England Women bounced back in style, defeating India Women by just five runs in a nail-biting third T20I at The Oval. After posting 171/9 with the bat, the England bowlers held their nerve to restrict India to 166/5 in 20 overs. With this win, England stay alive in the five-match series, now trailing 2-1 with two matches to go.
India had the chance to seal the series but couldn’t cross the finish line despite being in control for large parts of the game. England were without their regular captain, Nat Sciver-Brunt, due to a groin injury. Tammy Beaumont stepped in as stand-in skipper. While defending 171, England had a tough start. India openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma made the most of the powerplay, scoring 61 runs in the first six overs.
Shafali looked in great touch, especially against spin, and scored 47 off just 25 balls. Although Sophie Ecclestone dismissed her, her aggressive start gave India early momentum. She struggled against pace, particularly Lauren Filer, but survived some close calls.
After an 85-run opening stand, Jemimah Rodrigues joined Mandhana and added 38 more runs for the second wicket. Rodrigues was dismissed for 20 in the 14th over. At that point, India needed 47 runs from 36 balls, with Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur at the crease and plenty of batting to follow.
However, England’s bowlers struck back. They mixed up their pace and lengths smartly. Mandhana fell for 56 off 49, and Richa Ghosh managed only 7 off 10. England tightened things up, fielded brilliantly as Charlie Dean took a stunner to dismiss Richa, and hence, they made boundaries hard to come by.
When Richa got out, India needed 18 off 9 balls. Amanjot Kaur, who was Player of the Match in the previous game, hit six runs in her first three balls, but the final over required 12 runs. Lauren Bell delivered a brilliant final over. Using cutters and slower balls, she didn’t allow either Amanjot or Harmanpreet to free their arms. Bell gave away just six runs and dismissed Harmanpreet on the last ball, sealing a five-run win.
Filer’s fiery pace earned her two wickets, along with one each for Charlie Dean, Bell, and Ecclestone.
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Earlier, England got off to a blazing start after opting to bat. Openers Sophia Dunkley and Danni Wyatt-Hodge shared a 137-run stand in just 15.2 overs. Dunkley scored 75 off 53, while Wyatt made 66 off 42.
However, England’s strong position slipped quickly. They lost four wickets for just 15 runs and were suddenly 152/5 in 17.5 overs. India’s bowlers clawed back well, limiting England to 171/9. Arundhati Reddy and Deepti Sharma picked up three wickets each, while Shreyanka Patil claimed two. Radha Yadav took one.
Stand-in skipper Tammy Beaumont praised her bowlers at the presentation ceremony: “We can go toe-to-toe with this India team. Death bowling was so good, and Filer changed the game for us, bowling fast and hitting people on the head. Went with five out-and-out bowlers. Incredibly proud.”
Despite the loss, Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur remained positive: “Because of the dew… we did well in patches. We’ve been outstanding today. Fielders supported well, bowled really well. Came back strongly after the hundred partnership. They executed their plan well, we were looking for boundaries, and fell one short.”
For her excellent 75-run knock, Sophia Dunkley was named Player of the Match. The fourth T20I of the series will take place in Manchester on 9 July.
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