England win... but there's more to come
Congratulations to England who take the T20I series 2-1 but they will see it only as half a job done. September might be creaking along, the nights drawing in and the mercury drooping but there are three ODIs against India still to come next week. Pocket warmers at the ready.
We’ll have them and you covered on the OBO next week, do join us for those. For now, goodbye!
Post match presentation:
Sophie Ecclestone is POTM for her 3-25: “I have enjoyed being the vice-captain in this series, taking more responsibility and talking to youngsters. Amy has been a good captain, we’ve had three players missing so it is good to see youngsters step up.”
Sophia Dunkley is POTS (player of the series): “I am proud of the girls because we are missing three of our key players. A few of us tried to step up since it is a young team. We pulled together well and the results speak for themselves. (On batting) I want to go hard in the first few overs but I try to soak up the pressure and it will come gradually. I’m really proud of this group with the young players though, we are going to have a shot at the T20 World Cup next year.”
Harmanpreet Kaur: “We were 20 runs short today but credit to our bowlers. Because of them we were in the game. We need to stick to our strengths. We were not able to bat the way we would have liked to today. If we can build more partnerships then that can give us good motivation to fight.”
Amy Jones: “It feels really good. I’m proud of the whole group, the way they stepped up, big time, has been brilliant.”
“The second game shows that at times going out hard is not going to pay off, but if we back ourselves, we can do well, that’s what we will aim for in the ODIs.”
England win by 7 wickets with 1o balls remaining!
Alice Capsey hits the first two balls of the 19th over for four to clinch the game and the series for England! A fine chase in the end, the openers Wyatt and Dunkley got them off to a flier before a mid-innings wobble after three quick wickets for India. Capsey then showed her class and was ably supported by Bryony Smith, together they calmly steered England to victory.
England win by 7 wickets and win the IT20 series! pic.twitter.com/3DP9ieCRhg
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) September 15, 2022
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18th over: England 118-3 (Capsey 30, Smith 13) Five off the over and England almost home and dry. It has been a fantastic recovery from 79-3. 5 runs needed from 12 balls.
17th over: England 113-3 (Capsey 27, Smith 11) Capsey drives powerfully and threads the gap in the covers – four runs! England tick over either side of the boundary and suddenly the pressure has come down a few notches. India need wickets again to take this down to the wire. England need 10 off 18. Easy?
16th over: England 103-3 (Capsey 20, Smith 8) Bryony Smith clips a full ball away for four! Breathe. A single brings Capsey on strike and she gets away with one… a lofted drive should have been caught on the boundary but a half quarter-hearted effort from Hemalatha sees the ball fall at her feet and go for four. Could be a crucial error. 20 needed from 24.
15th over: England 92-3 (Capsey 15, Smith 3) Seven off the over, Capsey shows great guts by reverse-sweeping for four to keep England ticking. Can England’s youngsters get them over the line from here? 31 from 30 needed.
14th over: England 85-3 (Capsey 10, Smith 1) Capsey chips over mid-on for a shackle loosening boundary. Only two more singles off the over though. India have come right back into this match. 38 needed from 36.
13th over: England 79-3 (Capsey 5, Smith 0) Bryony Smith joins Capsey. 44 needed from 42 balls. Squeeze.
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WICKET! Jones b Yadav 3 (England 79-3)
Somebody mention a wobble? Jones misses a straight one and Yadav is jubilant in celebration. ‘Squeeze time’ says Charles Dagnall on the tv commentary. I think he’s talking about the cricket.
12th over: England 76-2 (Capsey 2, Jones) 47 needed from 48 balls. Amy Jones joins the young tyro Capsey. A mini wobble here for England, India on the squeeze.
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WICKET! Dunkley b Vastrakar 49 (England 72-2)
Bowled her! Dunkley doesn’t get her half-century – clearly frustrated by being tied down – she tries a violent hack across the line, misses and is castled. She punches her bat in anger (I heard ya say)
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11th over: England 71-0 (Dunkley 49, Capsey 0) A maiden! You read that right. A maiden. Dunkley throws the kitchen sink at nearly every ball from Yadav but fails to connect with any. She smiles ruefully, actually it could be a grimace.
WICKET! Wyatt c Yadav b Rana 22 (India 71-0)
Wyatt slices past point to pick up three and bring and Dunkley on strike. Four! Dunkley down on one knee and sweeping solidly for another boundary. A glide to backward point brings two more and a single gives Wyatt the strike. She holes out to mid-on! England lose their first wicket and Alice Capsey arrives to join Dunkley.
10th over: England 71-0 (Dunkley 49, Capsey 0)
9th over: England 60-0 (Dunkley 41, Wyatt 19) Wyatt has been out scored by her partner so far but she is still going at a run a ball – two twos keep her ticking over and a single off the last means Wyatt will have the strike next over.
8th over: England 55-0 (Dunkley 41, Wyatt 14) Rana into the attack and she quietens things down, just four singles from it. India need wickets though, pronto.
7th over: England 51-0 (Dunkley 39, Wyatt 12) Fifty partnership up for this opening pair. Well batted. They are doing this in style so far, the ball coming on to the bat and screeching to the boundary in the first seven overs.
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6th over: England 45-0 (Dunkley 35, Wyatt 10) Last over of the powerplay for India to get through. Sharma tosses one up and Dunkley’s eyes light up as she sweeps powerfully for four. England in command.
5th over: England 38-0 (Dunkley 29, Wyatt 9) CLONK! Danni Wyatt gets in on the act by smiting Thakur through the covers for her first boundary. A single to point brings Dunkley on strike. Shot! Sophie D drives with plenty of bottom hand for four more! England have flown out of the traps.
4th over: England 27-0 (Dunkley 24, Wyatt 3) Sharma tosses one up and Dunkley lines up a huge drive only to get a big snick over the keeper for a couple. A full toss ix then smeared away to the mid-wicket fence, don’t bowl there. Dunkley gets another boundary with a thrash through mid-off. Juicy over for England.
3rd over: England 15-0 (Dunkley 12, Wyatt 3) Dunkley flat bats Thakur over mid-on to bring England’s first boundary. Unconventional but effective. Robert Croft is on the tv commentary with his lovely, lugubrious welsh lilt. Speaking of which – I’ve just seen this very sad news about Eddie Butler:
2nd over: England 8-0 (Dunkley 6, Wyatt 2) Sharma burgles an over – dragging plenty down but Dunkley and Wyatt find the fielders and only manage three off it.
1st over: England 5-0 (Dunkley 4, Wyatt 1) Here we go then, Dunkley and Wyatt to blitz this (tricksy) chase? Or are we in for a finger-chewer? let’s find out…
Thakur is pacy and probing first up, Dunkley drives for two to get England underway. Another well run two and a single to Wyatt gives England a steady start.
Don’t MISS this change of innings reading:
England fielded very well, holding on to their chances in the Bristol gloaming. It doesn’t always work out like that though, as you well know. Yes you. Butter fingers.
India post 122-8 off 20 overs
England will need 123 to win and take the series.
From 79/7 after 17 overs, Ghosh and Vastrakar's late flourish adds 43 runs in the last three overs!
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) September 15, 2022
Have they got anywhere near enough? #ENGvIND
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20th over: India 122-8 (Vastrakar 19, Yadav 5) Freya Davies to bowl the last for England. She spears in a yorker but Vastrakar manages to dig it out and time it away for four! What a shot that is! Four more off the next too, Davies tries a slower ball and it comes out well but Vastrakar gets to the pitch and pierces the field. Final ball… a whip off the pads is saved on the boundary but India come back for three runs. 15 runs off the final over, India have made a game of this.
WICKET! Ghosh lbw b Ecclestone 33 (India 103-8)
What can India post from here? England will be starting to get a little twitchy whilst Richa Ghosh is still at the crease and looking so dangerous. The India 100 comes up with a scampered two from a Ghosh reverse sweep. She’s gone now though! Ecclestone goes full and traps her plum in front. Ghosh reviews in vain and has to prise herself from the crease. She’s given India a sniff.
Yadav is the new batter and she smears her first four down to third for a boundary! One over to go.
19th over: India 107-8 (Vastrakar 5, Yadav 4)
Praise indeed:
A rare insight into the opinions of an India player.
— hypocaust (@_hypocaust) September 15, 2022
Anya Shrubsole on TMS mentions that Southern Brave teammate Smriti Mandhana told her she couldn't believe Richa Ghosh wasn't in the Commonwealth Games squad, and Ghosh is a player she stays to watch bat in the nets.#ENGvIND
18th over: India 95-7 (Ghosh 29, Vastrakar 2) Ghosh hits back to boundaries off Issy Wong – she clatters a full ball down the ground and then follows it up with a ramp that flies away past Amy Jones to the boundary! And another four! Ghosh stays deep in her crease to give her time and crunches down the ground again for a third boundary. 16 from the over.
WICKET! Sharma st Jones b Ecclestone 24 (India 75-7)
A slight fumble but this time Amy Jones recovers and whips off the bails with Sharma stranded down the pitch. England have snaffled 7! Four runs and another wicket from Ecclestone’s third over.
17th over: India 79-7 (Ghosh 14, Vastrakar 1)
16th over: India 75-6 (Sharma 24, Ghosh 11) Sarah Glenn into her third over, India continue to re-build but they can’t find the boundary. A couple of twos and two singles aren’t really enough to hurt England.
15th over: India 69-6 (Sharma 19, Ghosh 10) Lovely deft cut for four from the new batter Ghosh, she’s giving India’s innings a much needed shot in the arm. Scrappy over from Freya Davies, she lost her line a few times and releases the pressure slightly by going for 11 off the over. Five to go.
14th over: India 58-6 (Sharma 16, Ghosh 5) Ghosh is the new batter and she slams Bryony Smith over mid -wicket for a lesser spotted four. India need more of that to post something vaguely competitive. Six runs off Bryony Smith’s final over – she finishes with 1-19 off her four. Tidy.
WICKET! Rana lbw b Ecclestone 8 (India 52-6)
Given out on review! Ecclestone pins Rana in front and India lose their sixth wicket. India were having a better over with eight runs coming from it, including four byes, but the wickets keep a’tumblin.
13th over: India 52-6 (Sharma 15, Ghosh 0)
12th over: India 44-5 (Sharma 15, Rana 4) Issy Wong into her third over, she has 1-5 off her first two. She sends down some fast, well directed short stuff and India have no answer. It’s been 40 minutes and 52 balls since you took your love away since the last boundary.
11th over: India 39-5 (Sharma 14, Rana 1) Freya Kemp into the attack with her nagging medium pace and India can only work the singles, they need someone to take the attack to England otherwise this game, and series, is gone.
WICKET! Kaur b Glenn 5 (India 35-5)
Skipper gone! Harmanpreet got well and truly bogged down and tried to bunt Glenn a couple of times across the line, narrowly avoiding being pinned lbw. She has to go eventually – bowled through the gate by a skidding delivery by Glenn.
BOWLED! Sarah Glenn with some brilliant bowling as she claims the wicket of India captain Harmanpreet Kaur! pic.twitter.com/B7trMyoO4o
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) September 15, 2022
10th over: India 35-5 (Sharma 13, Rana 0)
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9th over: India 32-4 (Kaur 5, Sharma 9) Five runs off Ecclestone’s first over, Kaur and Sharma flicking and poking for ones and twos as they try to get India a foothold in this game. They’ve only hit two fours so far in this innings. England have been miserly.
8th over: India 27-4 (Kaur 4, Sharma 5) Five runs off Bryony Smith’s third over, India look a little shell-shocked – Kaur has 4 runs from 10 deliveries. Just what you need when runs are rarer than hen’s molars… Sophie Eccleston, the numero uno white ball bowler in the world is coming on for a bowl.
7th over: India 22-4 (Kaur 3, Sharma 1) Nifty over from Glenn, just two runs and a wicket in it. England all over India here. They’ll have their painful Commonwealth Games defeat to India fresh in the memory, they left Birmingham medal free and will be very keen to bag the silverware here in Bristol.
WICKET! Hemalatha c Jones b Glenn 0 (India 21-4)
Glenn gets another! Hemalatha goes back to cut and gets a meaty edge that Jones does brilliantly to cling onto up to the stumps. It’s a procession!
6th over: India 20-3 (Kaur 1, Hemalatha 0) Freya Davies finishes her second over and England have had a blistering powerplay. Hemalatha is the new batter and Sarah Glenn is coming on for a bowl.
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WICKET! Meghana c Wyatt b Davies 0 (India 19-3)
Fantastic catch by Danni Wyatt! Diving forward, knuckles on the turf, the hardest type of catches to take and she makes it look ridiculously simple. England have another!
5th over: India 18-2 (Meghana 0, Kaur 0) Issy Wong serves up a couple of wides but otherwise there is no runs from the bat as she spears in yorkers and hurries the batters up. Excellent start for England.
4th over: India 16-2 (Meghana 0, Kaur 0) Four runs and a crucial wicket off Bryony Smith’s second over. She has Mandhana in her back pocket for the second time in three matches. The Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur arrives at the crease with her team teetering up top.
BIG WICKET! Mandhana c Ecclestone b Smith 9 (India 11-2)
Huge moment in the game! Mandhana goes down the ground but doesn’t get all of it… Sophie Ecclestone sprinting around the boundary edge to cling on to the catch. Great hands!
WICKET! Verma b Wong 5 (India 11-1)
Issy Wong replaces Smith, from spin to pace – Wong is quick. She hits the pitch and hurries the Indian openers and then does for the dangerous Verma with a knuckle ball! Verma veered off to the leg side and Wong followed her with the slower delivery, the ball canoning off pad and into the stumps! England have their first.
3rd over: India 11-1 (Mandhana 5, Meghana 0)
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2nd over: India 11-0 (Verma 5, Mandhana 5) Freya Davies shares the new ball and Verma tries to hack her away very first ball, an edge ballooning over the in-field for a couple of spawny runs. A single brings Mandhana on strike. Davies drags down with her final ball and Smriti is on it in a flash – pulling away for India’s first boundary.
1st over: India 4-0 (Verma 2, Mandhana 1) The ploy almost works as Smith nearly has Mandhana stumped second ball! The ball lifted and spat meaning Amy Jones couldn’t gather it cleanly and Verma survives. Just. Next ball is DROPPED! A caught and bowled chance that bursts though Smith’s hands in her follow through! All ‘appening in the first over. India scamper four off it.
England are going with spin first up – Bryony Smith is going to have a twirl. Sneaky tweaky!
Evening sunlight peeps through pinky clouds as the players take the field for the anthems a minute of silence for HRH. Play will be underway very shortly, time to get a brew and quickly check in on toddler bath-time progress before cranking up the OBO.
The teams have just done their warm-ups out on the field, it looks fine but chilly in Brizzle, it is the middle of September so there are a fair few ‘top coats’ to be spotted in the crowd.
Teams:
England:Danni Wyatt, Sophia Dunkley, Alice Capsey, Amy Jones (c), Bryony Smith, Maia Bouchier, Sophie Ecclestone, Freya Kemp, Issy Wong, Sarah Glenn, Freya Davies.
India: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Dayalan Hemalatha, Harmanpreet Kaur (ct), Richa Ghosh, Sabbineni Meghana, 7 Pooja Vastrakar, Deepti Sharma, Sheh Rana, Radha Yadav, Renuka Singh Thakur
Ch ch changes: For England – Issy Wong comes in for Lauren Bell and for India - Sabbineni Meghana replaces Kiran Navgire.
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England win the toss...
Amy Jones has decided to have a bowl first. Harmanpreet Kaur said she would have done the same… and she really had a good look at the pitch earlier:
Harman taking a good look at the pitch before the start of game at Bristol#ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/CqgFjDkac8
— Sajan (@HarMonster7) September 15, 2022
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Preamble
Hello and welcome to the third and final T20I between Amy Jones’ England and Harmanpreet Kaur’s India.
We’re in the wild wild West of England (Bristol) for this one game shoot out to decide the series after the two sides have inflicted comprehensive victories over each other so far.
England suffered a chastening loss in the last match at Derby (incidentally their first T20I defeat at *Fortress Incora County Ground* since 2009) largely due to some skittish top order batting that saw them reduced to 54-5.
They will take heart from the performances of some of their newer players - Maia Bouchier and 17 year old Freya Kemp showing their composure and class to re-build and post a respectable total. It wasn’t nearly enough to stop one of India’s experienced old timers (at 26!) Smriti Mandhana made mincemeat of the target, driving, sweeping and scooping her way to a classy 79* off just 53 balls.
England have the top two T20I bowlers in the world at their disposal in Sophie Ecclestone and Sarah Glenn and will be hoping for a better all-round display in this final game.
Play starts at 18:30, I’ll be back shortly with the teams and the toss.
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