England Women delivered a blockbuster batting performance to beat India Women by six wickets in the third and final T20I at Taunton, clinching the three-match series 2-1 just ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup. Chasing 181, England recovered from an early wobble to reach the target with nine balls remaining, producing their most successful T20I run chase in eight years.
Background and match flow
- England won the toss and chose to field, setting up a chase for India Women.
- India finished on 180/5 after 20 overs, posting a competitive total despite the pressure of a late push.
- Harmanpreet Kaur led India’s innings with an unbeaten 56, providing the anchor while keeping the scoring rate moving.
- Jemimah Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma added valuable runs to help India reach a defendable score.
- England’s chase started poorly as they slipped to 38/3 inside the powerplay.
- From that point, a key partnership swung the contest decisively in England’s favour.
- Alice Capsey struck quickly, compiling 82 off 43 deliveries, one of the standout innings of her international career.
- Heather Knight, returning to form with the bat, stayed unbeaten on 70 and recorded her fastest T20I half-century.
- Capsey and Knight put on 137 runs for the fourth wicket, taking England to 184/4 with nine balls left.
- The win came by six wickets, with England’s successful chase standing out as a record-breaking effort.
Capsey’s aggressive, high-impact batting earned her the Player of the Match award. Knight’s composure at the other end complemented Capsey’s intent, and together they transformed a difficult chase into a comfortable finish.
The result also proved significant for England’s preparations. The victory provided a timely confidence boost ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup, while head coach Charlotte Edwards praised the side’s composure under pressure and pointed to Capsey’s continued development as a crucial element of the squad.
Even in defeat, India found positives, particularly through Harmanpreet’s unbeaten half-century and the overall effort that helped them reach 180/5. However, England’s record-setting fourth-wicket stand ultimately proved the turning point in a high-scoring series decider.
Result and brief scorecard
Result: England Women 184/4 (18.3 overs) beat India Women 180/5 (20 overs) by 6 wickets. England won the series 2-1.
Brief scores: India Women 180/5 in 20 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 56*, Yastika Bhatia 32; Lauren Bell 2-36) lost to England Women 184/4 in 18.3 overs (Alice Capsey 82, Heather Knight 70*; Arundhati Reddy 2-31) by 6 wickets.
