England well beaten as India take ODI series win

Third Metro Bank one-day international, Banks Homes Riverside

India 318-5 (50 overs): Harmanpreet 102 (84), Rodrigues 50 (45)

England 305 (49.5 overs): Sciver-Brunt 98; Goud 6-52

India won by 13 runs

Scorecard

England were well beaten by India in their winner-takes-all third one-day international in Chester-le-Street as the tourists clinched a 2-1 series win.

After a ragged performance in the field left England needing a women's ODI record 319 for victory, the hosts were 8-2 in the third over after Kranti Goud dismissed openers Tammy Beaumont and Amy Jones.

Captain Nat Sciver-Brunt put on 162 with Emma Lamb, who supported with 68, to resurrect the chase but gloved a catch down the leg side on 98.

From there 121 runs were still needed and, despite 34 from Sophia Dunkley, 44 from Alice Davidson-Richards and 21 from Charlie Dean, it always felt an England win was a long shot.

Dunkley was run out in disappointing fashion in the 40th over and, despite some lower-order hitting reducing England's margin of defeat to 13 runs, 21-year-old seamer Goud returned to wrap up the lower order and finish with 6-52 – her maiden five-wicket haul.

England were bowled out for 305 in the final over.

Earlier, not helped by a series of misfields, they were unable to stop India piling up 318-5 with India captain Harmanpreet Kaur stroking 102 from 84 balls.

Spinner Sophie Ecclestone, who revealed before the game that she considerd quitting after the fallout of England's Ashes defeat, conceded only 28 from her 10 overs but the rest of the attack all went at more than six runs per over.

While opener Smriti Mandhana and number three Harleen Deol both made 45 for India, it was a stand of 110 from just 77 balls between Harmanpreet and Jemimah Rodrigues, who made 50 from 45, which took the game away from England.

The result means India follow their victory in the T20 series with another in the ODIs and leaves England with plenty to ponder.

They do not play again in 50-over cricket before departing for the World Cup in India in late September.

On paper this looked a close game. In reality India played the better cricket throughout.

Had Sciver-Brunt, who began her reign as skipper by sweeping aside West Indies at the start of the summer, pulled off her latest rescue act it would have only papered over the cracks. They have been well short when India have provided a step up in class.

Goud, playing in her fifth international, was more accurate and found more movement than England's seamers. A nip-backer to bowl Beaumont for two in the first over was the pick of her wickets.

Afterwards the most obvious difference between the sides was in the field.

Deepti Sharma dived one-handed to dismiss Jones and, with 55 needed from 30 balls, Rodrigues took a tumbling catch to see off Dean and end England's quest once and for all. The 46th over, bowled by the impressed Goud, included that wicket and only two runs.

Sciver-Brunt was unfortunate to glove a ball speared down the leg side by Deepti when attempting a sweep. She remains the class act in a struggling team.

Next comes The Hundred, perhaps a welcome distraction for the England skipper. After that she will lead England at a World Cup for the first time and on this evidence her side look a class below the rest.

When England arrive in India they will likely face far different conditions to those in Chester-le-Street but their lack of threat with the ball on a flat pitch was a glaring issue here.

Without new-ball movement, Lauren Bell was ineffective. Seamer Lauren Filer and left-arm spinner Linsey Smith were wayward. Only Ecclestone offered any sort of control with the final figures of Bell, Smith and Dean all rankings in the 15 most expensive for England.

Still, when Deol top-edged a catch off Bell in the 33rd over, India were 162-3 and the innings could have gone either way but Harmanpreet and Rodrigues paced their innings perfectly.

India added 120 runs in the last 10 overs as Harmanpreet timed the ball all around the ground. She hit a series of elegant drives and Rodrigues swept. The India skipper reached her seventh ODI hundred in 82 balls, making it the second fastest for India.

England's fielding issues are well versed and again hampered their cause.

On this occasion there was only one dropped catch – a tough chance for Filer who put down Richa Ghosh at point – but repeated fumbles only added to the feeling of a loss of control.

England's final total was actually their highest when chasing in ODIs but still they lost by a margin greater than shown on the final scoreboard.