England lose six wickets for 31 runs when they stumbled to an eight-run loss to India in the second T20 international at Hove; the three-game series now tied at 1-1, while the overall multi-format score is now 8-6 for the hosts with one game to play
A late-batting collapse from England gave India an eight-run victory in the second T20 international at Hove to keep their multi-format series alive.
Chasing 149 to win, England were sailing toward their goal at 106-2 at 14, before Tammy Beaumont’s wicket (59 of 50 balls) sparked a run of six wickets for 31 runs.
India’s victory draws the three-game T20 series 1-1, while the overall multi-format score is now 8-6 for the hosts with one game to play. India can tie things up with a win at Chelsmford on Wednesday.
After the Beaumont wicket, lbw to Deepti Sharma (1-18), England then lost Captain Heather Knight (30 of 28) by a strange run, diverted from Sharma’s trunk, until the next installment.
Sophia Dunkley (4) came and went quickly, Poonam Yadav (2-17) claimed Amy Jones (11) and Katherine Brunt (5), while Mad Villiers (2) was the fourth England batter to be eliminated when he fell. in the end finished.
Earlier, after Knight won the draw and inserted India, 17-year-old star Shafali Verma (48 of 38) produced a dazzling display with the bat in a 70-run starting position with Smriti Mandhana (20 of 16).
The highlight of Verma’s surprising punch was the way he defeated veteran England fast pitcher Brunt (0-34), breaking five consecutive limits since his second round.
Freya Davies (1-31) finally broke the partnership with Mandhana’s wicket in the ninth plus, while Villiers (1-9) claimed Verma’s key scalp, boring long, two balls later.
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur (31 of 25) rebuilt with Sharma (24th of 27), but once again there were suggestions that the touring team was not showing enough intention with the bat as England began to dominate the innings.
Kaur tried to address that by breaking 10 of Glenn’s two deliveries at 16, before falling to third. Nat Sciver then picked up Richa Ghosh (8), caught and pitched, to finish the 18th when India finally posted a score of 148-4.
It seemed a sub-par total as Beaumont got England’s response off to a good start, even in the face of early starts from Danni Wyatt (3), caught in the middle of the game, and Sciver (1) exhausted.
Beaumont and Knight seemed to be keeping up with the chase perfectly, putting in 75 for the third wicket, with the former going to a ninth T20I fifty of 39 balls.
But when Beaumont fell at 14, England’s chase fell apart and now they need to win on Wednesday to clinch the series.
Watch the third international T20 match between England Women and India, live on Sky Sports Cricket starting at 6pm on Wednesday.
