Raf Nicholson's report
Time for everyone to go and get warm. A great start for England – let’s hope there are better conditions at Derby on Tuesday. Have a lovely evening!
Obviously tough conditions for India - cold and damp up in Durham - but nonetheless far too many terrible fielding errors from India.
— CRICKETher 🏏 (@crickether) September 10, 2022
The floodlights stand over the empty ground like all-seeing eyes. Excellent from Capsey, from Dunkley and Sarah Glenn. A visibly irritated Harmanpreet doesn’t seem to be too happy that the game went ahead. I paraphrase but “when conditions were not in your favour, we lost one of our bowlers, slippy under foot.” Stand-in captain Amy Jones, “I’m quiet in all forms of the game and I’m really grateful to the girls for helping.”
Player of the match is Sarah Glenn for her first ever four-fer.
England win by nine wickets
13th over: England 134-1 (Dunkley 61, Capsey 32) Renuka gets the call up to deliver the last rites, and for once England can’t find the rope straight away. Some smashing running though, and there it is – a leg side full toss clonked for four! Quite the thrashing by England – which is appreciated by some happy, leaping, dancing kids in the crowd. A sloppy performance in the field by India who had given themselves a chance in the last few overs of their own innings.
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12th over: England 124-1 (Dunkley 53, Capsey 30) Shafali Verma steps in and provides England with a few more pies to tuck into. Thinking of the 4,000 plus in the crowd at The Riverside who don’t get to watch much of England’s women – it would really have been nicer to give them a game in mid-summer rather than autumn.
Fifty for Sophia Dunkley!
11th over: England 112-1 (Dunkley 50, Capsey 22) A crowd-pleasing fifty from Dunkley who did well to ride her luck early on but has swung into swashbuckling mode – she cracks Rana for two successive fours and the young-girl dominated crowd are visibly thrilled.
10th over: England 103-1 (Dunkley 41, Capsey 22) Can Harmanpreet claw this back? She dries the ball with the tea-towel as if rubbing the magic lamp. Her fielders are not on task, first two sweepers collide like a Laurel and Hardy sketch, then Bahadur slips and lets yet another boundary past. Capsey cross-bats a six to make it 17 off the over – just 30 needed to win.
This is some stat:
England's XI today v India is the first time that none of the 2017 World Cup winning side v India at Lord's is playing in the team. Wyatt played in the group stages but not the final@englandcricket #EngWvIndW
— Richard V Isaacs (@RVICricketStats) September 10, 2022
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9th over: England 86-1 (Dunkley 32, Capsey 16) Dunkley goes big down the ground and a valiant dive from Kaur parries the ball for six – nothing going India’s way right now. Capsey – fabulous touch – biffs her high and into the stands. The thrilled crowd rattle their programmes.
8th over: England 71-1 (Dunkley 24, Capsey 9) Capsey, England’s breakthrough star in last year’s Hundred shimmies two boundaries off Vastrakar’s second over – one straight back over the ducking bowler and a singing pull.
7th over: England 62-1 (Dunkley 23, Capsey 1) Rana makes the breakthrough India so desperately needed, and it was a magic bit of work behind the stumps that did it. Can India up the rest of their game in the field?
WICKET! Wyatt st Ghosh b S Rana (England 60-1)
Off-spin does the business as Rana strikes with her third ball! A superb take by Ghosh, a whirling dervish, and though Wyatt swoops to get back in her crease, she’s yards out.
6th over: England 56-0 (Dunkley 21, Wyatt 22)Wyatt escapes a run-out chance as a lop-sided throw comes into the keeper. Then two successive fours by Wyatt as she pull-heaves past the hapless fielders.
5th over: England 43-0 (Dunkley 20, Wyatt 11) India’s fielding letting their bowlers down here. A head-in-hands drop by Shafali Verma at mid-off gives Dunkley another life as poor Renuka Singh plugs away. Dunkley immediately slams four over backward point just for the lols.
4th over: England 37-0 (Dunkley 15, Wyatt 10) Dunkley in Baz-ball mood, even if the leavers won’t quite do what the mind directs.She just survives a leading edge, then drives snappily, through the hand of the Indian fielder to pick up a boundary. One in the bag, she goes for a more confident up and over four.
3rd over: England 25-0 (Dunkley 4, Wyatt 9) Thakur, a neat figure with a white grip on her left arm, sprints in. Seems to constantly have Dunkley in two minds – she picks up a leg bye and another ball misses both Dunkley preparing for the swipe, and the keeper, to roll down to the rope.
2nd over: England 19-0 (Dunkley 4, Wyatt 8) This isn’t going to be boring. Vastrakar’s first ball flies down to the rope for byes, and Wyatt kisses the fourth through the covers. Oh dear and this looks like a nasty injury in the circle for Radha who throws herself after the ball but then remains motionless on the ground. The physio runs on and escorts her off the field, clutching her right shoulder.
England chase 133 to win
1st over: England 6-0 (Dunkley 4, Wyatt 0) I’ve no idea how Dunkley survived that over! Thakur on the money from the first: an inside edge, a wicket off a no-ball, a play and miss, another, a tickle just short of slip and then a slap down the ground for four.
Not much time for browsing over your dinner! The players are back on the field and here we go again.
20th over: India 132-7 ( Sharma 29, Rana 2) Ecclestone and England’s last over , and it goes for 12 as Sharma beats the field twice, having a full swing at the last ball which lopes merrily over the rope. Not a world-beating score, but just about respectable, as Mel and Kim would say, on a damp outfield and a chilly evening.
Just time for me to quickly eat some veggie sausage casserole, back in five.
19th over: India 120-7 ( Sharma 19, Rana 0) Four byes off Davies cheer up India and despite the sloppy running, they manage ten from the over.
WICKET! Vastrakar run out (Kemp) 3 (India 118-7)
India run on the mis-field, but Kemp recovers well, throws strongly, and Vastrakar forgets to ground her bat before Davies whips off the bails.
18th over: India 110-6 ( Sharma 14, Vastrakar 2) Wringing the tea-towel, India squeeze five from Ecclestone – while Jones blots her copy book for the first time today by dropping a sharp chance of Vastrakar’s pads.
17th over: India 106-6 ( Sharma 12, Vastrakar 0) Amy Jones loses her second review of the evening, with an lbw appeal off Glenn against Sharma who drops to her knee to sweep – but misses. But it is pitching outside off. But Glenn gets her reward two balls later: four for 23, very nicely done.
WICKET! Navgire c Wyatt b Glenn 7 (India 105-6)
A first international four-fer for Glenn! Navgire goes for a shoot-out slog but picks out Wyatt who takes it with both hands at midwicket.
16th over: India 103-5 ( Navgire 6, Sharma 10) Kemp keeps it tight and India can only squeeze two off the 16th, England strangling them at the death here.
15th over: India 101-5 ( Navgire 5, Sharma 9) Bell proved relatively easy pickings in her first two overs, and leaks eight here too. Just the one boundary though, a beauty as Sharma opens the face and kisses the ball down to the rope.
14th over: India 94-5 ( Navgire 3, Sharma 4) Dib and dab off Smith but India need boundaries.
13th over: India 89 -5 ( Navgire 1, Sharma 1) Five off the over and the crucial wicket of Kaur. On the radio they talk about Navgire – a find from this spring’s women’s T20 challenge. She doesn’t usually hang around.
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WICKET! Kaur b Glenn 20 (India 88-5)
Oooof. Kaur can feel a bit hard done by there. Glenn’s delivery keeps low and tickles off stump just under its ankle.
12th over: India 83-4 (Kaur 19, Navgire 0) Time for Kaur to ramp Davies to fine leg before the in-touch Ghosh holes out. India not able to quite get away here – clever bowling by England.
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WICKET! Ghosh c Smith b Davies 16 (India 83-4)
Attempting to accelerate the train, Ghosh slog sweeps, straight to long-on.
11th over: India 78 -3 (Kaur 11, Ghosh 16) Ghosh plays a delightful little soft-handed guide off Ecclestone through short third for four, then changes gear and sweeps her full-throttle for six.
10th over: India 65 -3 (Kaur 11, Ghosh 4) Another switch of personnel as Southern Brave’s Kemp takes over. Kaur tickles her first ball round the corner for four and few more dabs tick up the score at the half way stage.
“Hello,” writes James in Rochdale. “I wonder if any of the players will have a look at the Great North Run tomorrow. Does the route go anywhere near the Riverside?”
That, James, I don’t know. Any readers have an idea?
9th over: India 56-3 (Kaur 5, Ghosh 1) England’s spinners tightening, tightening the web. Hemalantha’s dismissal was a bit messy, going for the hoick.
A sombre atmosphere to start with here in Durham, but play is underway #ENGvIND We’re live on @bbctms right now. India batting first. @KevinHowells16 @DeepDasgupta7 @melissagstory #bbccricket pic.twitter.com/qSPfySuJ38
— Nikesh Rughani (@NikeshRughani) September 10, 2022
WICKET! Hemalatha lbw Glenn 10 (India 55-3)
Trapped on the back foot straight as an arrow.
8th over: India 51-2 ( Hemalatha 8, Kaur 4) If England’s men are heavy with the ginger, England women are the queens of the blond ponytail – as Sophie Eccelestone, the fourth of the five bowlers to take the ball today, comes into the attack. A maiden. Of course.
7th over: India 51-2 ( Hemalatha 8, Kaur 4) It’s all action at The Riverside. First Glenn fluffs a run-out chance of Verma, then Verma drops to her knees and hammers Glenn down the ground where it beats the soggy outfield and the fielder to the rope. Then the wicket, before Kaur cover-drives her second ball for four.
WICKET! Verma c Smith b Glenn 14 (India 47-2)
A jolly wallop down the ground where Smith makes no mistake.
6th over: India 41-1 (Verma 13, Hemalatha 3) Some nifty glove-work behind the stumps from my Jones as she clips off Verma’s bails and then gathers sweetly on the leap off a wide from Davies. In between Sophia Dunkley drops Verma in the covers, she seemed to be moving sweetly to gather, but the ball slapped her hand and fell to the ground.
5th over: India 36-1 (Verma 11, Hemalatha 1) A whack-a-mole boundary down the ground by Verma off Freya Kemp, to the delight of the crowd – who are packed in quite tightly in the stands round the pavilion.
4th over: India 30-1 (Verma 6) Time for Mandhana to pick up one more boundary before Smith gets her woman.
WICKET! Mandhan lbw Smith 23 (India 30-1)
Another review, but this time Mandhana is appealing the on-field umpire’s raised finger. She goes down on one knee to sweep, misses and that’s that.
Not out!
Always an optimistic lbw shout off Bryony Smith, drifting legside.
REVIEW! India 30-0
A first test of Jones’ reviewing skills. Not out says the on-field umpire…
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3rd over: India 24-0 (Mandhana 18, Verma 5) Thirteen off Bell’s over as Mandhana swooshes through long-off, then midwicket, for four. Finally Verma takes off down the ground.
Raf is my go-to for women’s cricket:
Why are the broadcasters not talking about the captaincy? It is obvious that this is the issue for Sciver. She doesn’t want to be skipper and England messed up trying to give it to her.
— Raf Nicholson (@RafNicholson) September 10, 2022
If Sciver is a reluctant captain, it was a really bad idea to give it to her. A player has to embrace it – what a burden otherwise.
2nd over: India 11-0 (Mandhana 9, Verma 1) Quite the acceleration from Freya Davies as she hurries to the crease, her first ball is a leg side wide. Verma picks up a single with a dab into the off side, then a misfield in the covers gives Mandhana a couple. She milks three more.
1st over: India 4-0 (Mandhana 4, Verma 0) Lauren Bell, on T20 debut, takes the first over. She slips in her delivery stride and her first ball slides somewhat wide. Mandhana is off the mark with a shimmy and a lofted off drive for four.
God save the King – I think that might have been a recording, we weren’t shown the singer – and a few stifled giggles, which is exactly what forced solemnity does.
The teams stand shoulder to shoulder as the crowd stand to observe a minutes silence. Immaculately kept.
Here come the match officials, down the pavilion steps and through the guard of honour, followed by both teams wearing black armbands.
Lovely pic! Very keen on the red kit.
Lauren Bell makes her T20I debut tonight ❤️#CricketTwitter #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/uZ1i7M2Xgk
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) September 10, 2022
Lauren Bell makes her IT20 debut as England plump for three seamers in a seaming paradise, with rain skirting the ground. India are spin heavy, with just Renuka and Vastrakar to make the most of the conditions. No Goswami, who rests till the ODIs.
Teams
England: Danni Wyatt, Sophia Dunkley, Alice Capsey, Amy Jones (captain and wk), Bryony Smith, Maia Bouchier, Sophie Ecclestone, Freya Kemp, Sarah Glenn, Freya Davies, Lauren Bell.
India: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Dayalan Hemalatha, Richa Ghosh (wk), Kiran Navgire, Pooja Vastrakar, Sneh Rana, Deepti Sharma, Radha Yadav, Renuka Singh
A very very green and lush looking Chester-le-Street, almost florescent under lights, with two of the commentators in fleeces, and Lydia Greenway in a polo-neck.
England win the toss and will bowl.
Ah! We have television pictures from Chester le Street where England are warming up in tracksuits. Here is debutant captain Amy Jones who duly wins her first toss and will bowl.
Do drop me a line if you’re twiddling your thumbs, either @tjaldred or tanya.aldred.freelance@guardian.co.uk. What do you expect of the next six games, with a new-look England (Knight, Brunt and Sciver on the sidelines) and India without the recuperating Jemimah Rodrigues, and the magnificent Jhulan Goswami on her swansong?
As at The Oval for the men’s Test, both teams will wear black armbands in tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II. There will be a guard of honour made up of children, a minute’s silence, and a rendition of God Save the King. Feeling for any debutants today – it must have been pretty overwhelming for Harry Brook.
Start delayed till 7.30pm
Not the most surprising news of the day. They will toss at 7pm and, if no further rain, the match will remain 20 overs a side.
Preamble
Good evening! It’s been a damp old day in Durham, but they’re mopping up urgently, so fingers crossed. It was optimistic to plump for The Riverside at 7pm in September to kick off this series – blankets and thermoses on the gate?
The rain has stopped & the clear up is well underway ahead of #ENGvIND 🏴🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/n4JWLeBCd5
— Durham Cricket (@DurhamCricket) September 10, 2022
This is the first of six autumn matches against India, the Commonwealth Games silver medallists who also knocked England out of the semi-final. Three T20s (today, the second T20 at Derby on September 13, and the third at Bristol on Sept 15) followed by three ODIs (Sept 18, Hove; Sept 21, Canterbury and Sept 24, Lord’s)
Nat Sciver, who was supposed to be leading England with Heather Knight absent after hip surgery, withdrew on Thursday to prioritise her mental health. She had earlier also stepped away from leading Trent Rockets in the Hundred. Amy Jones will lead England instead, while Harmanpreet Kaur captains India
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