September 21, 2022
🌹 #RedRoseTogether https://t.co/vxbTi0MFh1 pic.twitter.com/7BRhEuVcvQ
15th over: India 80-2 (Mandhana 28, Kaur 8) Gosh, that Essex v Lancashire match I mentioned – Lanky have won it by 38 runs having been 7-6 in their second innings, skittling Essex for 59 after posing two monsters of 131 and 73. That is ridiculous. Anyhow, Kemp – who, I meant to note is 17 – continues. She actually gets lucky when she strays wide, Kaur picking out the sweeper at deep cover when I was sure the ball was going to fence, and they run one, the second single of the over.
14th over: India 78-2 (Mandhana 27, Kaur 7) Ach, just when England were exerting a little pressure, two wides follows a wide while, in comms, it’s wondered whether England could be a bit more aggressive with their field placings. I guess the point is to make sure India don’t make something huge because England back themselves to chase any score that isn’t, but in the meantime, two singles and a two make this another expensivish over – and Harmanpreet will now consider herself in. That’s drinks.
13th over: India 71-2 (Mandhana 26, Kaur 4) You know what, I said Dean’s palms would be stinging from that catch, but she got herself into such a good position and took the ball with such soft hands that I doubt she even felt it. Anyhow, the batters take a single apiece from the first two balls of Kemp’s latest over, then Kaur lifts down the ground for two. The more I watch of this, the more I wonder whether England erred in leaving out Wong, who offers them something a little different – pace and teeth music – though I know she can be expensive, as she was on Sunday.
12th over: India 67-2 (Mandhana 24, Kaur 0) The bad news, of course, is that Harmanpreet is now at the wicket, and after confidently presenting the full face, she turns to backward point for the single that sets her away.
WICKET! Bhatia c&b Dean 26 (India 66-2)
That’s a grab! Bhatia comes down and absolutely leathers a full toss … but Dean gets down to collect low! Her palms will be stinging, but she won’t mind – she and her team needed that, badly.
11th over: India 65-1 (Mandhana 24, Bhatia 26) Are England putting the breaks on? One from the first three deliveries of Kemp’s over, Mandhana pressing to cover … but then she offers Bhatia a smidge of width and the ball is eased to the fence at backward point. India are going well here, but helped by England who are offering a four-ball in almost every over.
10th over: India 60-1 (Mandhana 22, Bhatia 23) Dean is on for Cross, and she’ll be turning the ball up the slope and into the two lefties … who take singles from each of her first five deliveries. The sixth is a dot, and that was a decent, if slightly expensive start.
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9th over: India 56-1 (Mandhana 21, Bhatia 20) Kemp, on d’boo and with Jones standing up, replaces Bell, and Mandhana takes her first ball for one to square leg. Another single follows, Bhatia forcing to third man, and that’s England’s most economical over of the match so far, just two from it.
8th over: India 54-1 (Mandhana 20, Bhatia 19) England need something here, because Mandhana, offered width by Cross’ first ball, waits before timing four more to backward point. Eesh, and when the third delivery is on the pads, Smriti doesnot miss out, easily glancing away for four to score her 3000th ODI run; only Wolvaardt and Rolton have reached that landmark faster. The current rate is 6.75.
7th over: India 45-1 (Mandhana 11, Bhatia 19) Shot! Mandhana leans down the track – oh my days, as the ball arrives and she realises it’s there for her, you see her eyes widen and light up – then glides four through cover. A single follows, then Bell moves one away from Bhatia, who follows it with her hands and misses – with the swing she’s finding, the bowler’s in the game – but so is Yastika Bhatia, who again grooves down the track, makes room, and eases a cover-drive to the fence. This pair are seeing it.
6th over: India 36-1 (Mandhana 6, Bhatia 15) Mandhana jabs down the ground, but Cross, following-through, isn’t in a position to snaffle the snaffle. A leg-side wide follows, then Bhatia skips down and leg side, making room to flash an aerial drive past cover’s dive and to the fence. India are not waiting to be asked here.
5th over: India 30-1 (Mandhana 5, Bhatia 11) Bhatia takes one to midwicket, then a leg bye and a wide keep the scoreboard ticking. These are the only runs off the over, but England are allowing the shine off the ball without threatening the stumps that much – though, as I type that, Bell again hits the pad … but again, the ball pitched outside leg, if not as obviously.
4th over: India 27-1 (Mandhana 5, Bhatia 10) Oh India are into this now, Bhatia pushing three to the long boundary at extra before Mandhana shows the nick she’s in, getting off the mark after eight balls without scoring by flourishing a delectable straight drive for four. Two singles follow, and if England don’t take wickets, they cold be chasing something significant.
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3rd over: India 18-1 (Mandhana 0, Bhatia 6) Bell, seeking swing, pitches right up to Bhatia, who waits for it in order to flay a square drive for four through point. A single follows, then two deliveries later a huge appeal when the lefty Mandhana misses a pull, also having to kick away from her stumps; but I don’t think that was a difficult call for the umpire, as the ball pitched well outside leg. Better from Bell, though.
2nd over: India 13-1 (Mandhana 0, Bhatia 1) The ball’s doing a bit out there and Bhatia shoves her first look at it towards slip and takes one; two dots complete the over but Mandhana will be relieved to still be out there having flicked a half-volley that drops just short of Lamb at midwicket. That was a bazzing start from Cross.
WICKET! Verma b Cross 8 (India 12-1)
Excellent bowling from Cross, a fine wobble-seamer nipping in a little off the pitch before holding its line to whoosh through the gate and clatter the timber, top of middle and off! Mazal tov again!
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2nd over: India 12-0 (Verma 8, Mandhana 0) Cross takes the new globule from the Pavilion End and, unsurprisingly given her decent effort at the weekend, is on the money right away.
1st over: India 12-0 (Verma 8, Mandhana 0) For the time being, we’ve nae DRS – some kind of technical issue is the problem, so we should get to it presently. In the meantime, Bell bounds in in that looping style and sends down consecutive wides, off followed by leg. Eeesh, then it’s back to width on the off and Shafali takes a step down, then clatters four through point before carving four more through where second slip isn’t. England have had better starts, and two wides follow; can Bell get out of what’s already a slightly embarrassing opening over with no further damage? She can, walking away after two dots almost relieved to have only gone for 12.
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Lauren Bell has the ball, Shafali is facing, and off we go!
Here come the umpires and teams, as we learn that Charlotte Edwards, though interested in the position at some point, doesn’t feel it’s yet her time to coach England. Oh, and here’s the aforementioned Collins on comms! Go on the OBO!
On the Ashes, an important scheduling note from the OBO’s Adam Collins:
To be clear, the 2023 Ashes have been long slated for June/July because Aust are committed to South Africa (quite right after stuffing them around big time in early 2021) for a full ODI series in August ahead of the October World Cup. Unusual but sensible - scheduling is complex. https://t.co/IiYo6u4isL
— Adam Collins (@collinsadam) August 16, 2022
Lisa Keightly, who finishes her stint with England at Lord’s, says she felt the run till the T20 World Cup in February was a long one, given the time she’s spent away from her wife – who’s started a real estate agency so isn’t able to travel – and family. So she decided it was best for the team to knock it on the head now, giving the new coach a decent run-up on the road to South Africa.
I can’t lie, I’m a tad disappointed there’s no Wong. I like Bell too, but well, Issy is Issy.
Teams!
England 1 Tammy Beaumont, 2 Emma Lamb, 3 Sophia Dunkley, 4 Alice Capsey, 5 Danni Wyatt, 6 Amy Jones (capt & wk), 7 Freya Kemp, 8 Sophie Ecclestone, 9 Charlie Dean, 10 Kate Cross, 11 Lauren Bell.
India 1 Smriti Mandhana, 2 Shafali Verma, 3 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 4 Harleen Deol, 5 Yastika Bhatia (wk), 6 Deepti Sharma, 7 Pooja Vastrakar, 8 Jhulan Goswami, 9 Dayalan Hemalatha, 10 Rajeshwari Gayakwad, 11 Renuka Singh Thakur.
“It’s always better to have it and no need it, than need it and not have it,” says Kate Cross quite beautifully. “I’ve retired four or five times in my own head,” she continues, saying she’s not bothered about stats or milestones, she plays because she enjoys it, but it’s still nice and her parents are at the ground to watch her. Naches!
On Sky, an impassioned Dominic Cork is expressing his relief that the Ashes Test is a five-dayer. He’s not wrong, and how great that it’s at Trent Bridge too. It should never have taken this long, but we’re here now.
I didn’t say this in the preamble so as not to seem partisan, but if England can win today, they’ll set up a series finale at Lord’s – where they’ve not played, save in tournaments, since 2014, and at all since 2017.
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India would’ve bowled too, but Harmanpreet reckons it’s a decent track, so isn’t too perturbed; is she ever? Her team shows, two changes, Meghna and Sneh dropping out with Renuka and Hemalatha coming in,
Kate Cross wins her 50th cap – mazal tov to her, a titan of English cricket.
England win the toss and bowl
Amy Jones thinks it’s a good wicket and might improve under the lights. After chastening defeat, the plan is to focus on themselves and do what they do best. Lauren Bell replaces Wong and Freya Kemp is in for her debut, replacing Alice Davidson-Richards though she made a 50 at the weekend.
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Righto, here’s the toss. I daresay whoever wins it has a bowl.
And another from my youth in 1996, Chappie Chapple taking 6-18 as Lancashire beat Essex.
Here’s a prime example from my childhood: Daffy DeFreitas reducing Northants to 39-5 in the 1990 Nat West Trophy final.
I wonder how the pitch will play today. There was a point yesterday at which Lancashire were 7-6 and they were eventually all out for 73; Essex are now 28-4 needing 70 more to win. And, at the same time, title-chasing Hants were in the process of being dismissed for 57. As I said below, the joy of September cricket in England.
Tell you what, an Ashes double-header though. Ooooh yeah!
Also for your delectation…
Preamble
It’s strange the way cricket works: here, we have two fine and well-matched teams, but so far, through three T20 internationals and one ODI, we’ve not had the arse-nipper they and we deserve; hopefully today makes that right.
But in the meantime, what an effort from India on Sunday. England didn’t bat well, it’s true, reliant on their lower-order for their semi-competitive score. India, though, bowled with terrific threat and economy, before knocking off the runs with minimum fuss and maximum prejudice.
None of this means we’ll see something similar this afternoon, but. England have so much firepower it seems unlikely their gun batters will all fail again, just as it seems unlikely that Issy Wong, their strike bowler, will get so severely clouted again. The thing is, even if we assume that to be true, India have more than enough to beat a firing England … and the reverse is also true.
All of which is to say that, given the basic joy of international cricket; the unusual joy of international cricket, in the green and pleasants, towards the end of September; and the specific joy of these two teams, playing international cricket, in the green and pleasants, towards the end of September; we’re in for an absolute treat. Go well, mates.
Play: 1pm BST
