Guha And Gunn Help England Take Series-Opening Win

England Women 125-2 (Atkins 45, C Taylor 40no) beat
India Women 124 all out (Raj 44, Gunn 3-13, Guha 3-30) by eight wickets
1st NatWest One Day International, Bath. England Women lead the series 1-0

Isa Guha and Jenny Gunn shared six wickets as England Women's perfect summer continued as England bowled out India for 124 before cruising to an eight-wicket win with 14 overs to spare in their opening match at Bath.

Guha was on a hat-trick early on when she had Jaya Sharma and Asha Rawat trapped in front for ducks and she returned to dismiss Amita Sharma for 34 after Sharma and captain Mithali Raj put on 48 for the fourth wicket to help India partially recover from slipping to six for three.

Katherine Brunt had wicket-keeper Sulakshana Naik caught by opposite number Sarah Taylor for five for the third wicket.

Raj hit seven fours in her 75-ball stay at the crease and she added 45 with Hemlata Kala, who scored just ten, for the fifth wicket.

Gunn had Kala and Priyanka Roy (nought) trapped in front and Gunn took the penultimate wicket to fall, that of Neetu David for another duck.

Spinner Holly Colvin had Raj caught behind before the last four wickets fell for just 24 runs, Brunt taking two for 21 and Colvin two for 33.

Caroline Atkins top scored for England Women. © Action Images / Paul Harding Livepic

England set about their target in measured fashion, Sarah Taylor and Caroline Atkins putting on 37 for the first wicket before Taylor was caught by Roy off of Niranjana Nagarajan for 16 but a partnership of 70 between Atkins and Claire Taylor, back after missing the South Africa Twenty20 International series win, put the game beyond India.

Atkins was run out for 45 with victory in sight, leaving Taylor and captain Charlotte Edwards to finish the job, remaining unbeaten on 40 and 14 respectively.

The series now moves on to Taunton, where the second and third matches in the series take place as well as Twenty20 International.

© Cricket World 2008