India Crush England by 97 Runs in T20I Opener at Trent Bridge
Scorecard | Match Report | Historic Defeat for England
India delivered a commanding performance in the first T20 international at Trent Bridge, thrashing England by 97 runs—their heaviest defeat in women’s T20I history.
After posting a mammoth 210-5, thanks to Smriti Mandhana’s sensational maiden T20I century (112 off 62 balls), India bowled England out for just 113 in 14.5 overs. Debutant Shree Charani starred with 4-12, while Radha Yadav chipped in with 2-15.
Key Performers:
- India: Mandhana 112 (62), Harmanpreet rested, Bell 3-27, Charani 4-12
- England: Sciver-Brunt 66 (42), Ecclestone 1-43, team all out for 113
Captain Nat Sciver-Brunt fought valiantly with a 66-run knock but lacked support. England struggled badly against spin, losing six wickets to India’s slower bowlers, with Charani’s dream debut making a major impact.
Despite Sciver-Brunt’s resistance, wickets tumbled regularly:
- Capsey fell slicing to short third.
- Jones was stumped off Yadav.
- Ecclestone holed out deep.
- Arlott was caught off a leading edge after a big six.
- Filer edged behind trying to force the pace.
- Bell was the final wicket, miscuing to the deep.
Mandhana was named Player of the Match, saying:
“It’s been a long time coming. I’ve been out in the 70s and 80s too often. I’ve been timing it well and wanted to convert this time. The bowlers were outstanding—we’ll aim to keep up the momentum in the next four games.”
Sciver-Brunt admitted early wickets derailed their chase:
“Chasing 200, you have to go hard. Losing quick wickets put us on the back foot. We showed good intent, but didn’t execute consistently.”
She added:
“India were excellent. We didn’t back up with the ball or fielding as well as we wanted. There are still things to take from this.”
The second T20I is set for Tuesday in Bristol at 6:30pm (BST). Can England bounce back and level the five-match series?
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