INDIA SPOIL THE PARTY
England run out of luck as they fail in attempt to pull off record run chase
ENGLAND Women suffered a shock 35- run defeat by India in their opening group game in the World Cup in Derby.
Despite ideal bowling conditions, the host country’s nerves seemed to get the better of them in front of a 2,343 crowd as an attacking Indian batting display dictated.
Opener Smriti Mandhana hit a blistering 90 off 72 balls, including 11 fours and two sixes, as India posted their highest ODI score against England at 281-3.
Pulling off victory would have meant a record chase for England, and despite slipping to 154-5, Fran Wilson’s 81 looked to have taken her side to the brink of it before a dramatic collapse, which included three runouts, saw them lose their last five wickets for 30 runs.
The match also included the firstever use of the Decision Review System (DRS), with Nat Sciver the unlucky recipient of being given out, caught behind, on review.
England skipper Heather Knight said: ‘It’s not the way we wanted to start but Pakistan started in a similar way in the Champions Trophy and did pretty well.
‘We have two of the best bowlers in the world and they’ll bounce back on Tuesday [when they play Pakistan]. I don’t think we froze.’
In overcast conditions, the hosts’ decision to bowl was not surprising given their opening bowling talent of Anya Shrubsole and Katherine Brunt.
Mandhana was far from being intimidated, smoking four backfoot drives to boundary off Brunt’s second over to hit the right-arm seamer out of the attack.
Her replacement Sciver didn’t fare much better, as Mandhana rocked back and launched the al l - rounder f or si x, while an uncharacteristically poor fielding display saw Poonam Raut dropped on 20 and 21.
Full of confidence, Mandhana reached her half-century off just 45 balls with spinner Dani Hazell and Jenny Gunn trying to contain the batters.
India opted to take their second powerplay in the 24th over, after the opening pair’s stand had passed 100, and it saw Shrubsole return to the attack.
Mandhana responded by launching the 25-year-old over the deep midwicket boundary for a second maximum.
England’s nightmare ended when Knight had Mandhana caught at midwicket, bringing to a close the opening stand of 144.
But Raut then took the initiative as Mithali Raj played herself in.
With the bowlers continuing to toil, Raut attempted to slog-sweep Hazell but succeeded only in sending the ball straight down the throat of Danielle Wyatt at deep midwicket and trudged off on 86.
But Raj became the first woman to record seven successive halfcenturies in one-day internationals before falling off the final ball.
England knew they would need to get off to a fast start with the bat.
Sarah Taylor was promoted to the top of the order, with Lauren Winfield out injured, and England’s reply almost got off to a disastrous start when Tammy Beaumont was dropped off spinner Ekta Bisht on one in the second over. The England opener didn’t last much longer as she was caught at first slip by Mandhana off Shikha Pandey for 14, and Taylor soon followed as Pandey struck again.
Knight was joined by Sciver, who found herself on the wrong end of a piece of history.
Deepti Sharma was convinced Sciver had edged her behind to the keeper, Raj called for the review — after deliberation with the bowler and wicketkeeper — and England’s free-fall continued.
India’s recent appointment of fielding coach Biju Georg made an impact.
Wilson, who had replaced Winfield, shared a 67-run fourthwicket stand with Knight.
But a brilliant piece of fielding off her own bowling from Harmanpreet Kaur saw Knight run out by a direct hit for 46.
When Sharma took a simple caught- and- bowled to get rid of Wyatt to leave England on 154-5, the writing seemed on the wall. But Wilson — with a previous ODI highest score of 30 — had looked busy from her first ball and speeded up once Brunt joined her.
The pair hit 62 off 42 balls as Wilson reached her maiden ODI half-century, and the momentum swung England’s way for the first time in the match.
But then in a period of madness they had three players run out in 19 balls and it was all but over.
It was unfortunate for Wilson, whose bat was in the air as she dived for safety, and she trudged off after an impressive knock.
India skipper Raj said: ‘Posting 280, our highest score against England, and winning against the hosts and having just four or five of our players having played in the World Cup before, I feel the team has done really well.
‘But it’s just the first game, we still have another six group games to go, and I hope the girls continue to play this way.’