English Eves Gain Unbeatable Lead against India Propelled by Skipper's Century

The English women's cricket team registered yet another victory against India by 13 runs in the second match of the three-match one-day series in Scarborough on Saturday.

Skipper Charlotte Edwards scored an unbeaten 108, with her side making 214 for the loss of nine wickets.

Though India put up a fight, in the end the home-side came out as winners. The Indian side was bowled for 201 in their pursuit of 214. For India many of their batswomen made good starts but could not go on to register big scores.

In the end this cost them the game. Right-hander Harmanpreet Kaur top-scored with a watchful knock of 43 for India. Her dismissal at the hands of right-arm medium pacer Anya Shrubsole with India's score on 172 dashed their hopes for a surprise win.

Medium pacer Jenny Gunn was the star for the English bowlers as she bagged four wickets. She saw to it after Kaur's dismissal there was no way India could claim a win. Earlier she picked up the crucial wickets of opener Smriti Mandhana. She had given India a decent start as she went on to make 32 runs off 41 balls.

The opener looked as if she would make a bigger score before Gunn had her caught by Lydia Greenway. Gunn earlier had removed wicket-keeper Karu Jain for just one. The English medium pacer with her two scalps had put the brakes on India's scoring. Thereafter, Kaur and skipper Mithali Raj, who made 30, did put India back on track. Raj's dismissal, however, set India back again.

Kaur then tried to push on with right-hander Vellaswamy Vanitha, but when the latter got out for 23 the task became tougher. Another right-hander Jhulan Goswami hung around for 18 but she too got out when she needed to stay with Kaur. Thereafter, it was just Kaur and the tail. In the end Kaur's dismissal snuffed out India's hopes for a win.

The second highest score for the English, after the skipper's gritty century was Sarah Taylor's 23. This made Edwards' 108 more worthwhile than it already was. Taylor, the wicket-keeper, was the rock that held them together as England lost wickets at regular intervals. Right-arm spinner Shivanand Rajeshwari did most of the damage for India with four wickets.