SO NEAR, YET SO FAR
INDIAN WOMEN FALL AGONISINGLY SHORT OF SCRIPTING HISTORY AS ENGLAND WIN THEIR FOURTH WORLD CUP
London, July 23: England beat India by nine runs to win the Women’s World Cup final at Lord’s on Sunday.
India, set 229 for victory, were on course at 191/3 but Punam Raut’s dismissal for 86 sparked a dramatic collapse.
Anya Shrubsole took five wickets for 11 runs in 19 deliveries as India slumped to 219 all out with eight balls to spare.
India lost their last seven wickets for 28 runs, with pace bowler Shrubsole finishing with six for 46 in 9.4 overs.
Earlier, India held England to 228/7 with veteran pace bowler Jhulan Goswami enjoying an excellent return of three for 23 in 10 overs in an innings where Nat Sciver’s 51 was the top score.
The 34-year-old pace bowler, in what could well be her last World Cup , enjoyed a great spell, including two wickets in two balls to peg England back.
Her haul included the dismissals of star batsman Sarah Taylor (45) and topscorer Nat Sciver (51).
England, who saw captain Heather Knight bat first on an overcast morning, were in a dire position at 164 for six in the 38th over.
But their tailenders kept them in the game by batting out the full 50 overs and ensuring India would at least have to chase a total in excess of 200 in front of a full house of some 26,500.
Jenny Gunn (25 not out) and Laura Marsh (14 not out) added an unbroken 32 in 25 balls.
India, losing finalists in 2005, were bidding to triumph on the same Lord's ground where their men's team won a first World Cup title back in 1983.
By contrast England, one of the traditional powers of the women's game, were aiming for a fourth World Cup crown.
England made a steady start against an India side who had beaten them by 35 runs in their opening pool match in Derby on June 24.
But from 47 for none, they lost three wickets in quick succession to be 63/3 in the 17th over, with leg-spinner Poonam Yadav (2/36) taking two for one in five balls.
Lauren Winfield (24) was bowled round her legs trying to sweep left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad before Yadav saw England's other opener Tammy Beaumont (23) hole out to Goswami at deep midwicket.
The sweep proved Knight's undoing when she was lbw for just one to Yadav, hitting across the line.