Knight And Wyatt Help England Clinch A Thriller

Knight And Wyatt Help England Clinch A Thriller

Nicki Shaw led England to victory over India in the final ODI.

©Action Images / Carl Recine

England Women 207-8 (Knight 49, Sultana 3-20) beat
India Women 206-9 (Kaur 84, Raj 50) by two wickets
Fifth One-Day International, Mumbai
Scorecard

Newcomers Heather Knight and Danielle Wyatt played starring roles as England Women took a thrilling two-wicket victory in the fifth and final One-Day International against India Women in Mumbai.

Knight, flown in as a replacement for injured wicket-keeper Sarah Taylor, scored 49 and Wyatt was unbeaten on 25 as England overcame India's 206 for nine with two wickets and one ball to spare.

England invited India to bat first and were quickly amongst the wickets, India slipping to 26 for four thanks to a new-ball burst from Katherine Brunt (2-38) and Nicki Shaw (3-34). Their recovery came courtesy of a fourth half-century in the series for Mithali Raj, who made 50 in 85 balls, and 84 in 113 balls from Harmanpreet Kaur, her maiden half-century.

Soniya Dabir, unbeaten on 31, was the only other player to reach double figures as Jenny Gunn also picked up a couple of wickets and Danielle Hazell one.

A much-changed England team also missing Charlotte Edwards then saw contributions from all of their players with the bat help them get over the line.

Knight, on debut, scored 49 in 101 balls to anchor the innings and more than half of the runs required had been scored when she departed, caught by Jhulan Goswami off Dabir.

Ebony Rainford-Brent (17), Lydia Greenway (26), Gunn (12), Laura Marsh (22), Hazell (18) and Shaw (7) all made starts before it was left to debutante Wyatt, who was unbeaten on 25 in 26 balls , and Brunt, who made one, to seal the win that ensured that the series ended with a 3-2 scoreline in India's favour.

Goswami, Rhumeli Dhar, Dabir and Gouher Sultana all took two wickets for India.

A three-match Twenty20 International series begins on Thursday 4th March.

© Cricket World 2010

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