Tag Futebol

Hampshire bowler key to visitors’ first-innings demise for just 56 before batting woes deepen

ECB Reporters Network19-May-2023Northamptonshire 56 (Barker 4-13) and 50 for 2 (Whiteman 25*, Turner 1-10, Barker 1-20) f/o trail Hampshire 367 (Vince 95, Dawson 63, White 4-80) by 261 runsNorthamptonshire’s batting woes continued as they were bowled out for 56 – the lowest total in the Ageas Bowl’s 22-year history during their LV= County Championship match against Hampshire.Fast bowler Keith Barker was their main tormentor as he pilfered 4 for 13 in his 12 overs, while Mohammad Abbas and Ian Holland grabbed two wickets each for the home side.Only Saif Zaib managed to reach double figures – scoring 29 – with four of his team-mates falling for ducks as they scored one run fewer than Hampshire’s 57 against Kent on the ground last season.It meant they gave up a 311-run first-innings deficit, after Hampshire had earlier been bowled out for 367, with a further two wickets falling before the close – the score 50 for 2 and Hampshire’s lead 261.Northamptonshire exceeded many expectations with their sixth-placed finish in the Championship last season – with Luke Procter, Emilio Gay, and Rob Keogh all scoring in excess of 800 runs. So far this year, there has been just a solitary batting point in five matches and totals of 72, 63, and now 56. They are also the only side not to have a batter make 300 runs yet this season – although that is somewhat mitigated by Gay and Procter’s missed games through injury.Unsurprisingly that modest batting record has only translated to a single victory. Their attempts to improve that started horrendously as Hassan Azad was barbequed by Gay and run out without facing a ball in the first over – Mason Crane’s brilliant direct hit at point splattering the stumps.No words were spoken as Azad trudged off, while Gay would frenetically go on to get dropped at second slip before taking on an Abbas bouncer, only to stick it straight down deep square leg Fletcha Middleton’s throat. Sam Whiteman would also fall lbw to Barker as Northamptonshire reached lunch on 18 for 3.That 11-over stint saw the very best of left-armer Barker. His six overs returned 1 for 4 and included only one scoring shot – off the penultimate ball of the session.Barker returned from lunch hungry for wickets and had Ricardo Vasconcelos lbw when walking across his stumps. The former Warwickshire man then produced a double-wicket maiden – his seventh maiden in 12 overs – where he found Keogh pushing to third slip and James Sales beaten for pace.Tom Taylor was caught low at fourth slip off Abbas and Jordan Buckingham edged Holland to second slip to continue the collapse.Zaib had replicated the steady Hampshire batting approach from the first day, where the pitch had seemed slow and patience was needed to pick the moments to score. With partners running out he advanced and slapped to cover.Hampshire’s bowling attack is without Kyle Abbott and James Fuller for this match – due to knee trouble and illness – it meant Championship debutant John Turner and leg-spinner Crane were promoted into the team. Turner bowled with decent pace in his first 3.2 overs before he ended the sorry Northamptonshire innings by knocking back Jack White’s off stump.It was Northamptonshire’s second-lowest total of the 21st century and lowest ever away to Hampshire.Rain knocked 27 off the day, but the belated start to the second innings saw Gay once again put down at second slip and Azam complete a same-day pair – although this time at least faced seven balls before Barker pinned him lbw.Gay and Whiteman showed some solidity before Turner entered the attack and had the former lbw to complete a miserable day for the visitors.Earlier, Hampshire added 36 runs and lost their four remaining wickets, as they gained a third batting bonus point. Liam Dawson and Barker’s 74-run stand for the seventh wicket was ended when Tom Taylor nipped one back to bowl Dawson for 63.White, who ended up with figures of 4 for 80, had Holland lbw and Turner caught brilliantly at second slip by Gay in successive balls. The innings was rounded up when Abbas edged Taylor to first slip.

A stand of 83 with captain Dasun Shanaka decided the game after Australia struggled in both powerplays

Tristan Lavalette20-Feb-2022Kusal Mendis rediscovered his sublime touch as Sri Lanka’s misfiring batting order belatedly emerged from Australia’s stranglehold with a consolation five-wicket victory at the MCG to avoid a series whitewash.Chasing 155 in the fifth and final match, Sri Lanka were wobbling at 71 for 4 after all-too familiar sloppy dismissals before Mendis combined with skipper Dasun Shanaka in a match-winning 83-run partnership to provide the visitors with a confidence boost in Australian conditions ahead of a looming T20 World Cup.It was a deserved victory for Sri Lanka, who have tried hard in the series only to rue inconsistency as they snapped an eight match T20I losing streak in Australia. Australia’s attempts at a first 5-0 T20I series victory were thwarted in their final match of the home summer.With a 5.10pm local start, two hours earlier than usual, the family friendlier time slot reeled in 17,556 fans – compared to 13,000 who attended the MCG on Friday – in the highest attendance of the series.Mendis and Shanaka star for Sri Lanka in chaseEven though they lost in-form Pathum Nissanka and debutant Kamil Mishara early, Sri Lanka were all guns blazing and it paid dividends as they smashed their best powerplay of the series yielding 54 runs.Charith Asalanka started sublimely until a ham-fisted execution of a premediated scoop against Ashton Agar’s first delivery ended a promising knock. It put the pressure on opener Mendis, who was up to the task as he notched his first T20I half-century since September 2019. He found support through Shanaka who impressively targeted star spinner Adam Zampa down the ground.It came down to the last over with Sri Lanka favoured needing nine runs and Shanaka effectively sealed the result with a huge six over deep square leg. He fell next ball with Sri Lanka needing one run with two balls left but Chamika Karunaratne held his nerve to ensure the tourists tasted victory.A firing Mendis noticeably strengthens Sri Lanka’s batting and looms as their key batter at the T20 World Cup. The 27-year-old missed the opening two matches due to Covid-19 having returned from a lengthy suspension for a Covid breach during Sri Lanka’s tour of the UK in the middle of last year.As he showed here, Mendis is more than capable of conjuring match-winning knocks under pressure.Chameera relishes Australian conditions It was a complete performance for Sri Lanka, whose attack has mostly impressed and numerously put Australia under pressure during the series.They did so again in the finale, even without star allrounder Wanindu Hasaranga and quick Binura Fernando, to leave Australia in trouble at 55 for 3 at the halfway mark. Bowling at sharp speeds of 90mph/145kph, Dushmantha Chameera conjured menacing bounce, which accounted for in-form Josh Inglis who gloved a venomous short ball before it cannoned into his helmet.It was a fiery Chameera’s best performance of an encouraging series, which yielded seven wickets, as he relished quicker Australian conditions in a sign of what could be ahead later in the year. Sri Lanka should feel like they can inflict damage at the T20 World Cup with an attack well equipped for Australian conditions.Finch and McDermott fail at the topAustralia have experimented with their batting this series, but the trialling of spinning allrounder Agar as a pinch-hitting opener ended after two matches.Skipper Aaron Finch returned to the top but his form drought continued when he fell for 8 in his sixth single digit score in the last eight T20I matches. Fellow opener Ben McDermott too failed and has fallen away since a half-century in the opening match in a disappointment for the recently minted BBL MVP.He made just 3 from 13 before falling meekly and has not made a strong enough claim for a permanent spot in a line-up missing T20 World Cup winners David Warner, Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith.Fringe batter Inglis had staked his claims and started fast with fluent strokes through his favoured mid-off area. However, the No. 3 fell on 23 leading to a middle-order collapse where Australia slumped to 82 for 5.But Matthew Wade, who hadn’t been needed much this series, showcased his growing prowess at finishing an innings with an unbeaten 43 off 27 balls to lift Australia to a total that proved not quite enough.

Other option on the table is to consider only those matches completed by end of March 2020

Osman Samiuddin22-Oct-2020The ICC is considering splitting points for unplayed games in the current World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, as it prepares to host the final in June next year. That is one of two options to be considered by its cricket committee next month, on how to manage the points system in a league disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic; the other option considers only those matches actually played by the end of March and bases final positions on the percentage of points sides have won from those that they’ve contested.The aim is to have clarity in place by the time the next WTC commitment begins, with West Indies’ two-Test series in New Zealand in December this year. Any decision from the cricket committee would have to be signed off by the chief executives’ committee.A significant number of Tests have been postponed this year because of the pandemic. In many cases, it isn’t clear when they might be rescheduled to, let alone whether they can be squeezed in within this WTC league cycle, which concludes at the end of March 2021.What’s left in the World Test Championship?•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

That has thrown an already imperfect league structure – where sides play a different number of total Tests and not every side plays the other – into further complications. But, as the decision has been taken to conclude the league and play the final, what could be described as the “least bad” option is being sought to account for the impact of the disruption on the points table.Splitting the points would be within the regulations as they stand, whereby all Tests in the cycle that can’t be played (through no fault of either side) are deemed draws. In that scenario, both sides receive a third of the points available for a Test (120 points are available for every series). Basing it on percentages of points played for would require a tweak to existing regulations.There remains hope that a substantial number of the remaining commitments until the end of March will still go ahead. New Zealand, for example, have a full home summer, and South Africa are aiming to host Sri Lanka and Australia between now and next March. For now, Pakistan expect to host South Africa in January-February. Australia, England and India, meanwhile, will complete their commitments against each other by the end of March.As things stand, however, only India and England have a realistic chance of playing all six of their respective WTC series. For England, that depends on whether their Sri Lanka tour goes ahead. Pakistan can play six series but one against Bangladesh wouldn’t have been completed.The World Test Championship points table, as of October 2020•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Neither option is likely to feel satisfactory, not least for a side like Bangladesh, who could end this cycle having only played three of their six series. But a resolution is necessary given the push to complete this first WTC cycle.It was only last week that it emerged the final going ahead at Lord’s in June next year, when Tom Harrison, the ECB CEO, said his board had been in discussions with the ICC about its staging. That was the culmination of a few weeks of communications between the ICC and its members, in which some boards preferred to see the final postponed and others the cycle completed. One of the concerns cited by those wanting postponement was about the integrity of a league in which a final is held without all games in the run-up to it being played. Those in favour stressed the importance of completing the inaugural cycle of a tournament that had unanimous backing when conceived, even with imperfections.Postponement was the favoured option, though when practicalities were explored, a workable alternative could not be found. The lack of space in the calendar, in fact, is one of the driving reasons why there is keenness to ensure a final takes place next June and the first cycle of the league is officially completed.Soon after the final, the second WTC cycle starts with India’s Test series in England. After that, preparations – and attention – turns to the T20 World Cup in India and the year ends with the Ashes in Australia. Apart from the oddity of completing the first season of a league while the second is ongoing, there is a worry that between these high-profile events and series, the impact of a first World Test Championship final will be lost.With this in mind, and based on feedback from those in favour, the decision was taken to push ahead with the final.

Chasing team lose 4 for 17 but Lightning’s target ultimately proves under-par

ECB Reporters Network08-Aug-2019Southern Vipers made it two wins from two in the Kia Super League after narrowly prevailing over Loughborough Lightning at the Haslegrave Ground.Needing just 24 more with six wickets in hand in the 17th over, Vipers contrived to lose four wickets in the space of 16 deliveries as Lightning mounted a determined bid to deny them. But wicketkeeper Carla Rudd got them over the line by hitting offspinner Hayley Matthews for two on the leg side to complete a two-wicket win with just three balls to spare, chasing 136.England’s Danni Wyatt had earlier hit 40 off 33 balls with seven fours and West Indies star Stafanie Taylor 38 from 29 to put the Vipers chase on track.Lightning, for whom skipper Georgia Elwiss top-scored with 37, gave themselves a chance when England left-arm spinner Kirstie Gordon removed Suzie Bates and Tammy Beaumont in her first three deliveries after coming on in the eighth over with Vipers 48 without loss. But seven boundaries in the next three overs put Vipers back on course with 57 runs needed off the final nine overs.Earlier, openers Matthews and Amy Jones had given the Lightning innings a solid platform after Elwiss had won the toss and opted to bat first.With Jones in confident form after launching her KSL campaign with a half-century against Western Storm on Tuesday, and Matthews showing off her powerful hitting on the off side, the two put on 42 in the Powerplay overs before they were parted in the seventh over when Matthews was bowled behind her legs by Australian legspinner Amanda-Jade Wellington for 21.Thereafter, Lightning lost some momentum, as Jones was bowled off a bottom edge by Paige Scholfield for 24 and five overs passed without a boundary.Sri Lankan batsman Chamari Atapattu struggled to find gaps in the field and was leg before to Taylor’s offspin for 9 and the innings did not pick up again until the final six overs, as Mignon du Preez – dropped twice – helped Elwiss put on 29 in four overs, and some lusty hitting from Jenny Gunn saw the total swell by 27 off the final 13 deliveries, Gunn pulling Taylor for six over wide long-on.With a required run-rate of 6.8, Vipers knew they had no need to force the pace and at 48 without loss after seven overs, they were firmly in control.Two wickets in her first three balls by Gordon after drawing a blank in the opening match then dealt the Vipers a setback. She broke the Wyatt-Bates opening partnership via a catch at deep midwicket to remove the New Zealander and then combined brilliantly with wicketkeeper Jones to have England’s always-dangerous Beaumont out stumped without scoring.But Wyatt and Taylor then added 31 in four overs to keep the scoreboard moving.Atapattu had Wyatt well caught by Sarah Glenn at deep backward square-leg and Glenn herself trapped Taylor leg before with her legspin.Excellent ground fielding by Lucy Higham and Elwiss saw Thea Brookes and Scholfield run out as Vipers made things difficult for themselves towards the end before two more wickets fell in the penultimate over. But a six by Scholfield over long-on at the start of that over had swung the balance back in Vipers’ favour and Wellington began the final over, with seven needed, by sweeping Matthews for four.

A solid display from the Derbyshire top order made a tough day for the Durham bowlers

ECB Reporters Network11-May-2018
ScorecardEngland fast bowler Mark Wood was upstaged on his Durham return by a strong Derbyshire batting display on the opening day of the Division Two County Championship match at Derby.Wood bowled 14 overs but failed to take a wicket in the last round of first-class matches before England’s first Test against Pakistan in two weeks as Derbyshire closed on 301 for 4 after bad light ended play early.Wayne Madsen passed 9000 first-class runs for Derbyshire during his unbeaten 80, sharing a century stand with Billy Godleman who made 61 while Ben Slater scored 55 with James Weighell taking two wickets.Not surprisingly Wood took the new ball after Durham opted to bowl first on a cool, blustery day and was hit for two fours by Ben Slater in his first over from the City End.His next four overs went for only 12 runs but although he did get some swing, he could not make the early breakthrough Durham hoped for which was perhaps not surprising given he only returned from the IPL this week.Former Derbyshire seamer Nathan Rimmington also got some movement but Durham’s bowling lacked the consistency to exert pressure and by the time Wood returned for a three over second spell before lunch, both Slater and Luis Reece were established.Reece needed lengthy treatment following a blow on the left hand from Weighell who put Durham back in the game as Derbyshire lost three wickets in six overs after the interval.Slater slapped a wide ball from Rimmington to point before Weighell got one to bounce on Reece who edged a back foot forcing stroke to Stuart Poynter who held on at the second attempt.When Weighell defeated Alex Hughes with an inswinging yorker, the day was back in the balance, especially given Godleman’s lack of runs this season.But three fours from a Matt Dixon over got him going and he reached his 50 with a rasping square cut to the boundary off Woods shortly before tea.With Madsen playing with increasing authority, the stand was worth 114 in 32 overs when Godleman was lbw to a full length ball from Dixon but Matt Critchley joined Madsen to make sure it was Derbyshire’s day before the light faded.

Jimmy Adams has admitted West Indies’ selection policy is “not sustainable” and is “not helping our cricket”

George Dobell in Antigua28-Feb-2017Jimmy Adams has admitted West Indies’ selection policy is “not sustainable” and is “not helping our cricket”.Currently, only those players who have made themselves available for Caribbean regional tournaments are considered for West Indies’ international sides. However, overseas domestic leagues such as the BBL, the PSL and the IPL – all of which overlap in some way with the Caribbean regional competitions – are proving irresistible to many of the most talented players, leading to a situation in Test and ODI cricket, in particular, where their best players are often deemed ineligible for selection.But Adams, who was appointed as West Indies’ director of cricket about five weeks ago, has confirmed that a review of the policy is underway and intimated that he is keen to adopt a less hard-line approach.And while the prevailing attitude of West Indies management appears to have been negative towards overseas leagues in recent times, Adams admitted he could see benefits in Caribbean players participating in them, accepting that many of their best had been “battle-hardened” by their experiences.”The outstanding issue now is player eligibility,” Adams told ESPNcricinfo. “I’m encouraged by the fact that most, if not all parties are in agreement that what is in place now is not sustainable and might not be helping our cricket in the short or long term.”I’m not the only person who is going to be involved in the decision. But I’m certainly of the view that it [the selection policy] needs reviewing. There’s a process behind that which means it probably won’t happen overnight. The review is ongoing and has started but, if a change of direction is to happen, it won’t be overnight as there is a process that backs that up. But it is being reviewed. A lot of stakeholders in our cricket appreciate now that it does have to be looked at.”I also think that a lot of our international players – the Chris Gayle generation – will have started under Stanford, but will have developed and become battle-hardened in leagues outside the Caribbean. And if I’m waving a magic wand, I’d like to have the standard in the Caribbean where, if they do play overseas that’s fine – certainly from a financial point of view – but in terms of developing our own T20 to an international standard, then we want our cricket in the Caribbean to be a lot stronger.”I’d like to have the best players available. I’m not going to stick my neck on the block. It’s a selection panel decision as to who the best players are but, ideally, you always want the best players available for selection.”Adams knows that he has quite a challenge in front of him in his new role. As if improving results is not tough enough – West Indies did not qualify for this year’s ICC Champions Trophy and currently sit eighth in the Test rankings – he has entered into an environment so toxic it has sometimes seemed UN peacekeepers would be more appropriate than cricket administrators.But while he accepts he inherits a tough situation – “I may not live to see the promised land” he says at one stage – he is also optimistic that, if the sense of frustration that exists in the Caribbean over the decline in their cricket can be unified, progress can be made.”I’m pretty realistic about where we’re at,” he said. “Our standards aren’t good enough across the board and it’s reflected in the cricket that we play.”But we have the raw materials; we have good young players. What we need is a system that can take this raw talent and convert it into an international product that’s world class. We have the potential to achieve a lot more if we can get people singing off the same hymn book going forwards.”We do have one thing in common across the board: everyone wants to see stronger cricket.”I sense more and more that more stakeholders appreciate that and are getting to the point where maybe, as an entity, we all need to be more willing to give a little bit to make that happen. I think that has to happen. I don’t think everybody can keep holding onto their territories for much longer given where we are. I want to encourage that. I want to be an agent for that change to happen.”

Chris Hartley guided Queensland to a handy first innings lead over Tasmania as the Bulls put themselves in a strong position to claim outright points on the final day of the Sheffield Shield match at the Gabba

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2016
ScorecardChris Hartley’s patient 68 guided Queensland to a 74-run lead•Getty Images

Chris Hartley guided Queensland to a handy first innings lead over Tasmania before claiming his 500th catch as the Bulls put themselves in a strong position to claim outright points on the final day of the Sheffield Shield match at the Gabba.Hartley’s unbeaten 68 helped lift the hosts to an advantage of 74. It was a margin that grew in significance as the Queensland bowlers put in an even and persistent display to work their way steadily through Tasmania’s batting.No visiting batsman was able to pass 40, even though no fewer than six made it into double figures – the exception being George Bailey, who followed up his first innings duck with five to complete a poor match.Hartley accepted catches from the bowling of Jack Wildermuth, Charlie Hemphrey and Mark Steketee to reach his milestone, and will hope to celebrate it with the added sweetness of outright points on the final day. His opposite number Tom Triffitt, unbeaten on 39, is charged with leading Tasmania’s rearguard.

Ryan Harris has almost made it. Almost got through three consecutive Tests for the first time in his career. And he has done it – or, almost done it – with style

Brydon Coverdale at Chester-le-Street11-Aug-2013Ryan Harris has almost made it. Almost got through three consecutive Tests for the first time in his career. And he has done it – or, almost done it – with style. Harris has been Australia’s most effective bowler during this Investec Ashes series, having claimed 16 wickets at 21.37, one fewer than Peter Siddle, who has played one more Test. On the third day at Chester-le-Street, Harris was again the most dangerous man in the attack, his speed, accuracy and movement all troubling England.That the hosts got away slightly through Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen and extended their lead to 202 by stumps was not the fault of Harris, who delivered a searing new-ball spell that accounted for all of England’s top three batsmen. The wickets were the main prize for Harris, but the feeling of making through a third consecutive Test – and after a short three-day break, no less – was a major bonus for a man whose body has kept him to 15 Tests in three and a half years.”I’m a little bit tired after today but I feel good,” Harris said. “I’ve come out of it nice and strong. I feel really confident in my body. I’ve had a really good build-up. Unlike in the past I’ve gone from not bowling many overs to bowling lots of overs, whereas this time I’ve spent plenty of time on the Australian A tour and bowled lots and lots of overs and finished off the first-class season back in Queensland and bowled lots and lots of overs”Because I’ve copped a few injuries, I guess you get sore spots here and there and you doubt whether or not it’s going to be bad. Even today I had a couple of sore spots when I bowled a few balls but you … go back and go again and if it doesn’t hurt you’re all right. If it does you’ve got a problem. You’ve always got doubts, but I’m starting to have less and less doubts.”Harris earned his three early wickets in different ways, his superb outswinger clipping the top of Joe Root’s off stump, his accurate bouncer tempting Jonathan Trott, who gloved behind, and his wider ball surprisingly drawing Alastair Cook into a flash outside off. His aggression also nearly had the centurion Bell, who fended a sizzling bouncer off his gloves and fell back onto the ground, almost onto his stumps.”I went around the wicket to try and muck up his feet and the one he hit me, I got it a little bit wide and a little bit full,” he said. “So it was always going to be a short one – one of the next two. I got it on the money but it would have been nice if it had of flown to Usman Khawaja at short leg, that would have been better. It was one of those things where you just have to try. Once he gets in, he is hard to get out.”Bell was mostly responsible for putting England back in the driving position, for batting last on this Chester-le-Street surface will not be easy and Australia cannot afford to let the lead stretch much further. But Harris said a pursuit of 250 to 300 would be achievable and the focus had to be on claiming England’s remaining five wickets as quickly as possible.”The wicket’s holding together pretty well. It might spin a little bit but the ball’s going through nicely. I think it’s pretty evenly poised to be honest,” he said. “It’s hard to say a target. But it is not breaking up as much as we probably thought. It hasn’t had as much sun as it could have had. If it had of been sunny of the past three days it might have been different and dried out a little bit more. There a couple that keep low and misbehave but that’s going to happen.”

Herschelle Gibbs will play for the Perth Scorchers again this season and Shaun Tait has returned to Adelaide to represent the Strikers, having been a disappointment for the Melbourne Renegades last summer

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jul-2012Herschelle Gibbs will play for the Perth Scorchers again this season and Shaun Tait has returned to Adelaide to represent the Strikers, having been a disappointment for the Melbourne Renegades last summer. Seven other players were also signed to Big Bash League teams on Friday, including Luke Pomersbach for the Brisbane Heat, which will be his first involvement in the BBL after he skipped all domestic cricket last season.The only player to change sides was Tait, 29, who is now a Twenty20 specialist and most recently took six wickets in six matches for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL this year. The Renegades last summer tried to base their attack around the express pace of Tait and Dirk Nannes, but Tait managed only four wickets in five games and leaked more than ten runs an over.”I’m champing at the bit to get out there with the Strikers,” Tait said. “With great signings already like Johan Botha, Kane Richardson and Gary Putland, we’re keen to give this competition a real shake. It’s also great to be back home playing cricket in Adelaide.”The only international player to sign on Friday was Gibbs, who made 302 runs at 43.14 for the Scorchers last summer and was the third leading run getter in the competition. Lachlan Stevens, the Scorchers coach, said Gibbs would again be a valuable player for the side.”Herschelle was a crowd favourite and I’m sure all Scorchers fans will be excited to have him back for BBL02,” Stevens said. “We look forward to seeing him bring out the wide array of shots that he demonstrated throughout last season’s competition once again.”The Scorchers also re-signed Shaun Marsh and Michael Beer, while the Hobart Hurricanes confirmed that Tim Paine and Jason Krejza would be part of their squad this year. The Heat signed Pomersbach, Ryan Harris and Ben Cutting.

Claire Taylor roared back into form with a boundary-laden 66 to carry England to 134 before a professional team performance with the ball restricted India to 88 for 8

Liam Brickhill26-Jun-2011England 134 (Claire Taylor 66, Goswami 3-20) beat India 88 for 8 (Brunt 1-14, Wyatt 2-20) by 46 runs
Scorecard
Claire Taylor slapped eight boundaries in her 46-ball 66•Getty Images

Claire Taylor roared back into form with a boundary-laden 66 to carry England to 134 before a professional team performance with the ball restricted India to 88 for 8 and secured a dominant 46-run win at Taunton. England were already assured of a place in the final of the NatWest Women’s T20 Quadrangular Series but there was no let-up in intensity from them and India never threatened to chase down a modest total.England had looked like getting a lot more than their 134 when Taylor and Danielle Wyatt combined in a rapid third-wicket stand of 42 that rattled along at better than eight an over and ensured England took advantage of the fielding restrictions despite the early departures of captain Charlotte Edwards and Laura Marsh, who edged the first ball she faced through to wicketkeeper Anagha Deshpande.Wyatt collected four sweetly-timed boundaries, the pick of which was a lofted inside-out drive over extra cover off seamer Snehal Pradhan, before she chipped a return catch back to Amita Sharma. Sharma was on a hat-trick when she found the edge of Lydia Greenway’s bat first ball, but Claire Taylor denied her the landmark and took England past 100 in allrounder Arran Brindle’s company.In the midst of their 55-run stand – the highest of the match – England looked set to reach at least 160, but Indian captain Jhulan Goswami took it upon herself to claw her team back into the game, bowling Taylor and adding two further wickets as England were bowled out with a ball to spare.India’s chase never got going, however, and fast bowler Katherine Brunt recovered from the disappointment of seeing a catch dropped by wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor to strike the first blow by dismissing Deshpande for a 15-ball 5. India managed just one boundary in the first six overs, a slogged four from Neha Tanwar that brought her her first runs in Twenty20 internationals.After Mithali Raj was run out, England’s spinners took control, with Wyatt completing a good all-round performance with two wickets and Holly Colvin and Danielle Hazell contributing one apiece.India knew they couldn’t make the final of this tournament going into this game, and their disappointment was reflected in their lacklustre performance. England, on the other hand, were already assured of a place and will go into their match against Australia on Monday as the form team.”We could have won,” said a disappointed Goswami. “The wicket and weather was good. The batting let us down totally in the competition. We have not been able to score 100 consistently in the tournament. We are not playing to our potential. We need to definitely change as we are working very hard to sort our problems out with our coaches. We know what mistakes we are making and are working hard to rectify it as well.”We need to play our natural game and not take undue pressure. The bottom line is to enjoy the game. The problem seems to be a mental one more than anything else. We are trying to be over aggressive and putting ourselves under pressure. Bowling and fielding are doing well. But we need to make a conscious effort to individually raise our game.”