Key events
So that all leaves things very nicely poised for the final match on Tuesday. England are settling into their best team, and Dean leading with increasing confidence. India will be dissecting their inability to accelerate. Both sides want the pre-World Cup morale boost of a series win. All to play for
Thanks for your company as always, we’ll see you in Taunton. Bye!
The commentators are keen that Freya Kemp bats higher – both because of her power and because she’s a left hander .“We’ve been waiting for one since Lydia Greenway,” says (the excellent) Tash Farrant. Also praise for Dean’s captaincy – her flexibility and calmness. Bhatia’s retirement by the way, is the first – the commentators think – to happen between “full” members.
Captains
Hamranpreet Kaur is asked about retiring Bhatia. “She was not connecting the ball,” she says bluntly.
Charlie Dean. “It was brilliant to get up to that score, Kempy was exceptional. For her to go out like that, especially when there have been questions about our power was brilliant. Kempy is a very dynamic batter, tempting to give her a bit more time – maybe? We know how powerful India can be, knew we had to execute with towards the back end. Great to bounce back like that.”
Player of the match – Freya Kemp
“A team performance,” she says modestly. “Charlie has spoken alot about trying to fire at the back end and nice to do that role at the end. Nice to be back bowling too.”
England beat India by 26 runs and level the series 1-1
20th over: India 142-9 (Reddy 4, N Sharma 0) Two wickets in the final over as India leave themselves far too much to do in the last quarter of the game. Excellent by England’s bowlers – two wickets each for Bell and Smith and Kemp, whose 39 not out at the tail end of England’s innings transformed the match.
WICKET! Charani run out (Capsey 2) 1 (India 140-9)
Not quite sure what happened there but she was out by the length of a hallway rug when Ecclestone broke the stumps.
WICKET! Patil b Ecclestone 6 (India 139-8)
Fancies a slog-sweep, loses her leg stump.
19th over: India 137-7 (Patil 5, Reddy 1) India need 32 from 6 balls Scoreboard pressure tells. Patel picks up a boundary with a reverse sweep but with Ecclestone to bowl the final over, the die is cast.
WICKET! D Sharma c KNight b Bell (India 132-7)
Deepti swings into a slower ball, but can only deliver it to Knight at short fine.
17th over: India 130-6 (Deepti Sharma 1, Reddy 0) India need 39 from 12 balls A two-wicket over from Dean, superbly bowled, with a Harmanpreet swot over midwicket for six in between.
WICKET! Harmanpreet c Jones b Dean 28 (India 130-6)
A slower ball, a thick edge, a zinging catch.
WICKET! Ghosh c Gibson b Dean 8 (India 123-5)
Ghosh drops to one knee and slogs but straight to Gibson who takes a great catch on the move.
17th over: India 122-4 H(armanpreet 21, Ghosh 8) India need 49 from 18 balls India are running out of road here. Just one boundary from Smith’s over, a sashay from Ghosh through the offside.
16th over: India 114-4 H(armanpreet 19, Ghosh 2) India need 55 from 24 balls A wicket and just five singles – Kemp has the golden touch today.
WICKET ! Rodrigues c Dean b Kemp 1 (India 112-4)
Ushered in by Bhatia’s retirement, but can’t do much with her chance, top edges to cover.
WICKET! Bhatia retired out 33 (India 109-3)
Harmanpreet loses confidence with her partner and directs her to the dressing room.
15th over: India 109-2 (Bhatia 33, Harmanpreet 17) India need 60 from 30 balls Dean gambles and brings back Bell. Just three from the first two balls, then Harmanpreet swivels and pulls six from a short one. Just one from the next and Bhatia can’t do anything with the next two. At the same time, England were 110-3.
14th over: India 98-2 (Bhatia 31, Harmanpreet 8) India need 72 from 36 balls Harmanpreet can’t beat the circle. Ecclestone tightens the screws. Just one from it.
13th over: India 97-2 (Bhatia 30, Harmanpreet 8) India need 72 from 42 balls Charlie Dean brings herself back on. Rearranges he field between balls. Just a single from the first three balls and a frustrated Bhatia springs at the next ball and chips it to Dean who drops the ball as she sinks to the earth. She’s gutted but just two from the over.
12th over: India 95-2 (Bhatia 29, Harmanpreet 7) India need 74 from 48 balls Harmanpreet bulldozes Smith’s second ball, a half volley, through extra cover for four. Three more singles, excellent running from India.
11th over: India 88-1 (Bhatia 20, Harmanpreet 1) India need 81 from 54 balls A legside wide from Gibson brings two, then a wristy four speared to the rope by Bhatia and another to the third man boundary.
10th over: India 78-2 (Bhatia 20, Harmanpreet 1) At the same stage England were 78-2 – and England have got rid of the dangerous Mandhana and Verma. Eight from Ecclestone’s over, including a Bhatia four through point.
WICKET! Mandhana c Capsey b Kemp 32 (India 70-2)
Mandhana fancies a third boundary from the over and tries to shift four off her hip but gets a top edge where Capsey is waiting.
9th over: India 70-2 (Bhatia 14) England are rapidly into position between overs. Here comes Freya Kemp, flush with success, for her first over. Bhatia misses the first ball, and is dropped at mid-on by Ecclestone who gets down to the ball but can’t clutch on with her fingers. India run a single and immediately Mandhana pulls four and then backs away off side and slams four more down the ground. A wicket, just in time for England.
8th over: India 60-1 (Mandhana 23, Bhatia 13) Charlie Dean brings herself back, hair in a bun, sunglasses on. To her left, spectators bustled across the empty forecourt. India can’t get her away and just five singles from the over. England pulling this back now.
7th over: India 55-1 (Mandhana 19, Bhatia 6) Gibson starts her spell with three dots, but Bhatia then crashes four through long on stylishly.
6th over: India 49-1 (Mandhana 19, Bhatia 6) Just six from the final over of the power play from Smith, including four more through point from the in-touch Mandhana.
5th over: India 43-1 (Mandhana 14, Bhatia 5) Dean calls for Ecclestone, but India take 11 from the over. Mandhana plays an ugly slog and the ball flies skywards but lands just out of reach of a chasing Smith. Then the sweetest, calmest drive, singing to rope between cover and extra, then a leg-side sweep for four more.
4th over: India 32-1 (Mandhana 4, Bhatia 4)Bhatia off the mark with four through the covers in Dean’s first over.
WICKET! Verma c Gibson b Bell (India -1)
A slower ball from Bell, clubbed by Verma and plucked from the skies by Gibson at cover! England needed that, Verma was in the zone.
3rd over: India 27-1 (Mandhana 3, Bhatia 0) Elegant variation by Verma who throws in a fantastic swot on one leg for four and then a thick edge over third. Now the wicket -Bell is relieved, high fives all round, Verma miserable, sloping off in her grandpa’s slippers.
2nd over: India 17-0 (Mandhana 2, Verma 14) Linsey Smith, so missed at Chelmsford, into the action. Verma shuffles into position and slams four over extra cover. Two balls later she repeats the shot and polishes the over off with a pin-point booming drive over mid-off.
1st over: India 5-0 (Mandhana 2, Verma 2) Lauren Bell, swallowing up ground with those long legs. Four singles and a wide are all India have to show for it.
An enthusiastic hurry-up by Freya Kemp at the end has given England a good chance in this game on a slow pitch. Just grabbing a drink, back very soon.
India need 169 to beat England
20th over: England 168-5 (Kemp 39, Gibson 11) Brilliant by Kemp, less good by Nandani who serves up a selection of full tosses. A symmetrical six, two, four, four, two, six – the last sailing over long on. Kemp runs off with 39 off 14 balls, and England have something to play with.