They accept been upbeat but clinical within the sphere and with the ball, led by Dean, who got her ODI profession-top 4 for 23 in precisely her 2d World Cup game
England Girls 136 for 6 (Knight 53*, Sciver 45, Meghna 3-26) beat India Girls 134 (Mandhana 35, Ghosh 33, Dean 4-23) by four wickets
Charlie Dean epitomised how England wished, and wished, to play to get their first aspects from four World Cup fits with a four-wicket victory over India.
Interviewed between innings after her four wickets had been pivotal in bowling India out for precise 134 in 36.2 overs – their lowest total at a World Cup since the 2005 final – Dean speedy the host broadcaster that she was once precise mad to be out on the pitch with her personnel and performing.
On the eve of this valuable match for the defending champions, skilled wicketkeeper-batter Amy Jones had emphasised England’s accept to conquer two uncomfortable fielding shows against West Indies and South Africa but to withhold their enjoyment of the game to steer clear of wilting below stress.
Towards India, they accept been upbeat but clinical within the sphere and with the ball, led by Dean, their rookie offspinner whose ODI profession-top 4 for 23 in precisely her 2d World Cup game, is the 2d-top haul of the event to this point on the abet of Marizanne Kapp’s devastating 5 for 45 against England on Monday.
Then an unbeaten half of-century by captain Heather Knight saw them home inner 32 overs despite wobbles at either end of the England innings to get a accept which enables them to amass some control over their dangle destiny as they yelp to assemble the semi-finals with fits against New Zealand, Pakistan and Bangladesh final.
England stumbled early within the lag, falling to 4 for 2 when Danni Wyatt, who had modified Lauren Winfield-Hill on the tip of the repeat within the previous game, fell cheaply all every other time, this time to a engaging rob at race by Sneh Rana off Meghna Singh within the 2d over. Tammy Beaumont followed, first and predominant adjudged no longer out lbw with the bat discontinuance to the pad earlier than India’s evaluate revealed that Jhulan Goswami had truly hit her on the pad first to dispute her 250th ODI wicket.
Nat Sciver, who fell to a freak slips rob off the abet of her bat against South Africa, enjoyed a stroke of just real fortune when she drove at Goswami, deflected onto her pad and the ball rolled into the infamous of the middle stump with some force but stopped useless without dislodging the bails.
Meghna bowled neatly, sending down 20 dot balls in her four-over opening spell and claiming three wickets in all, but Sciver and Knight placed on 65 runs for the third wicket to interrupt the abet of the lag earlier than Sciver fell to a straightforward rob by Goswami off Pooja Vastrakar for 45. By that stage, England accept been 69 for 3 with 33 overs final.
After Jones fell to a spectacular rob from Harmanpreet Kaur, backtracking from mid-on and leaping with excellent timing to pull the ball down, Knight problem about hauling within the target, helped by a 17-stride cameo off 21 balls by Sophia Dunkley, who was once caught on the abet of off Meghna with precise seven runs wished. Meghna and Richa Ghosh mixed again to amass Katherine Brunt as England misplaced two wickets within the place of three balls but Knight, who had struck eight fours en route to her 53 no longer out, stood firm and Sophie Ecclestone introduced up the winning runs with a four off Meghna.
Harmanpreet sent a horror throughout the India camp when she jarred her knee fielding late within the match but she managed to stroll off the bottom for additional evaluate.
Earlier, Anya Shrubsole, the heroine of England’s 2017 World Cup final overcome India, problem England heading within the true direction with two early wickets. Punished for bowling too short of their three-wicket defeat to South Africa, England’s bowlers came in with a obvious conception to bowl fuller to the Indian aspect and their execution ensured that India by no way truly got going amid an on a typical basis stream of wickets as they misplaced a unfavorable 7 for 73 within the tip.
Shrubsole claimed her 100th ODI wicket when she eradicated Yastika Bhatia within the fourth over, tempting a pressure with an gorgeous fuller ball which had a slightly of inswing and caught a faint inner edge earlier than clattering into the tip of middle stump. Perhaps far more satisfying for England, given their previous uncomfortable performances within the sphere, was once Shrubsole’s next wicket as Dunkley took their first likelihood within the air, diving forwards at duvet demonstrate accept a get low rob off Mithali Raj.
Gripping stride outs by Kate Wicked and Sciver to amass Deepti Sharma and Ghosh respectively, rammed home the level that England accept been a particular fielding aspect on this stumble upon.
Dean entered the attack within the 17th over and made an speedy impact, claiming two wickets in four balls as India slumped to 61 for 5.
Dean, who excellent made her global debut for the length of the home series against New Zealand in September and was once taking half in precise her 2d World Cup game, drew an edge as Harmanpreet defended and was once caught on the abet of by Jones. Dean then pushed aside Rana for a 2d-ball duck with a flighted delivery open air off, her invitation to pressure approved and Jones all every other time collecting on the abet of the stumps.
Smriti Mandhana’s 35 was once India’s high rating but she fell to Ecclestone and, whereas Vastrakar overturned her lbw dismissal off Dean when ball-monitoring revealed the impact was once open air off, Dean replied two balls later by tightening her line on a flatter delivery as Vastrakar failed to join on her sweep and was once struck in front of off stump. She decided to appear at again with barely a 2d to spare excellent to accept umpire Paul Wilson’s decision confirmed.
Goswami and Ghosh tried to rescue their personnel, Goswami launching a six down the bottom off Wicked, but their union ended on 37 with Ghosh’s stride out, with replays showing her bat was once serene within the air as Sciver’s throw hit. Goswami fell a short time later, and Dean done off the innings by bowling Meghna.
Valkerie Baynes is a frequent editor at ESPNcricinfo
