Key events
And that’s that. A soaring win for England, and at just the right time too. NSB will slot back into a winning team.
These two sides meet again in a warm-up game next Wednesday, after England play Australia on Monday, and the real thing starts at Edgbaston, against Sri Lanka, at 6.30pm on Friday week. Raf will be in Birmingham, and if you can’t join her we’ll be covering it here on the OBO. Until then, thanks for your messages and have a lovely evening. Bye!
Harmanpreet Kaur
“For us it was a case of getting one more wicket. We were in the game, but unfortunately we couldn’t. There were lots of positives, except for the wicket we were looking for, going forward to the World Cup.
“We still have two more practice games before the World Cup, we can think about other combinations. We have very good players who are sitting out and will have chances, but we are pretty clear on the XI going forward. The idea in coming here early was getting used to the conditions, hopefully we will get what we need.”
Charlotte Edwards
“We’re close to our final team. What I will say is that the competition for places is great, when they keep putting in performances in like this.
“Capsey has been in our plans because she can play 360, can bowl and a brilliant fielder. The innings tonight, how she’s developed this winter, worked really hard on her game, great to see her get her rewards.
“It’s about being smart, she’s got all the shots, it’s just knowing how to play them.”
“I think that’s what been hard about the series, missing our No1 and No3 batters. Trying to give people different opportunities, the top six should be able to bat anywhere. Nat is coming back into this team, Nat will bat where she wants to bat and she wants to bat number three. She won’t be bowling.
“The more you guys are writing Heather Knight off, the better for me. The more people were saying she wasn’t in the team, the more I knew an innings like this would be round the corner.
“Charlie Dean – so impressed, when I spoke to her in early May it was a bit of a surprise [the captaincy] and how she’s dealt with it all and her performances have been great too.”
Charlie Dean looks very happy. “The girls took on the power play really well, that’s what we’ve asked them to do and what a great partnership between Caps and Heather. Girls were phenomenal in the field
“I’ve really enjoyed it, I feel like a stronger place in myself and my cricket. Probably previous to this I would have been a bit nervous, but should the worst happen and Nat not be ready, hopefully be a bit smoother of a transition.”
“The way they (Knight and Capsey_ picked their moments and their bowlers, so much calmness, didn’t have any doubt in the dugout.”
Player of the match – Alice Capsey
She clutches her prize champagne. “I was using my feet, aiming straight, not trying to overhit it. I just thought that the pitch was coming on really nicely and I didn’t have to manufacture too many things, I watched how India did it, got a lot of value from hitting in the V.”
That was a thrilling performance by England. Capsey and Knight hit their stride immediately and there was no dallying just consistent big hitting and fearless strokeplay. Some lovely footwork too. Lots for Charlotte Edwards to chew over. As the skies darken, time for the ceremony.
England beat India by six wickets and win the series 2-1
18.3 overs: England 184-4 (Knight 70, Kemp 2) Knight wins the match with another boundary, four wellied through backward square leg off Deepti Sharma. Hugs all round. A fantastic performance by Knight and Capsey,
18th over: England 176-4 (Knight 64, Kemp 1) England need 5 from 12 balls
WICKET! Capsey c N Sharma b Reddy 82 (England 175-4)
A neat looking ramp but Sharma is waiting and dives forward at short third. Capsey puts glove to helmet in disappointment but walks off to a deserved standing ovation. Brilliant, fearless innings.
17th over: England 171-3 (Capsey 79, Knight 63) England need 10 from 18 balls Clever clever, Capsey retreats legside and dabs a couple off Gaud, then a glorious lofted drive by Knight for four over the head of a leaping fielder. Next ball Gaud drops a relatively simple caught and bowled, and Knight rubs salt in the wound by pulling the final ball for four more.
16th over: England 159-3 (Capsey 76, Knight 54) England need 22 from 24 balls Deepti Sharma is back. England can’t reach a boundary but it is all too late for India.
Fifty for Heather Knight!
15th over: England 154-3 (Capsey 74, Knight 50) England need 27 from 30 balls Too easy – Capsey has got her eye in and the confidence adds five inches in height. She frying pans Charani for four, six, six.
And, quietly, off just 31 balls, that’s the fastest fifty of Knight’s IT20 career.
14th over: England 134-3 (Capsey 56, Knight 49) England need 47 from 36 balls Knight, agile as a monkey, reverse sweeps spare bowler Shafali Verma for four. England powering towards their target.
13th over: England 115-3 (Capsey 55, Knight 41) England need 56 from 42 balls On the horizon the sun is dropping, the sky now apricot, then orange. Ten from Nandani Sharma’s over, Knight in full flow, sweeping two boundaries.
“Evening Tanya, cracking game tonight! There’s fewer more exciting sights for an England fan than Alice Capsey in full flight. She is so talented. And where we’re fretting how we fit our batters in with NSB back, isn’t the solution staring us in the face? Dunkerley is such a frustrating talent, and still flatters to decieve. With Capsey so effective in the power play, why not open with her and solve the issue?” Funnily enough, that’s what Charles Dagnall just said. On tonight’s evidence, I’m with you. I guess it depends how flexible Edwards is with her plan.
50 for Alice Capsey!
12th over: England 115-3 (Capsey 54, Knight 32) England need 66 from 48 balls Gorgeous from Knight, large stride, looping drive, four. Reddy responds with a wide. Capsey finishes the over with dancing feet, smashing four down the ground. India need a wicket very quickly.
11th over: England 102-3 (Capsey 48, Knight 26) England need 79 from 54 balls If England win this it would be a record run-chase for them in this country. Charani wheels in, with high leading leg. Knight sweeps sweetly but just one from it. These two aren’t completely fluent in their running. Five singles from the over.
10th over: England 97-3 (Capsey 45, Knight 24) Shafali Verma , with a bowling action straight out of a Peanuts cartoon and shirt tightly tucked into her trousers. But she keeps England quieter – just seven from it as they pause for drinks. England need 84 from the final ten overs.
9th over: England 90-3 (Capsey 43, Knight 20) Mark Butcher says there is a very helpful breeze for the right handers hitting legside towards the Marcus Trescothick pavilion. A short ball wide ball from N Sharma is speared away by Knight for four, then Capsey sends one singing through midwicket for four more. The fifty partnership is up in just 23 balls.
8th over: England 78-3 (Capsey 37, Knight 14) Deepti, bowling slow dippers. Knight uses her feet and clips her legside. Capsey sprays straight down the ground past the diving long on for four, then the Heather Knight special, a natty reverse sweep. The crowd, who seem to be wearing woolly hats, applaud wildly.
7th over: England 66-3 (Capsey 31, Knight 8) Fascinating chemistry here with both women playing for a single place. Harmanpreet turns to spin but Charani can’t stem the flow – 13 from her over. A boundary each for Knight – a sweep – and a twirling bish through midwicket for Capsey.
6th over: England 53-3 (Capsey 25, Knight 1) Capsey rescues the power-play single handedly by biffing a six and two fours from the last three balls of Gaud’s over. The first, six ploughed over extra cover, the second, four through long-on, then four hoofed through midwicket.
WICKET! Jones c Deepti Sharma c Gaud 2 (England 38-3)
A bottom-edged pull straight to the unmoving boots of Deepti at midwicket
5th over: England 38-2 (Jones 2, Capsey 11) Capsey, glistening with golden sunshine, faces up Nandani Sharma. She cuts four through backward point then finishes the over with a barrelling boundary through midwicket.
4th over: England 28-2 (Jones 0, Capsey 0) Gaud looks dangerous, wibbling the ball in. Two new batters – Capsey especially with something to prove. Just four singles.
WICKET! Dunkley c Rodrigues b Reddy 16 (England 24-2_
Rodrigues, looking into the sun, holds onto a steepling catch as Dunkley has a bit of haul to deep midwicket
3rd over: England 24-2 ( Jones 0 Capsey 0 ) Morale-boosting boundary boom-boom – Dunkley swats one over long off, shovels one legside before being caught going for a third.
WICKET! Wyatt-Godge b Gaud 5 (India 14-1)
Gaud brings one in and DWH is done like a kipper. Gaud shrugs her shoulders as she is mobbed by her teammates.
2nd over: England 14-1 (Dunkley 8, Jones 0 ) Golden evening sunshine as Gaud hastens in. An lbw appeal against DWH second ball, then Dunkley swings with dual bended knee and forces four down the ground. A quick single, then DWH glides four between the fielders before losing her stumps.
England’s chase
1st over: England 3-0 (Dunkley 2, Wyatt-Hodge 1 ) Reddy, eager, accurate. A clever bouncer that Dunkley ducks. Just a few singles.
Pretty even at half time I think – these big Taunton boundaries make totals tricky to defend. India didn’t get stuck like at Bristol, and sat out far fewer dot balls. Time for me to make a quick cup of tea – back very shortly.
England will need 181 to win
20th over: India 180-5 (Harmanpreet 56, Ghosh 6) Ecclestone with the last over. Dot, then Harmanpreet’s seventh four, like a rolling wave through the offsea to take her to fifty. Two thanks to a fumbled bit of fielding on the rope, a single, then a brilliant dive and slide by Dean turns a boundary into two. The last ball should have resulted in an easy run out of Ghosh, but Ecclestone has a moment of madness and lobs the ball wide of three stumps – and India come back for the second.
19th over: India 168-5 (Harmanpreet 49, Ghosh 1) A thimble of singles, then Deepti pulls square bisecting Kemp and Gibson on the rope. Clever over from Bell.
WICKET! Deepti Sharma c Dean b Bell 32 (India
The slower ball does it again! Deepti can just offer one-handed dart to mid off where Dean back peddles gently to take the catch.
18th over: India 161-4 (Harmanpreet 48, Sharma 27) Deepti rolling pins four through fine leg, but that’s the only boundary. Smith’s four overs go for 40. Can India get close to 200 in the next two overs?
17th over: India 159-4 (Harmanpreet 47, Sharma 19) Harmanpreet toe-ends Gibson into the air but it evades two chasing filders. Ignore what I said about Deepti, she drops to her knee and whisks Gibson high and frothy to land just short of the boundary, then Harmanpreet fires the final ball down the ground for four.
16th over: India 140-4 (Harmanpreet 40, Sharma 14) Chase that! Harmanpreet takes a balletic step and flames Dean through the offside for four. But Deepti Sharma hasn’t got in the zone yet and is unable to reach the boundary with the same regularity.
15th over: India 132-4 (Harmanpreet 32, Sharma 12 The wind is really billowing the flags now. Deepti goes down the ground, but doesn’t get enough omphph on Smith to reach the rope. But Harmanpreet does – a mightly slap four four.
14th over: India 122-4 (Harmanpreet 29, Sharma 8) Gibson starts with a wide, but follows up with a couple of dots. She’s an energetic fielder off her own bowling, bounding left and right. India remain boundary-less untill Harmanpreet pulls Gibson’s last ball with some welly past the chasing fielder.
Stephen Nicols gets in touch to reply to Kevin Wilson (over five).
“I’m hoping there are a few more runs left in our batting line-up before we pension them all off. A chase of 200-ish tonight will be hard work, and more good prep for the batters before the World Cup. And I reckon we’ll need all the batting experience we can get for the Test Match at Lord’s.”
13th over: India 113-4 (Harmanpreet 22, Sharma 7) India are in danger of running into a boundary-less patch – as they did at Bristol. The sun is out now, but India can only milk five from Ecclestone.
12th over: India 108-4 (Harmanpreet 18, Sharma 5) Seven from Dean’s over, including a wide and a run-out chance – if Gibson had hit, Deepti could have been in trouble, diving and travelling like a truck through treacle. She is patched up.
11th over: India 101-4 (Harmanpreet 17, Sharma 1) Bell with the rebuild over and rebuild she does. Rodrigues had just pulled her for four before losing her timbers. Deepti Sharma leapfrogs the order to come in next.
WICKET! Rodrigues b Bell 29 (India 100-4)
Flummoxed by the slower ball, an advancing Rodrigues can only turn around to confirm her miserable fate. A delighted Bell punches the air.
10th over: India 94-3 (Rodrigues 24, Harmanpreet 16) Harmanpreet chomps into a short ball from Smith, thrashing it square past two diving England fielders, then dispatches the last offering before drinks for another four through point.
9th over: India 82-3 (Rodrigues 23, Harmanpreet 5) England can’t keep Rodrigues still in the crease, and her ceaseless movements gives her options. She ramps Gibson for four, then swots a short ball past a diving Smith for another.
Harmanpreet today overtakes Susie Bates as the most capped player in women’s cricket – with 368 games for India under her belt.
8th over: India 71-3 (Rodrigues 14, Harmanpreet 3) Harmanpreet and Rodrigues make for a stylish duo at the crease. A fistful of singles from Eclestone’s second over, then Rodrigues shimmies a wider final ball with dancing wrists to the backward point boundary.
7th over: India 63-3 (Rodrigues 8, Harmanpreet 1) Dani Gibson stops the flow of boundaries, and the run out of Bhatia could be crucial.
WICKET! Bhatia run out (Ecclestone) 32 (India 60-3)
Ecclestone with her left hand, a fishtail plait running down her back, runs out the lumbering Bhatia with a throw to the non-striker’s end . A vital wicket for England, Bhatia was in the zone
6th over: India 57-2 (Bhatia 32, Rodrigues 3) Bhatia signs off from the power play with three more boundaries, this time off Dean. An off-balanced sweep, a here-we-go up and over, and finally hammering her down the ground like a rogue nail
5th over: India 45-2 (Bhatia 20, Rodrigues 3) Bhatia, dealing mostly in boundaries this evening, slog-sweeps Ecclestone to pick up four. Four singles on top keeps the scoring rate perky.
Hello Kevin Wilson! “England probably decided a while back not to roll the dice before a home World Cup but they should probably move on from DWH, Knight, NSB and Jones after this tournament. The side has suffered from moving too many batters around in the past. Time to bring new players in, in fixed positions. I’m not sure I see a role for Gibson. England have plenty of batters who can bowl. Wong has been out of sorts for a while. Invest in Gaur instead.”
4th over: India 37-2 (Bhatia 9, Rodrigues 1) Dean makes the breakthrough in her first over – India are scoring quickly, but losing wickets.
WICKET! Mandhana lbw Dean 8 (India 36-2)
The dog changes the channel by leaping off the sofa with one paw on the controller, when I put it back on, India have appealed an lbw decision. Madhana had gone to sweep, it looks pretty out – even Mandhana looks like she thinks it is out – and out it is.
3rd over: India 31-1 (Mandhana 8, Bhatia 9) Two wides and two fours from Bell’s second over as she gets some punishment from Bhatia, through point and deep third.
WICKET! Verma c Dean b Smith 11 (India 19-1)
Verma is eager for more runs but cramped for room, gets an outside edge ball which holds up in the wind and Charlie Dean collects at point. Clever bowling
2nd over: India 19-1 (Mandhana 7, Bhatia 0) Linsey Smith in sunglasses from the other end. Mandhana clips her off her toes, over the leaping Bell at midwicket for four. Then Verma joins in hawking her through backward square for four more. But then the wicket!
1st over: India 10-0 (Mandhana 2, Verma 7) Lauren Bell directs the field at the top of her mark. The wind ruffles her shirt, the sun suddenly out and glinting on her bun as the church of St James looks on. Mandhana hoiks Bell up and just over mid on, but Verma earns the style points, delicately angling the ball down to the rope. A handful of singles and a wide.
“There’s a good crowd building,” says Raf. “I’m told they’re expecting at least 5,000 people which will be near capacity.”
Selection talk
Sky’s crew talk England selection for the World Cup – they put Capsey/Dunkley/Knight//Gibson/Wong/Corteen-Coleman and Filer up for discussion.
Charlie Dagnall. “I think Capsey accesses more areas of the field, can manipulate the surface a bit more, better against pace and spin, Dunkley is a little bit more one dimensional. Kate Cross agrees, “Capsey can hit areas of the ground where it needs to go, Dunkley doesn’t have that many more options than hitting over the top.”
Tash Farrant “Dunkley and Wyatt Hodge run really well together,I’d back her, tell her she needs to get off to a fast start. She does look quite tentative at the moment though.” She would pick Capsey and Dunkley and leave Knight out, also Capsey and Dunkley are better in the field and running quick singles.
Cross goes for Knight because you need experienced players, despite her lack of strike rate. “There is no space for anchors any more in the women’s game.”
Dagnall says he’d go for Knight as she’s a better player with NSB in the side.
Farrant says Edwards needs to be more flexible with the batting order.
Dunkley goes for Wong “a difference maker, a big game player.”
Farrant would pick Dani Gibson as England need to stack the batting. As would Cross who says Gibson is more of the future of England cricket than Wong.
And here comes Sue Redfern and the teams.
I’ve just disturbed Raf mid-forkful of white chocolate cheesecake in the Taunton media centre.
“We’ve watched two brilliant warm-up acts – we had drummers earlier and now we’ve got a group of dancers with Indian flags. Overcast and windy at the moment, but it’s been dry all afternoon.”
India XI
India make one change, seamer Kranti Gaud comes in for spinner Shreyanka Patil.
India: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Jemimah Rodrigues (wk), Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud, Sree Charani, Nandni Sharma.
England XI
No changes from Bristol.
England: Sophia Dunkley, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Amy Jones (wk), Alice Capsey, Heather Knight, Freya Kemp, Danielle Gibson, Charlie Dean (c), Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell.
England win the toss and bowl!
It’s blowy out there. Charlie Dean looks pleased. “The win at Bristol was brilliant for us, a confidence builder, hopefully we can do more of the same today.” England play the same team.
Preamble
Roll up, roll up for the final game in this T20 World Cup warm-up series. Happily for the crowd, it’s a decider with meaning, England and India both have a point in the purse – and the winner will take the momentum with them into the tournament proper. They’ll toss the coin at 6pm BST, with play starting half an hour later. Pull up a chair and join us!