Wyatt guides England women to big win

A whirlwind century by opener Daniellie Wyatt helped England pull off a record chase and crush India by seven wickets in their second T20 triangular series match here on Sunday.

Half centuries by openers Smriti Mandhana (76 off 40 balls) and Mithali Raj’s (53 off 43) balls helped the hosts post a mammoth 198 for four in 20 overs, India’s highest score in T20.

However, Wyatt’s heroics made the chase a walk in the park for the visitors as they romped home with eight balls to spare.

The earlier highest chase in women’s T20 internationals was also by England, which came against Australia, in Canberra in 2017.

Wyatt (124 off 64 balls) made her intentions clear, hitting three fours in the first over. With a flurry of boundaries and sixes, she forged a 61-run openingwicket stand with Bryony Smith (15). Pacer Jhulan Goswami cleaned up Smith even as the visitors raced to 67/1 in the powerplay. But that did not deter Wyatt, the cynosure of all eyes at the Brabourne Stadium, as she brutally punished a listless Indian attack.

The opener spared no bowlers - be it the pacers or spinners - as she completed her fifty in 24 balls and her hundred in 52 balls.

This was Wyatt’s second T20 international century and it was only befitting that she completed it with a boundary. She found an able partner in Tamsin Beaumont (35 off 23 balls) who played the second fiddle in their 96-run second wicket stand, which took the game away from India.

In the ninth over, Wyatt punished spinner Poonam Yadav by hitting two sixes and continued the carnage till she departed in the 17th over. Wyatt struck 15 boundaries and five towering sixes in her blistering knock.

Indian bowlers leaked runs and lacked intent, the sloppy fielding by the hosts only adding to their misery. After Wyatt fell, Natalie Sciver (12 not out) and Heather Knight (8 not out) took England home with ease.

Brief Scores: India Women (198/4 Smriti Mandhana 76, Mithali Raj 53) in 20 overs lost to England Women (199/3 Danielle Wyatt 124) by seven wkts in 18.4 overs.

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