Amy Jones’s Steady Hands Steer England Past India In Second Women’s Odi

If you’ve not yet seen nan blockbuster trailer directed by Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha, changeable astatine Lord’s by nan England and Wales Cricket Board to beforehand its 2025 summertime of cricket, make judge to search it out. It’s a somewhat overseas portion of theatre involving Heather Knight, Lauren Filer and Danni Wyatt-Hodge, which culminates successful Wyatt-Hodge attempting to tally retired Filer pinch a samosa.

None of nan supra were really connected show astatine Lord’s connected Saturday – Knight is injured, Wyatt-Hodge is not successful nan ODI squad, and Filer was dropped for this fixture successful favour of Em Arlott – but nan cardinal players connected this shape were really a different pair. Because, of course, nan “Whack It Like Wyatt-Hodge” trailer was mildly poking nosy astatine nan large wind that erupted past clip India played astatine this crushed 3 years ago, erstwhile Deepti Sharma controversially ran out Charlie Dean astatine nan non-strikers end.

While Deepti and Dean person played together galore times present since then, arsenic teammates for London Spirit successful nan Hundred, nan incident nevertheless remains an important infinitesimal successful nan symbolism of women’s cricket. On Saturday, therefore, location was inevitably a definite frisson erstwhile Deepti came to nan crease pinch India 72 for five, and rather quickly recovered herself facing Dean. A crowd that had patiently sat done nan four-hour rainfall hold that reduced nan lucifer to 29 overs a broadside were abruptly connected nan separator of their seats.

Deepti narrowly survived nan first shot of Dean’s 2nd spell, which turned sharply and hit her bat. But she past saw disconnected her remaining 11 balls without theatrics – yet progressing to an unbeaten 30 arsenic she tried to wrestle backmost immoderate advantage for India, who struggled to 143 for 8 connected a transportation made stodgy by nan rain.

Dean had to beryllium contented pinch holding connected to a drawback astatine other screen to spot disconnected Smriti Mandhana for 42, aft earlier taking nan return drawback proffered up by Jemimah Rodrigues. Sophie Ecclestone, meanwhile, took 3 for 27, including rattling nan stumps of Harmanpreet Kaur aft Sophia Dunkley had doubly fto disconnected nan India skipper astatine cover.

Charlie Dean boots nan shot distant aft taking a drawback disconnected Smriti Mandhana. Photograph: Steven Paston/PA

Might this lucifer walk without controversy, contempt nan caller tensions betwixt these sides (Pratika Rawal was fined 10% of her lucifer interest this week aft barging Ecclestone and Filer during the first ODI astatine Southampton)? No: it was simply biding its time. The existent play came successful nan 2nd act, successful nan 5th complete of England’s tally chase, erstwhile Tammy Beaumont appeared to deliberately footwear nan shot retired of nan measurement of nan wicketkeeper, Richa Ghosh. Ghosh appealed for Beaumont to beryllium fixed retired obstructing nan field, and nan umpires referred it upstairs.

Eventually, Jacqueline Williams adjudged that Beaumont had simply been making her measurement backmost to her crease aft deciding against taking a single, but judging by nan boos that rang retired astir nan crushed erstwhile nan “not out” verdict appeared connected nan large screen, Williams’s will not beryllium nan past words connected nan subject. Meanwhile, who was nan bowler who sent down nan shot successful question? None different than Deepti Sharma.

Beaumont added conscionable 9 much runs earlier Sneh Rana trapped her leg-before, attempting a reverse sweep, but – aft a little further hold for rain, successful which 5 much overs were mislaid and England’s target was revised to 115 – an unbeaten 46 from Amy Jones ensured England yet sewage crossed nan statement pinch comparative ease, winning by 8 wickets pinch 18 balls to spare, to level nan bid astatine 1-1. The decider takes spot astatine Durham connected Tuesday: don’t beryllium amazed if location is much play still to come.