England’s women’s cricket team served up a masterclass against India in the second ODI at Lord’s. With this win, they tied the series up 1-1. The game on Sunday was a reminder of just how good the England bowlers are. Spinner Sophie Ecclestone was the star of the day, claiming the Player of the Match honour by taking 3 for 27.
India struggled to find their connections throughout the game. During their 29-over innings, they scored just 143 runs while losing eight wickets. Smriti Mandhana was the star performer for India, scoring 42 runs off 46 balls. Though Smith had a remarkable day, her squad did not come close to hitting a qualifying total.
England were left with a revised target of 115 runs in 24 overs. They immediately made up that gap and had knocked off the required total of 116 runs for the loss of just two wickets in 21 overs. The match was eventually called off after the rain intervened, forcing England’s target to be recalculated through the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method in short matches.
While the total was too low for them to defend, Tammy Beaumont had set a strong platform with an innings of 34 runs. Yet, Amy Jones was the one to spearhead the pursuit as she remained not out on 46 runs to see her side to the win. She really stepped up and led the team to the win. With a booming boundary, she sealed the emphatic eight-wicket victory.
Sophie Ecclestone’s impressive bowling performance helped restrict India’s scoring opportunities.…Ms. Sheen credited her victory to the power of collaboration and strategy, saying,
“It’s great to get the win on the board in the end. My bowling is slowly coming along well. I felt really good.” – Sophie Ecclestone
England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, impressed by her team’s bowling performance, said that ‘we nailed our plans.’
“On the whole we bowled a better length and made it really difficult for their batters. The openers did a great job at the top so there wasn’t too much pressure on me.” – Nat Sciver-Brunt
The stunning defeat necessitated some soul-searching for Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and her side. She noted some of the moments that created difficulty during the match and what the team needs to work on ahead of the next games.
“We didn’t bat well. They didn’t give us any chances to execute.” – Harmanpreet Kaur
Kaur remained positive about her team’s potential, despite the defeat. She couldn’t wait for the decider match, which is scheduled for Tuesday in Chester-le-Street. She was heartened by her squad’s all-round showing over the course of the series.
“Apart from today’s match we have played really good cricket and we must remember that in our next game. We will go to Durham with a positive mindset.” – Harmanpreet Kaur
With the series tied, both teams will come out looking to win the championship in front of their home crowd. England are likely to get a big boost from their win. At the same time, India will look to refocus and regain control of the series.
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