Match report: Eng vs Ind (Women), 4th ODI
First Published : 09 Jul 2012, 11:02
Last Modified : 12 Jul 2012, 10:30
Mumbai desk, July 8: England beat India by three wickets in a closely fought match to level the five match series between the two sides 2-2. The home team reached the target set by India with six balls to spare at Boscawen Park in Truro. The final match of the series will be played on July 11 at Wormsley.
England lost Tammy Beaumont (4) early in their chase as the opener edged Jhulan Goswami to the wicketkeeper. Her fellow opener Charlotte Edwards (13) was bowled off the last ball of the 12th over by Ekta Bist. But wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor, who had replaced Beaumont in the middle, played a vital innings that helped the hosts chase down the target. Although she missed her half-century by seven runs, she was involved in a crucial 56-run stand with Lisa Greenway; she was claimed leg-before for 43 to N Niranjana. The 23-year-old Indian then trapped Greenway lbw while Arran Brindle was dismissed by Reema Malhotra.
However, Heather Knight (24) and Jenny Gunn put together 41 runs for the sixth wicket before Niranjana dismantled the former’s woodwork to pick her third scalp. Gunn, however, took England across the line with an unbeaten 36. Danielle Wyatt contributed a useful 10 while Katherine Brunt chipped in with 9 not out.
Put in to bat, the Indian batting line-up disappointed, managing to reach 173 for the loss of nine wickets in their stipulated 50 overs. Mona Meshram, opening the batting with Poonam Raut, was trapped lbw by Katherine Brunt for zero. Raut and skipper Mithali Raj then added 53 for the second wicket before the former was sent back for 27.
Harmanpreet Kaur then joined the skipper at the middle and the duo built an 86-run stand before Danielle Wyatt struck; the off-spinner claimed the key wicket of Raj for 58. The next five batsmen returned with single-digit scores against their name. Brindle sent back Amita Sharma in the next over and was on a hat-trick with the wickets of Sulkashana Naik and Malhotra in the 45th over. The medium-pacer’s effort of three for 30 left a severe dent in the middle-order; she later ran Kaur out for 55. Goswami, too, was run out in the penultimate while Gouhar Sultana was castled by Wyatt with four balls still remaining in the innings.
With wickets falling in a heap, India managed to set the hosts a modest 174-run target, which eventually proved to be insufficient. England’s victory sets up the five-match series nicely with the Wormsley ODI turning into a decider.
Brief scores: India 173/9 in 50 overs (M Raj 58, H Kaur 55, A Brindle 3/20, D Wyatt 2/43) lost to England 177/7 in 49.0 overs (S Taylor 43, J Gunn 36*, N Niranjana 3/24, E Bist 2/43) by 3 wicktes
