Beaumont, Sciver hit 50s as England race to victory

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Excellent half-centuries from Tammy Beaumont and Natalie Sciver gave England a winning start at the triangular Twenty20 International series in Mumbai on Friday 23 March, Heather Knight’s team cantering to an eight-wicket win with three overs in the bag.

Asked to bat first, Australia had Rachael Haynes, leading the side in Meg Lanning’s absence, to thank for taking them to a respectable 149/8. But it proved too little once Beaumont and Sciver got together. Beaumont struck 58 in 44 balls with eight fours, while Sciver, who had earlier returned 2/29, ended with 68 from 43 balls with 10 fours and two sixes.

Chasing a small total, England were rocked early when Bryony Smith (1), the 20-year-old debutant – one of three fielded by England on the day, the others being Katie George and Alice Davidson-Richards – was stumped by Alyssa Healy off Megan Schutt in the second over.

But Dani Wyatt was in a big-hitting mood, and hit two fours and a six before becoming the second to fall, bowled by Delissa Kimmince for a 10-ball 18.

From there – 34/2 in the fifth over – it was one-way traffic as Beaumont and Sciver held sway.

Immediately after Wyatt’s dismissal, Beaumont took on Schutt and hit four boundaries in a row in the sixth over, and the momentum never sagged. Sciver, once settled, sent Perry for two sixes – one to deep mid-wicket and then to long-leg – and then hit Nicola Carey, the lone Australian debutant, for three fours in the 10th over.

At the halfway stage, England were 90/2, and from there to the end was only a matter of time, as both batters got to their half-centuries and proceeded to find the boundary in every over as the target was breached with relative ease.

Earlier, Haynes played the leader’s role well, top scoring for Australia with a 45-ball 65 from No.5 to lift a shaky-looking innings.

It had started well for Australia as Healy did most of the scoring in a 26-run first-wicket stand with Beth Mooney (4), who was run out in the fourth over. Healy and Ashleigh Gardner built on that foundation, scoring quickly to take Australia past 50, before Healy fell flicking Sciver to Wyatt at deep square-leg to depart for a 23-ball 31 at the start of the eighth over.

One led to two as Sciver made it a double-wicket over with Gardner’s dismissal off the last ball, the batter edging to Beaumont behind the stumps to fall for 28, scored in just 16 balls with three fours and two sixes.

That left Australia on 66/3, which became 97/5 with the dismissals of Elyse Villani and Perry. Haynes was into her stride by then, but Villani, dropped on 3 by Jenny Gunn at long-on, holed out to Davidson-Richards at deep square-leg for 5 off Gunn, and Danielle Hazell sent back Perry (2) not long after.

With just over seven overs left, it was looking tricky for Australia, but Haynes, on 24 when Perry was dismissed, took charge. Even as Sophie Molineux (6) and Kimmince (1) fell cheaply, Haynes found the boundary in every over, charging to her half-century and then slaming Sciver for six at deep mid-wicket, a sprinting Gunn getting her fingers to the ball but not being able to hold on.

Haynes fell with two balls left in the innings, hitting Gunn (3/26) to Sciver at long-on a ball after hitting her eighth four with a sweep, but she had played her part. Unfortunately for Australia, not many others apart from Healy and Gardner did the same, leaving them with a below-par score.

The next match in the series pits India, who had lost to Australia in the tournament opener, against England on Sunday at the same venue.