Righto, Raf’s report is about to land and we’ll be back tomorrow for day three. It might not be pretty for England but there’s always hope in Test cricket… until there isn’t.
Sophie Ecclestone spoke to Sky Sports very briefly at the close of play:
Tough day. Not much going on out there. Just need to stick in tomorrow morning. Hopefully we get early wickets, can squeeze a bit and get control. I’ve got no words… tomorrow is a new day. We can take to the field and go again.”
Thanks for your company and comments throughout the day, goodnight!
Stumps: India 154-1 (lead England by 269 runs)
Mandhana and Bhatia bat out the final over with three easy runs collected off Ecclestone. That brings an end to a punishing day for England and a fantastic one for India.
Smriti Mandhana finishes unbeaten on 69 and will resume tomorrow hoping to become the first female Test cricketer to etch her name onto the *batting* honours board. Her teammate Kranti Gaud made history earlier today, her 5-37 with the ball seeing her become the first onto the Test bowling board. England stayed at it until the end but they were outplayed with both bat and ball on day two and they have it all to do to try and salvage anything from this Test match.
42nd over: India 154-1 (Mandhana 69, Bhatia 39)
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41st over: India 151-1 (Mandhana 68, Bhatia 36) Lauren Bell can hold her head high, she finishes another probing over and it will be her last of the day. She has 0-16 from her 11 overs with five maidens. Well bowled, just needed a few in that wickets column.
40th over: India 150-1 (Mandhana 68, Bhatia 36) Ecclestone into her eleventh over of the innings. Mandhana isn’t playing for stumps! A biff back over the bowler’s head for four. This has been brutal from India, they’ve played England off the park today.
39th over: India 144-1 (Mandhana 63, Bhatia 35) Lauren Bell is summoned for a final burst before stumps. She bowled really well earlier for no reward and is on the money again, just a single into the covers from Mandhana.
38th over: India 143-1 (Mandhana 62, Bhatia 35) Oh no! Amy Jones fails to gather a ball down the leg side with Bhatia having been dragged out of her ground by Ecclestone. The batter lost her balance and should have been stumped but the normally excellent Jones fluffs it when it really matters. More misery for England as the shadows creep across Lord’s.
37th over: India 142-1 (Mandhana 61, Bhatia 35) Four more off Villiers. What she would give to find the magic ball now.
36th over: India 138-1 (Mandhana 59, Bhatia 33) Wong drops short and Mandhana shows her class and timing with an open faced glide past point for four more. England clinging on for stumps a little.
Erm. Don’t say it.
35th over: India 132-1 (Mandhana 54, Bhatia 32) Bhatia has been the perfect foil for Mandhana since Verma departed. She slams Villiers over cover for four more and the former just carries on in the slipstream with a single in the same place.
34th over: India 127-1 (Mandhana 53, Bhatia 28) Sciver-Brunt turns to Issy Wong and her Stuart Broad-esque headband for inspiration and ideally a wicket(s). No wickets but no runs either. A maiden.
33rd over: India 127-1 (Mandhana 53, Bhatia 28) Bhatia with another bosh over cover for four.
32nd over: India 122-1 (Mandhana 53, Bhatia 23) Seven runs pocketed off Villiers with ease. My sources tell me the highest fourth innings chase in Women’s Test cricket is 198. Ah. India already lead by 237 and they have the small matter of nine wickets in the second innings hutch.
31st over: India 115-1 (Mandhana 51, Bhatia 18) Ecclestone after the drinks break, Bhatia collects a single. England under the slow, grinding cosh and they look short of inspiration.
I’ll use this quiet/punishing time to also plug a thriller happening in the women’s singles final over at Wimbledon:
30th over: India 114-1 (Mandhana 51, Bhatia 17) Three runs collected off Villiers and it is time for the second drink of the session. Mandhana removes her helmet to reveal a broad smile, not many of those on the faces of England’s fielders. India lead by 229 runs.
Meanwhile… it’s all happening in Southampton:
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29th over: India 111-1 (Mandhana 51, Bhatia 14)
28th over: India 109-1 (Mandhana 50, Bhatia 13) Smriti Mandhana goes to fifty by guiding Villiers past point for a single. That’s her second half century of the match, she won’t want to miss out on converting for the second time.
27th over: India 106-1 (Mandhana 49, Bhatia 11) Bhatia is a dangerous player to have come out in this situation. She skips down and launches Ecclestone for four more.
26th over: India 101-1 (Mandhana 48, Bhatia 7) Mandhana guides Villiers past point for a couple to bring up India’s hundred. Their overall lead is 216 runs and there is so much time left in the game. Villiers is getting some sharp turn off the surface too, another day of sun and this surface could crumble like Macy Gray’s world circa 1999.
It’s been a long day, ok.
25th over: India 98-1 (Mandhana 46, Bhatia 7) Ecclestone whirls through a warp speed maiden.
24th over: India 98-1 (Mandhana 46, Bhatia 7) Mandhana and Bhatia are content to work Villiers for a couple of singles. Shadows lengthening slightly at Lord’s but it still looks fiendishly hot.
23rd over: India 96-1 (Mandhana 45, Bhatia 6) Three single for India. England need to take some late scalps here on day two if they are to have a chance in this Test.
22nd over: India 93-1 (Mandhana 43, Bhatia 5) Mady Villiers into the attack and she’s greeted by a charging Bhatia, the batter gets nowhere near the pitch of the ball but lofts over mid off for four.
21st over: India 89-1 (Mandhana 43, Bhatia 1) Yastika Bhatia in at first drop for India. Lauren Bell got her with a beauty that somehow went both ways in the first innings. Spin first up for her today and she’s off the mark with a poke into the off side.
WICKET! Shafali Verma c sub (Emma Lamb) b Ecclestone 33 (India 88-1)
Ecclestone gets the breakthrough for weary England. Verma caught going for a big one down the ground and sub fielder Emma Lamb takes a steady catch.
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20th over: India 87-0 (Mandhana 42, Verma 33) Filer is punched for four more through cover point by Mandhana, India’s lead is now up and over 200. They’ve shown England how to bat in Test match cricket.
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19th over: India 82-0 (Mandhana 37, Verma 33) Smriti Mandhana is a joy to watch in full flight, Sophie Ecclestone comes on after a drinks break and Mandhana does not let her settle, she dances down the track and lofts the bowler back over her head for SIX. Beautiful and Brutal.
18th over: India 73-0 (Mandhana 29, Verma 32) Lauren Filer comes into the attack to replace Wong but once again her radar is awry. She floats a ball down the leg side and it is simply helped on its way to the fine leg fence by Mandhana. Filer flings another down the leg side and gives away a wide on the off side. Its not wheels off yet for England but it might be in about an hour’s time.
17th over: India 66-0 (Mandhana 25, Verma 31) Close! England nearly get the breakthrough they desperately crave with Shafali Verma slicing a drive in the air and inches short of Mady Villiers at point. Bell looks to the heavens. Cruel game.
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16th over: India 63-0 (Mandhana 23, Verma 30) Amy Jones shows off her velvet gloves again stood up to Wong. England put the squeeze back on, two maidens in a row but it isn’t exactly hurting India. Only wickets will do that and only if they lose about five for spit in next to no time.
15th over: India 63-0 (Mandhana 23, Verma 30) Lauren Bell into her 8th over on the spin, she’s still scrapping admirably. She beats Verma with one that nips back but it was going over and England wisely opt against sending it upstairs. Ooof! Verma advances and Bell spots her coming, she digs one in short and it spits off the so far lifeless (for pace) pitch and it whistles past the shoulder of the bat.
14th over: India 63-0 (Mandhana 23, Verma 30) This is getting gnarly for England. Wong is taken for twelve runs from her latest, Mandhana picking up three consecutive boundaries through the off side.
Any pressure built up from those post tea maidens:
13th over: India 51-0 (Mandhana 11, Verma 30) Lauren Bell continues, she’s into the seventh over of this spell. Lord’s lets out a low rumble as Verma gets a lovely stride in and languidly drives for four through cover. A smidge over pitched and punished. Fifty up for India.
12th over: India 46-0 (Mandhana 10, Verma 26) Wong keeps Verma tied down with five dots but then blots her copybook with a *juicy full bunger that is patted wide of slip for a gimme four.
‘It’s luscious, it’s super, it’s mushious, it’s duper’
11th over: India 42-0 (Mandhana 10, Verma 22) Another maiden to Lauren Bell, she’s bowled very well for no reward so far in this innings. She beats Mandhana with one that seams away past the edge too. India lead by 157.
Elsewhere, Buttler and Brook are going tonto on the south coast!
10th over: India 42-0 (Mandhana 10, Verma 22) The pressure cooker was starting to hiss but India slam an axe through it. Shafali Verma punches Wong through the off side for four and follows up with a thick edge that flies past Nat Sciver-Brunt at slip, she gets a finger to it but can’t stop the boundary. Wong then goes for the glory ball but starts it too straight and it slides well down the leg side and away for four byes. Gah.
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9th over: India 30-0 (Mandhana 10, Verma 14) 15,243 at Lord’s today - a world record for a single day at a Women’s Test match. They watch on as Lauren Bell stitches together another maiden, India haven’t scored a run after tea.
8th over: India 30-0 (Mandhana 10, Verma 14) Wong slides a few down the leg side, Amy Jones is up to the stumps and shows off some lovely glove work. Wong is operating at the 70mph mark, she neatens her line and finishes a maiden to start.
7th over: India 30-0 (Mandhana 10, Verma 14) The players return after tea, Bell starts with a maiden to Mandhana. From Mandhana to bandana, Issy Wong is going to have a bowl and she is sporting a Stuart Broad/Roger Federer headpiece. England need a Broad-esque knee pumpin’ wicket takin’ spell from someone.
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Tea: India 30-0 (lead England by 145 runs)
Crikey. A bruising final over before the tea interval for Ecclestone and England. Ecclestone gives it some air and is launched down the ground for four by Verma, clearly annoyed the spinner spears a quicker ball in but is way down the leg side and runs away for a four byes. Ooof that smarts – Ecclestone goes full and is pinged through the colours by Verma for the third boundary of the over. India positively skip off for a cucumber sandwich. England look like they need a stiff drink.
6th over: India 30-0 (Mandhana 10, Verma 14)
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5th over: India 17-0 (Mandhana 9, Verma 6) Lovely batting from India! Bell is too full and Verma caresses through the off side for four. Hold the pose. Sophie Ecclestone is coming on for a twirl, it’ll be the last over before tea.
4th over: India 13-0 (Mandhana 9, Verma 2) Crack! Filer tries a short one and it is sent to the fence in style by Mandhana. The noise off the bat was phenomenal, a real gun shot. Three dots follow from length balls when Filer decides to go short for the second time in the over – same result – Mandhana is waiting for it and crunches it away through the leg side.
3rd over: India 4-0 (Mandhana 1, Verma 1) A leg bye gets India moving and Mandhana is off the mark with a push into the covers. Verma then does the same with a clip off the pads. What do we think England could feasibly chase? India lead by 119, I think 250 would be a stretch – hence the need for England to get some wickets toot sweet.
2nd over: India 0-0 (Mandhana 0, Verma 0) Solid from Filer too, she cranks up her pace to 75mph but the surface doesn’t have any spice in it, the ball going through to Amy Jones on the second bounce behind the stumps. Two maidens in a row for England.
1st over: India 0-0 (Mandhana 0, Verma 0) Decent start from Bell, she’s full and straight, zoning in on pads and stumps and making Mandhana play. A maiden to start India’s second innings.
The action is now underway at The Utilita…
Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana stride out to the middle of a sweltering Lord’s. Lauren Bell has the ball and is at the top of her mark at the Pavilion End. England need to make early inroads or else this could become very painful indeed.
England 170 all out (trail India by 115 runs on first innings)
Lauren Filer is pinned leg before and that is it for England in their first dig. Kranti Graud leads India off and waves the ball to all four sides of Lord’s, her 5-37 will go down in the history books. India will have half an hour with the bat before tea to inflict some more damage, England need wickets, pronto.
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59th over: England 170-9 (Wong 5, Filer 0) Wong is watchful to Rana, patting back five dots and taking two with a cuff into the off side. Lauren Filer will be on strike for the next over, Deepti Sharma is recalled….
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58th over: England 168-9 (Wong 5, Filer 0) Wong picks up a welcome and lesser spotted boundary for England with a nicely timed flick off her pads through square leg.
57th over: England 163-9 (Wong 1, Filer 0) Phew. What a passage of play. Kranti Gaud is wide eyed and beaming from ear to ear as the enormity of the achievement dawns on her.
Issy Wong gets her first run in Test cricket with a solid push into the covers. Lauren Filer is England’s last batter, the deficit is is still at 122.
WICKET! Lauren Bell c Shafali Verma b Gaud 3 (England 162-9)
What a moment at Lord’s! Kranti Graud gets five wickets and is the first woman to etch her name onto the Test match honours board!
Lauren Bell edges to second slip where Sneh Rana spills the chance but the eagle eyed Shafali Verma pounces on the rebound from first slip and catches the ball millimetres from the turf! India celebrate wildly, what reflexes and what an amazing moment for Gaud.
56th over: England 162-9 (Wong 0, Filer 0)
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55th over: England 162-8 (Wong 0, Bell 3) Hurray! Lauren Bell throws the bat at a ball outside off stump from Deepti Sharma and the edge flies away past slip and they scamper three runs. Time for a drink, England need a triple shot of caffeine in theirs.
54th over: England 159-8 (Wong 0, Bell 0) Another maiden. England are on the road to nowhere.
52nd over: England 159-8 (Wong 0, Bell 0) Another maiden, I’m not sure what England are trying to do here?
51st over: England 159-8 (Wong 0, Bell 0) Brendon Large has mentioned the B-word…
“Surely this innings is crying out for a bit of the old BB? England could cut this lead quickly and put on some pressure...do they have the batters to achieve it?”
It’s not a bad play, India’s bowling is very tight though and with the best will in the world this is England’s proper tail now. Lauren Bell certainly has not got that message it seems, she blocks out a wicket maiden.
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WICKET! Mady Villiers b Rana 10 (England 159-8)
Anything you can do… Mady Villiers is bowled through the gate by a beauty from Rana! This one came down the slope but was so similar in flight and turn to the one Villiers herself snared Harmanpreet with yesterday. Too good.
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50th over: England 159-7 (Villiers 10, Wong 0) Issy Wong joins Mady Villiers, England are starring down the barrel of a sizeable first innings deficit…
WICKET! Sophie Ecclestone c Bhatia b Satghare 11 (England 159-7)
Ecclestone bunts Satghare through cover for four and then tries to repeat the shot to the next but edges behind!
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49th over: England 155-6 (Villiers 10, Ecclestone 7) Stand by your beds…
48th over: England 152-6 (Villiers 9, Ecclestone 5) Ecclestone squiffs an inside edge into the leg side, its the only run off the over, the fifth wicket eluding Gaud so far.
47th over: England 151-6 (Villiers 9, Ecclestone 4) Sharma rattles through another, she’s gone for just seven runs off six overs so far. DumDumDumDumDumDumDum. Pressure.
46th over: England 149-6 (Villiers 8, Ecclestone 3) England chip away in bright sunshine at Lord’s.
45th over: England 144-6 (Villiers 6, Ecclestone 0) Deepti Sharma once again with players all around the bat, Ecclestone takes a quick single into the off side to get off the mark. Villiers punches through the covers for another single.
In Southampton, erm Geoff Lemon is twiddling his thumbs on the OBO of the fifth T20I between England and India:
Start delayed
This is a comical one. The start of this match will be delayed. Not because of rain, not because of lightning. Not because of bees. Not because of stray crossbow bolts. No, the start of this match will be delayed because of… traffic.
The Indian bus is stuck in traffic, and the players couldn’t get to the ground in time.
Who would have predicted that the cricket ground nestled between two motorways, miles outside of the nearest town, with no reasonable means of getting there by public transport, would have problems with traffic?
Ah well, good thing there’s an Ashes Test scheduled there next year, no doubt that will go swimmingly.
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44th over: England 144-6 (Villiers 6, Ecclestone 0) Gaud keeps the pressure on with a maiden.
43rd over: England 144-6 (Villiers 6, Ecclestone 0) Two off Sharma’s next over, I wonder if Ecclestone might open the shoulders here and try to chip off some valuable runs from this deficit. There are so many gaps in the field with numerous fielders crowded close to the bat.
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42nd over: England 142-6 (Villiers 5, Ecclestone 0) Oh my days! Sophie Ecclestone is in at number 8 and she swishes at her first ball outside off stump! Gaud has four and is targeting five and more. England are in the mire, they still trail by 143 runs.
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WICKET! Nat Sciver-Brunt lbw b Gaud 44 (England 142-6)
That is stone dead! Nat Sciver-Brunt burns a review in hope but this was never anything but OUT. Gaud gets one to nip back off the pitch and it beats the inside edge and smashes into the front pad in front of middle! India start the session with a huge wicket!
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41st over: England 138-5 (Sciver-Brunt 40, Villiers 5) Sciver-Brunt takes a single off the final ball of the first over back, a lot resting on the captain’s shoulders this afternoon.
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The players head back out after their Lord’s luncheon. Not jealous at all. Deepti Sharma is going to start with the ball, India hunting wickets and a first innings lead.
Hello to m’colleague Tom Davies who writes in after a day at Lord’s yesterday:
“It was a joy (helped by being in shade and not having to slap on factor 50 every couple of hours). Proper ebb-and-flow Test cricket watched by a mixed and appreciative crowd who were all there to watch the game, as opposed to the performative champagne cork-popping socialites who too often clog up men’s Tests at Lord’s.”
I’m fist bumping the screen Tom.
It’s been ebb and flow this morning too, India taking three early wickets before Amy Jones and Nat-Sciver Brunt batted well for an hour and a half to stem the bleeding and get England past the follow on. Jones fell just after reaching fifty though and England still have plenty to do to get on level footing in this match.
I’m off for a sandwich and, by the looks of it, to have my face painted by an (im)patient five year old. Wish me luck.
Lunch: England 137-5 (trail by 148 runs)
India crowd the bat and ramp up the tension, good drama this on the cusp of lunch. Villiers glides away for a couple to get her first runs in Test cricket. Another fielder summoned to get into the action, four fielders around the bat now. Villiers and Sciver-Brunt exchange singles and make it through. Phew. An absorbing session comes to a close.
39th over: England 137-5 (Sciver-Brunt 39, Villiers 5)
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39th over: England 131-5 (Sciver-Brunt 37, Villiers 0) Hearts in mouths around Lord’s and beyond as Sharma turns one into Sciver-Brunt’s pads and they send it upstairs despite the umpire giving a shake of the head. Missing! India lose a review and England breathe a sigh of relief. A tense maiden from Deepti, one to go before the lunch break.
38th over: England 131-5 (Sciver-Brunt 37, Villiers 0) Mady Villiers joins Sciver-Brunt, England trail by 154 runs, a crucial couple of overs before lunch coming up.
WICKET! Amy Jones c Ghosh b Rana 52 (England 131-5)
Nooooo! Amy Jones does not kick on, she gets caught between front and back foot as Rana gets one to bounce off a lenght, the inside edge is clipped and Ghosh takes a simple catch at short leg. India have their fourth wicket of the morning just before lunch.
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37th over: England 130-4 (Sciver-Brunt 37, Jones 52) Now then! Sciver-Brunt blocks out three dots to Charani but then decides enough is enough and hoicks her into the stands on the leg side for SIX!
36th over: England 123-4 (Sciver-Brunt 30, Jones 52) Jones gets an outside edge down to deep third and they come back for three, that’s fifty for Amy Jones and a crucial knock that has restored some stability to England’s innings. She needs to go on.
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35th over: England 118-4 (Sciver-Brunt 28, Jones 49) Jones moves to the cusp of fifty with a slightly sketchy loft over mid on for a couple. My heart was in my mouth there, she did not middle that one.
34th over: England 114-4 (Sciver-Brunt 28, Jones 47) Just a couple off Rana.
33rd over: England 114-4 (Sciver-Brunt 27, Jones 46) Eeeesht! Amy Jones gets away with a slog sleep that ploops in between three converging fielders. No need Amy! She puts it out of her mind though and pings the next ball wonderfully through mid on for four.
32nd over: England 103-4 (Sciver-Brunt 27, Jones 38) Three singles picked up with ease, the difference between the first hour and the second has been marked. Hmmm Deepti is given a breather after just one over, here comes Charani.
31st over: England 103-4 (Sciver-Brunt 26, Jones 36) Deepti Sharma is tossed the ball for her first ball of the Test, Sciver-Brunt uses her feet to a couple and looks to be positive but she can’t beat the ring. Sharma starts with a maiden.
30th over: England 103-4 (Sciver-Brunt 26, Jones 36) Jones punches two into the off side. Apologies for the brief updates, I’m currently wrestling a wifi router and a five year old who keeps trying to paint my face.
29th over: England 101-4 (Sciver-Brunt 26, Jones 34) Sciver-Brunt sweeps Rana for two to bring up England’s hundred to warm applause, this pair are doing a decent repair job.
Are you at Lord’s today or went along yesterday? Do drop me a line if so.
28th over: England 99-4 (Sciver-Brunt 24, Jones 34) Apologies my wifi just went AWOL but I kept a beady eye on things. Nat Sciver-Brunt and Amy Jones progress without alarm and push England towards three figures.
25th over: England 88-4 (Sciver-Brunt 21, Jones 26) Careful! Sciver-Brunt top edges a sweep from Rana and it just falls short of Deol running in from the square leg boundary. NSB tries another sweep and gets it around the corner for a couple. Shot! Amy Jones uses her feet to come down the track and lifts over cover for four. England punching back. One hour done, time for a drink.
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24th over: England 79-4 (Sciver-Brunt 20, Jones 18) Spin from both ends now with Charani back into the attack. Amy Jones carves for four past point, the sub fielder on the boundary making a Horlicks of the dive. England just beginning to look a bit more settled after the tumble of wickets early on.
23rd over: England 74-4 (Sciver-Brunt 19, Jones 14) Sneh Rana comes on for her first bowl and finds some big turn right away! England collect seven runs off the over but they are from outside and inside edges. Its only the morning of day two, with more sun and more action this pitch is going to turn big.
22nd over: England 67-4 (Sciver-Brunt 15, Jones 11) Amy Jones certainly looks in fine fettle with the bat, Gaud drops short and is dismissed on the pull through the leg side.
21st over: England 60-4 (Sciver-Brunt 14, Jones 5) Amy Jones is such a talented cricketer but my personal opinion is that I always want her to show some more ticker, more grit. Her side need her to stand up here, there’s a big platform for her to show the world what she can do. That’s the stuff – she drives Satghare through the covers for four as I type.
20th over: England 56-4 (Sciver-Brunt 14, Jones 1) Gaud digs one in short but Sciver-Brunt pounces in a flash and pulls for four. Gaud goes back to plan A and beats NSB with a beauty that wobbles away at the last second.
Lovely this from Stephen Nicholls in the OBO mailbag:
“Hello! I was at Lord’s yesterday, and it seemed to be both a completely normal Test at Lord’s, and a very unusual one. The first champagne cork popped the moment the first over was complete; the crowd was a mix of cricket badgers watching earnestly and listening to the commentary and people dressed in their finery chatting in the sunshine with friends; we politely clapped 4s and wickets, and the mixed crowd of India and England fans enthusiastically cheered for our own side. The cricket was great, with ups and downs for both sides.
But I’ve never seen fireworks and flame throwers before a test match, nor the massed ranks of England players from the past gathered before the match to collectively ring the 10-minute bell. Walking round the ground, you could spot plenty of England greats mingling with the fans. Lord’s and MCC seemed to be trying to right a wrong from years past. And Sophie Ecclestone became England’s leading wicket-taker in her first Test at the ground. An unusual day - I’m looking forward to women’s Tests at Lord’s becoming usual.”
19th over: England 51-4 (Sciver-Brunt 10, Jones 0) The mind wanders briefly as to whether India will enforce the follow on should it come to it… England still have Sciver-Brunt as a mast to cling to, she drives a full ball down the ground for four to take England past fifty.
18th over: England 47-4 (Sciver-Brunt 6, Jones 0) The camera pans to a glum looking Charlotte Edwards, penny for ‘em… Amy Jones joins Sciver-Brunt and blocks out the final two balls of the over. A wicket maiden for Kranti Gaud who now has 3-13.
Capsey didn’t cover the line of the ball with her pads and played inside the line, the ball was still fantastic but the technical deficiency was exploited by Gaud.
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WICKET! Alice Capsey b Gaud 9 (England 47-4)
Off stump out of the ground! Capsey is beaten all ends up by a ball that slants in and then decks away late! England in real strife!
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17th over: England 47-3 (Sciver-Brunt 6, Capsey 9) Shot! Sciver-Brunt laces a cut through point and the crowd purr.
16th over: England 43-3 (Sciver-Brunt 2, Capsey 9) Capsey whips a full ball off her pads for four, the runs will certainly flow while she is at the crease but can England build an innings and bat the day?
15th over: England 38-3 (Sciver-Brunt 1, Capsey 5 ) Alice Capsey joins Sciver-Brunt in the middle with a rebuild job needed. Her first ball jags bag at the pads and she is fortunate to get an inside edge on it to tickle away for four runs. India have been on the money this morning, much more accurate than England’s seamers in the first 10-15 overs yesterday and they are reaping the rewards.
WICKET! Heather Knight lbw b Satghare 6 (England 32-3)
Huge wicket! Knight is done by one that moves up the hill and the umpire raises the finger! Knight reviews but she looks like she already knows her fate. Sure enough it is Umpires Call on the DRS and Knight has to go. England in strife!
14th over: England 32-2 (Knight 6, Sciver-Brunt 0) Nat Sciver-Brunt joins Heather Knight, but not for long because…
WICKET! Maia Bouchier c Bhatia b Gaud 23 (England 32-3)
Oh that is a nothing shot from Bouchier, she hangs the bat out to one that moves away from Gaud and it is neither one thing nor t’other. The edge is taken and India have their first of the day. Bouchier looks crestfallen, she didn’t commit to attack or defence.
13th over: England 32-1 (Bouchier 23, Knight 6) Sayali Satghare from the Pavilion End. Not a lot of bounce from her medium pacers but she does have a short leg in place. Bouchier drives a full ball down the ground for four, both batters have played doozies already this morning.
12th over: England 27-1 (Bouchier 18, Knight 6) Ah that is lovely from Heather Knight, she leans languidly on the first ball of the day and guides it through cover for four runs. Delightful start for England, they need a few decent partnerships on what is clearly a batting day with the mercury set to nudge 30 degree. There is spin there for India though and the pitch is only going to get drier. A single each to Bouchier and Knight makes it six off the fist over of the day.
Lord’s does indeed look a picture, the Pavilion looks stuffed and they are expecting a larger crowd than the 10,763 that watched yesterday. Maia Bouchier and Heather Knight head out to the middle. Shree Charani is going to start with the ball, let’s play!
I’m pulling a double shift today (they say nurses have it tough) so will be very glad of your thoughts, theories, company and correspondence throughout the day.
Catch up on all the action from day one:
And have a read of Raf’s scene setter:
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Preamble
Hello and welcome to day two of the Women’s Test match from Lord’s. It’s Saturday and the sun is belting down its rays on St John’s Wood.
England will start the day on 21-1 trailing India by 264 runs after an action packed and historic first day. Mady Villiers has just been talking through her wonderful wicket of Harmanpreet Kaur which was a great moment on the stroke of tea, the big dog bowled through the gate and up the hill from the Test debutant. Scenes.
Spin played a big role on day one, with Sophie Ecclestone and Villiers sharing five wickets between them and the former becoming England’s highest wicket-taker across formats. Despite all that the late wicket of Tammy Beaumont probably shaded the day in the visitors favour despite stumbling from 190-3 to 285 all out in the afternoon.
The crowd are streaming in for what should be a cracking day of cricket, the home side need to bat and bat and bat some more. Play starts at 11am. Join us!
