Key events
And with the gongs over, and the crowd slipping away, time for me to go too. England bowled well – great to see Ecclestone back to her best – while India made a bit of a hash of their innings. All of which means we go to Chester-le-Street level with one to play. Do join us on Tuesday, play starts at 1pm BST. Have a lovely evening – bye!
The captains
Harmanpreet Kaur doesn’t think India batted well today and that the toss was very important with the overcast conditions. They’ve played well over the last month and this was an aberattion.
NSB was watching the rugby while they waited for the rain to stop. The bowlers worked out the fields they wanted themselves and then came to her – she’s pleased with that. Bowled better lengths today. England are working on their catching, but no-one means to drop anything.
Player of the match: Sophie Ecclestone
For her three for 27, a magnum of sparkling wine under one arm: “I was asleep about ten minutes before we went on. Skids on a bit at Lord’s, it’s keeping the stumps in play at all time.”
The crowd starts to disperse as we hurry towards the presentation ceremony….
England win by eight wickets! (DLS)
21st over: England 116-2 (Jones 46, Dunkley 9) Jemimah Rodrigues is still throwing herself around in the field, but she can’t stop the inevitable and Dunkley pounds Goud down the ground for four to reward the crowd for their immense patience and level the series.
20th over: England 107-2 (Jones 46, Dunkley 1) Ha! India review a caught behind with the gap between Dunkley’s bat and pad large enough to post a newspaper through. Ingenious time wasting, just in case the rain falls in the next three balls….but the weather thwarts them, and the game reaches the magic 20 over mark.
WICKET! Sciver-Brunt b Gaud 21 (England 102-2)
Done by a daemon delivery which zips in from outside off, and NSB is left driving at air with a mouth like an o.
19th over: England 102-2 (Jones 45, Dunkley 0) Gaud polishes off her over.
Harmanpreet Kaur does not look too happy with this new target, after a brief discussion with Sue Redfern, with arms crossed, she glowers onto the field.
Play to restart at 7pm- England now need 115 in 24 overs
Well done umps. England now need 13 runs to win in 5.2 overs.
The England balcony are staring out over the pitch…
Umpires marching off, like headteachers. News expected soon…
We’re still waiting… England need eight more balls to be bowled. More discussion in the middle. I think the cut off is 7.11pm.
The three umpires are out, brollies are down, the groundsman being interrogated…
The groundstaff lay out the covers in shorts, cagouls and boots. Unfortunately we are still eight balls short of an official game – so I think if we don’t get any more play, things end in a draw. The time margins are tight.
Rain stops play
18.4 overs: England 102-1 (Jones 45, Sciver-Brunt 21) England pumping the accelerator, NSB helps the first ball of Goud’s over down to fine leg for four… but someone has turned the tap on up above and with the rain dashing down, the umpires call the players off.
18th over: England 97-1 (Jones 40, Sciver-Brunt 21) Charani looks pensive, as NSB quick-steps towards her and lofts her, wonderfully, straight for four.
17th over: England 90-1 (Jones 38, Sciver-Brunt 16) NSB reverse-dabs Sharma, and a sprinting Jones beats a good throw to come back for three. And there’s the boundary! A sweep from NSB, on the stretch, for four. Just over 13,000 in the ground now, with England favourites to level the series.
16th over: England 81-1 (Jones 34, Sciver-Brunt 8) Some pace, Reddy, head down in delivery. She’s on target and stingy with her width. England tap three singles, NSB wrinkles her nose. I sense, with no evidence at all, some restlessness in the crowd.
15th over: England 78-1 (Jones 34, Sciver-Brunt 8) Deepti again from the pavilion end – a couple more singles. Some umbrellas pop up in the stands and they take drinks with England needing 66 from 84 balls.
14th over: England 76-1 (Jones 33, Sciver-Brunt 7) Reddy returns, but I tread on the remote – but both Jones and NSB are still there.
13th over: England 72-1 (Jones 30, Sciver-Brunt 6) Jones heaves Rana into the covers for four, as NSB continues the grunt work.
An email from Jonathan, as the ground becomes shrouded in grey. “Beaumont didn’t “automatically” block the ball with her leg, she wilfully did so.
“I’m sure she wasn’t trying to gain any advantage, but it was a damn silly thing to do, as she was quite clearly obstructing the ball while it was in play, and so the umpire was pretty generous with her.”
12th over: England 64-1 (Jones 24, Sciver-Brunt 4) Charani spins her web, but Jones, who had wistfully marooned, joshes her over long off for four.
11th over: England 57-1 (Jones 19, Sciver-Brunt 2) India needed that.
WICKET! Beaumont lbw Rana 34 (England 54-1)
Beaumont drops to reverse-sweep, bobs around a bit, misses the ball and is hit on the front pad. Reviews, optimistically, erroneously.
10th over: England 54-0 (Jones 17, Beaumont 30) Beaumont and Jones rotating the strike, dabbing Charani here and there. The cameras now showing a split-screen sky over Lord’s – brooding one side, pale the other.
9th over: England 49-0 (Jones 17, Beaumont 30) Deepti from the pavilion end, the spinners cranking up the pressure, but is it too late? Jones top-edges a slog-sweep but gets away with it.
8th over: England 46-0 (Jones 15, Beaumont 29) Beaumont watchful as Charani gets another turn, fizzes in, varying her angles.
7th over: England 43-0 (Jones 15, Beaumont 26) Jones powers Sharma down the ground for four. And the cameras are now showing more brooding skies behind the pavilion – perhaps that’s why England are getting such a move on.
6th over: England 37-0 (Jones 10, Beaumont 25) Just one from Sneh Rana’s over, and that’s the end of the power play. A very hard chance off the glove from Jones goes to ground behind the stumps – actually Ghosh gets hit on the helmet in the process.
An umpire review
5th over: England 36-0 (Jones 9, Beaumont 25) Confusion reigns as the umpires review an appeal that Beaumont is obstructing the field… Beaumont had flicked the ball to midwicket, started a run but changed her mind, and as the throw came in, automatically blocked it with her leg – but she’s in her crease with one foot, even as she lifts her boot. Yes, not out say the umpires to a cheer from the crowd.
4th over: England 33-0 (Jones 8, Beaumont 23) Harmanpreet calls up her left arm spinner Charani to stem the flow. And a fifth four for Beaumont , as she sweeps agriculturally. This is all going swimmingly for England.
3rd over: England 27-0 (Jones 7, Beaumont 18) Another four for Beaumont, who this time lays into Reddy, flailing her forward of cover.
Hello there John Starbuck. “You mention the Dean/Sharma connection via franchise cricket. It must be rather like tennis players constantly encountering each other and becoming, if not always friends, at least amenable. Probably the same with various track & field events. I know this undermines the general (media) sense of rivalry, but it’s no bad thing.” Absolutely. It must work wonders for cross-team friendships and cross-cultural understanding.
2nd over: England 19-0 (Jones 5, Beaumont 13) Goud, a whippy, will-o’-the-wisp of a bowler, is powered for three powerful fours by Beaumont, who looks very pleased with her work.
Just catching up on emails. “Sitting in the Compton lower in full sun,” writes Jo Frazer-Wise, “I promise it’s not grey!” Excellent news! And the cameras are duly showing blue skies above and shirt sleeves in the crowd.
1st over: England 4-0 (Jones 4, Beaumont 0) Reddy with the first over, black bandana wrapped around her short black hair. Five dots to start, including an athletic diving stop by the bowler, but Jones pings the last ball square for four.
Here come England – will they conquer their spin daemons today?
England need 144 to win in 29 overs
29th over: India 143-8 ( Sharma 31, Gaud 3) Sharma sweeps with gumption, but some excellent relay fielding between Smith and Bouchier keeps her off strike. A selection of bad running and a good final over from Arlott means India only score six and finish with what looks like a below-par total – though there is still some spice in the pitch and India didn’t find shot-making easy. Time for me to make a quick cup of tea and feed the dog between innings.
28th over: India 137-8 ( Sharma 28, Gaud 1) Now chucking it down in Woking, so prep your brollies. Two runs from Smith’s over, as this innings whimpers towards the line.
27th over: India 135-8 ( Sharma 27, Gaud 0) Time for Rana to swing Arlott behind point for four, before she is sent on her way.
WICKET! Rana b Arlott 6 (India 135-8)
Rana lunges wantonly forward, swings haphazardly and loses her timber. Arlott gives the air a low punch.
26th over: India 127-7 ( Sharma 24, Rana 1) What can Sharma summon up from the final three. Have to say it is looking pretty grey here in Surrey and not much better on the TV at Lord’s.
WICKET! Reddy lbw Smith 13 (India 124-7)
Smith wheels in from wide of the crease, Reddy drops to her knees to go for broke and is pinged on the back leg. They appeal, for reasons known only to themselves, but that just delays the inevitable.
25th over: India 122-6 (Reddy 13, Sharma 21) England plump for an lbw review against Sharma – nowhere near – and don’t appeal for one which fells Sharma and would have been umpire’s call. Sharma attemps the undone cuffs, one handed boundary, but only gets a couple. Bell finishes with 0-29.
24th over: India 120-6 (Reddy 13, Sharma 19) India get the memo. A glorious drive by Reddy for four, then she flings the bat at Ecclestone and Jones can’t hold onto the edge – the fifth drop (if you’re being harsh) of the innings. Ecclestone takes her cap with a grimace – finishes her six over slot with three for 27.
23rd over: India 112-6 (Reddy 7, Sharma 18) Pace again, as Lauren Bell returns. Her first ball is wide, but India can only eke out just three singles. The current run rate is only 4.86 which, even with England’s struggles against spin, feels it won’t be enough.
22nd over: India 108-6 (Reddy 5, Sharma 17) I love watching Sharma bat, she’s bursting with chutzpah. Here sweeps Ecclestone for four – will need more than that in the next few overs.
21st over: India 102-6 (Reddy 4, Sharma 12) A vital wicket for Smith, but the most expensive over of the innings, going for 13 runs. Fours for Sharma, Mandhana and new kid at the crease, Reddy.
WICKET! Mandhana c Dean b Smith 42 (India 98-6)
The big one! Mandhana is tempted by some air, greedy for another boundary, but swings uppishly and Dean keeps her nerve as a swirling catch falls to earth.
20th over: India 89-5 (Mandhana 38, Sharma 7) A good crowd in the lower stands, and a big hello to my cousin’s daughters Freya and Jasmine who are watching with my uncle Simon. It’s sunny at Lord’s, the players running alongside their shadows. Just singles again off Dean.
19th over: India 86-5 (Mandhana 37, Sharma 5) India plough singles. Just ten overs left – they need boundaries.
18th over: India 82-5 (Mandhana 35, Sharma 3) Rolling back the years with a Dean-Sharma duel (though the pair have since been teammates for London Spirit ). Mandhana just double checks her bat is fully fixed behind the line at the non-striker’s end. No dramas, but a kiss of a four through the covers from Mandhana.
17th over: India 76-5 (Mandhana 28, Sharma 0) Smith arrives for her first over – looks fully recovered from her knock earlier on. Rattles through the deliveries, and India knock around a few singles.
16th over: India 70-4 (Mandhana 28, Sharma 0) Mandhana continues to watch a succession of wickets fall at the other end – a third for Ecclestone in just her fourth over.
An email drops – Hello Catherine Ogden! “Rueing my decision to leave Lord’s at 13.45 because my teenage daughter was bored and “it’s not going to stop raining now anyway”.
Now sat eating the remnants of a soggy picnic in my sunny back garden in Twickenham and contemplating returning to watch some cricket.”
It’s a brave woman who argues with her teenage daughter…hope the crisps were still crispy. The weather forecast isn’t making any promises for the rest of the day.
WICKET! Ghosh lbw Ecclestone (India 72-5)
Ghosh prods forward from low to the ground, looks very out but India appeal. No bat involved…. and ball tracking sends her on her way!
15th over: India 70-4 (Mandhana 27, Ghosh 1) After picking up a terrific caught and bowled by her ankles, Dean somehow drops an absolute dolly which Ghosh stamps and hand delivers through the letter box. She puts her head in her hands in disbelief.
WICKET! Rodrigues c and b Dean 3 (India 69-4)
Dean joins the caught and bowled party! She’s such a no-fuss young cricketer, just tickles a catch down by her ankles and walks away. India folding a bit here. They take drinks
14th over: India 69-3 (Mandhana 27, Rodrigues 3) Ecclestone ever-threatening, India need to advance at nearly half way through their overs but can only push this and that.
13th over: India 65-3 (Mandhana 23, Rodrigues 1 ) Dean munches through these overs like cheesecake. Five wides to start with, some tip and run to work through the rest.
WICKET! Harmanpreet b Ecclestone 7 (India 57-3)
Nicely done! Harmanpreet goes to cut but doesn’t spot the quicker delivery and hears the wooden death rattle. Eccclestone punches the air – delighted after Harmanpreet had a reprieve earlier in the over when Dunkley couldn’t catch a chip over cover.
12th over: India 57-2 (Mandhana 23 )
