| India 153-6 (20 overs): Mandhana 70, Harmanpreet 36, Sciver 3-35 |
| England 154-2 (18.4 overs): Wyatt 89*, Sciver 42 |
| England win by eight wickets; win series 10-6 on points |
| Scorecard |
England sealed an emphatic eight-wicket win in the third and final Twenty20 against India to earn a 10-6 victory on points in the multi-format series.
Set what could have been a tricky 154 to win at Chelmsford by India, anchored by Smriti Mandhana’s 70, Danni Wyatt led the hosts to a fine victory.
Wyatt’s unbeaten 89 was central to the victory as she shared a 112-run stand with Nat Sciver, who made 42 as England cruised to their total with eight balls remaining.
BBC Sport looks at the key moments from another engrossing match that rounded off a very entertaining series.
Wyatt picks her time to shine
Opener Wyatt was dropped for the ODI series and averaged just 13.28 in her past 18 T20 innings before she arrived in Chelmsford.
This innings, then, was crucial for her. And she responded with an innings full of deft touches and clever strokeplay, striking 12 fours and one six in her 56-ball innings.
It clicked into gear for Wyatt in the sixth over against Sneh Rana. A skip down the pitch, a dab through deep third and a slice over cover brought her 12 runs and an increased confidence.
Her delicacy partnered well with Nat Sciver’s power, the two registering a 50 partnership from just 34 balls, with India looking toothless against them.
There was a slight smile on her face as she reached her half-century, her team-mates giving her a standing ovation from the dug-out, and it was fitting she was the one to hit the winning runs.
“Just to see Danni Wyatt back playing with a smile on her face – she knows how crucial this is,” England World Cup winner Alex Hartley said on BBC Two.
“She has proven a point – and that she is good enough to be here.”
India find their feet
Harmanpreet Kaur and Mandhana, captain and vice-captain respectively, have had a mixed series.
Harmanpreet has registered four single figures in seven innings, while Mandhana had not passed 50 since the first innings of the Test match that kicked off this series.
However, they were the key to India’s innings. Harmanpreet was initially the more aggressive, striking the first six of the innings, while Mandhana was able to find the boundary with clever placement.
Harmanpreet targeted Sarah Glenn, hitting 12 runs off her third over, before she fell lbw to Sciver.
Mandhana advanced to her 13th IT20 half-century, bringing it up with a swat to the boundary, and finished her innings with eight fours and two sixes.
While the result did not go their way, two key players finding form is a positive sign for India as they build towards February’s 50-over World Cup.
Brunt wins Verma battle
It has been the head-to-head of the series: veteran bowler Katherine Brunt versus teenage star Shafali Verma.
Verma had the upper hand from the previous game after she had carted Brunt all around Hove, but it was the fiery England bowler who had the last laugh.
She bowled the 17-year-old with just the fourth delivery of the match, taking advantage of Verma’s propensity to step to one side, and castled her with a full length delivery.
The celebration? A bit over the top, maybe, with Brunt shushing a disconsolate Verma as she walked away, but it was a key, early wicket for the hosts.
“At the end of the day, Shafali is a brilliant player. I am old enough to be her mother, but she’s opening the batting for India,” Bunt said afterwards.
“It means a lot to me to get her out.”
What’s next?
England’s women and a number of India players will take part in the inaugural edition of The Hundred, which begins on 21 July.
England will play their next international series in September against New Zealand, while India travel to Australia for a multi-format series in the same month.
And finally…
How do you celebrate your mid-match snack arriving?
Article courtesy of BBC Sport
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