England wins second T20 by 5 wickets; attains unassailable lead

Guwahati: Avenging their ODI series defeat, England bagged the T20 Paytm Women’s Cricket series, attaining an unassailable lead of 2-0 in the three-match series by winning the second match by five wickets at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium here today.

Continuing their winning momentum of the first match, played at the same venue on March 4 which England had won by 41 runs, the visitors comfortably passed the target of 112 runs with five balls and as many wickets to spare.

Opener Danielle Wyatt, who remained not out at 64 and was adjudged the Player of the match, hit the winning runs by pushing a Deepti Sharma ball to the boundary in 19.1 over. Her innings of 55 balls, consisted to six boundaries.

Though most of the English batters failed to score, Wyatt and Lauren Winfield’s fifth wicket partnership of 47 runs off 42 balls ensured that England eased past the target.

Lauren fell for a personal score of 29 runs, off 22 balls, after putting the team at 103 in 17.4 overs.

England looked poised for steady start with Wyatt and Tamsin Beaumont putting up 28 runs in 2.5 overs, but Beaumont, who had scored 62 in the last T20, was bowled out by Radha Yadav for 8 off 15 deliveries.

Amy Jones, who replaced Beaumont, was quick to depart, caught and bowled by Poonam Yadav, while Natalie Sciver followed her soon, adjudged leg before wicket to an Ekta Bisht delivery.

With England at 50 for three wickets at the beginning of the ninth over, skipper Heather Knight joined Wyatt at the middle.

But Bisht, who had joined the national team for the second team after being left out in the first match, saw off Knight quickly, trapping her left before wicket for personal score of six and team score at 56 in 10.4 overs.

However, Wyatt and Lauren steadied the innings and ensured England’s victory.

Earlier, put to bat after losing the toss openers Smriti mandhana and Harleen Deol had put India on the fast start, but the team failed to capitalize on it as no significant partnerships could be developed later, barring the fourth wicket partnership of 35 runs.

Medium pacer Katherine Brunt was the pick of the bowlers for England, picking three overs in her four overs, giving away 17 runs.

Linsey Smith bagged two wickets, conceding 11 runs in her three overs.

The Indian openers put up 24 runs in 14 balls, before captain Smriti was caught by wicket-keeper Amy Jones off a Katherine Brunt delivery. She hit 12 runs in five balls, which included two sixes.

Just as Harleen and Jemimah Rodrigues were settling in, Brunt saw off Rodrigues (2), with the team score at 34 in 4.6 overs.

Harleen (14/ b. 21) was quick to follow in 5.3 overs with the team score still at 34 as she was caught by Natalie Sciver off a Linsey Smith ball.

Deepti Sharma and Mithali Raj managed to build up a partnership for the fourth wicket, putting between them 35 runs and taking the team score to 69 in 12.4 overs.

Deepti was the first to go as she was run-out in 12.4 overs following a mix-up with her partner.

As she returned and lunged forward to save her wicket, Anya Shrubsole was sure to find the stamps in the time to send back Deepti at a personal score of 18, off 22 balls, which included one boundary.

Mithali soon followed back to the pavilion, scoring 20 off 27 deliveries, caught by Lauren Winfield off a Kathryn Cross ball.

Shikha Pandey and Taniya Bhatia were quick to follow back to the stands, as India struggled at 95 for seven wickets in 18.2 overs.

BS Fulmani, making it to the national team for the second T20, tried to accelerate the score but fell for a Brunt delivery in 19.1 over, at a personal score of 18 off 20 balls. (UNI)