Sciver's rapid half-century powers England to victory

SCORECARD

England won the match by 18 runs via the DLS method, with India 54/3 after 8.4 overs when rain wiped out the remainder of the day’s play.

Sent out to bat, England posted an imposing total of 177/7.

The hosts enjoyed a solid start to their innings as Tammy Beaumont (18) and Danni Wyatt (31) put on a 56-run stand before the latter fell caught behind to Radha Yadav (1/33) in the eighth over.

Wyatt was soon followed back to the pavilion behind Beaumont, who holed out to Poonam Yadav (1/32) in the following over.

However, the dismissals did little to stem the flow of runs, with Sciver smashing the equal-fastest half-century by an England batter in women’s T20I history.

The all-rounder blasted her half-century off just 24 balls, hitting eight fours and one six in her 27-ball 55 before falling to Shikha Pandey.

Sciver found impressive company in wicket-keeper Amy Jones, who herself smashed 43 off 27, hitting four fours and two sixes before she too fell to Pandey. The seamer was the best of India’s bowlers, taking 3/22 from her full allotment, with all three wickets coming in the 19th over.

Jones was the victim of a brilliant bit of fielding from Harleen Deol, who took the catch overhead on the boundary’s edge at long-off, tossed it back into the field of play as her momentum carried her over the ropes, and dived back in to pouch the ball before it touched the ground.

India’s chase suffered a significant blow on just its second delivery as Katherine Brunt (1/11), bowled Shafali Verma for a duck.

Smriti Mandhana did her best to keep the tourists in the game with an exciting 29 off 17, only to perish to Sciver (1/16) at the end of the Powerplay. When captain Harmanpreet Kaur fell for one to Sarah Glenn (1/6) to leave India at 47/3 in the seventh over, victory looked unlikely and so it proved when rain ended the match with her side 18 runs behind the par-score on DLS.

The two sides next meet on Sunday.