Shrubsole writes name into the history books...
LOUGHBOROUGH graduate Anya Shrubsole wrote her name into the history books after her six-wicket haul dragged England back from the brink to win an amazing World Cup final.
In a match full of twists and turns, England defended 229 as India slumped from 191-3 to 219 all out, losing seven wickets for just 28 runs, with Shrubsole grabbing six for 46 from 9.4 overs.
England won the toss and batted first, with Tammy Beaumont and Lauren Winfield making the most of a pacy Lord’s wicket with a 47-run opening partnership that went at a run-a-ball off before the Indian spinners took control. Rajeshwari Gayakwad bowled Winfield around her legs in the 12th over, and Beaumont hit a Punam Yadav full-toss up in the air to go soon after. Yadav then trapped Heather Knight lbw to make it 63 for three, before Sarah Taylor and Natalie Sciver put together the best partnership of the innings.
Loughborough graduate Sciver set the tone and Taylor matched her run for run as they rotated the strike brilliantly to add 83 runs in 16.3 overs despite boundaries being hard to come by.
Jhulan Goswami wrecked England’s recovery, getting Fran Wilson first ball and then taking the vital wicket of Sciver before finishing with three for 23 from ten overs. Sciver had scored 51 in authoritative fashion and looked key to England’s goal of reaching 260.
Katherine Brunt added 32 with Jenny Gunn before she was run out for 34 by a brilliant direct hit from Deepti Sharma, and the innings finished on 228-8 thanks to a 23-run partnership from Gunn and Laura Marsh.
In reply for India, Smrti Mandhana was an early loss, leaving a big gap between bat and pad to be bowled by Shrubsole, and when Mithali Raj joined Punam Raut at the wicket things immediately started to look more difficult for England.
At 43-2, the game was in the balance, but there followed a brilliant partnership between Raut and Harmanpreet Kaur, fresh from her 171 not out against Australia in the semi-final.
India progressed to a point where they needed 38 to win from 43 balls when the fourth wicket fell, Raut lbw to Shrubsole for 86. This was still India’s to win, but it opened a crack for Shrubsole to smash through the middle order.
The atmosphere was absolutely electric as Alex Hartley bowled Sushma Verma second ball and Shrubsole set about turning the game around. Having removed Raut with the fifth ball of the 43rd over she rushed one on Krishnamurthy, who made 35 from 34 balls, to have her caught at midwicket by Natalie Sciver, and bowled Jhulan Goswami with a brilliant piece of death-bowling.
Shrubsole’s spell reaped three wickets, for just three runs, in eight balls.
Deepti Sharma and Shikha Pandey put on 17 for the eighth wicket but, just when it looked like the Indians would get over the line, a mix-up saw Pandey run out.
Sharma nearly ran out Yadav off the last ball of the 47th over but, having deliberately retained the strike from her colleague, could only loop a simple catch to mid-off; Sciver was again under it, and it was the wicket that ensured Shrubsole’s name would go down in history.
India were nine down needing 11 to win, and England were favourites for the first time since halfway through their own innings. When Yadav lobbed the ball to Gunn at mid-off, it was all over, only for the all-rounder to fumble a simple low catch.
That surreal moment was mercifully short-lived, though, as Shrubsole cleaned up Rajeshwari Gayakwad with the next ball to secure a famous victory.