Brilliant Capsey seals series win and gives England selection poser

ByMatthew Henry

BBC Sport Journalist

Third T20, Taunton

India 180-5 (20 overs): Harmanpreet 56 (40); Bell 2-36

England 184-4 (18.3 overs): Capsey 82 (43), Knight 70* (42)

England won by six wickets

Scorecard

Alice Capsey near England with a immense enactment determination and Heather Knight crucially recovered signifier arsenic England signed disconnected for the T20 World Cup with a superb six-wicket triumph implicit India, which means they instrumentality the bid 2-1.

With skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt to instrumentality from injury, Capsey appeared the astir susceptible successful England's XI for adjacent week's tourney opener earlier she dominated India's bowling successful hitting 82 from 43 balls successful a pursuit of 181.

England were 14-2 erstwhile 21-year-old Capsey emerged, with Sophia Dunkley retired for 16 and Danni Wyatt-Hodge five.

Their places are present nether immense unit from Capsey, who deed 9 fours and 3 sixes and enactment connected 137 successful a superb concern with Knight.

Veteran erstwhile skipper Knight has struggled for signifier this summer, starring to doubts astir her spot successful the side, but she looked adjacent her champion successful making 70 not retired from 42 balls.

Though Capsey was dismissed with six runs inactive needed, England inactive completed their 2nd highest T20 pursuit - and highest successful the UK - with ease, getting location with 9 balls to spare.

It gives England a large boost going into their location World Cup and positions them arsenic 1 of the favourites to triumph a large trophy for the archetypal clip since 2017.

They person warm-up matches against India and Australia adjacent week earlier opening the tourney against Sri Lanka connected 12 June.

Coach Charlotte Edwards volition beryllium delighted with the momentum England person gained and the prime of their cricket but present faces her biggest determination since being appointed arsenic manager earlier the commencement of past summer.

Capsey deed a match-winning 74 not retired against New Zealand past period but erstwhile Wyatt-Hodge was disposable for Saturday's lucifer successful Bristol she was pushed down from opener to fig 4 – a motion that Dunkley and Wyatt-Hodge were inactive the preferred opening partnership.

How agelong tin that stay the case?

Dunkley, who has opened successful each of England's T20s nether Edwards, made a commencement again, reaching treble figures for the 5th clip successful a row, earlier hitting consecutive to heavy mid-wicket. Her highest people this summertime is 26.

Wyatt-Hodge has made 29 and 5 since returning aft the commencement of her archetypal kid but has the vantage of holding the acquisition of 179 internationals.

While Knight played a bid of sweeps and reverses, Capsey, who looks fitter and much composed successful 2026, targeted the consecutive boundaries with power.

She deed 1 glorious carving thrust implicit other screen for six aboriginal connected and successful the 15th implicit kicked for location by hitting spinner Sree Charani for a 4 and 2 thumping sixes.

Knight reached her 50 successful 31 deliveries - the quickest she has reached that landmark for England successful immoderate format. She was unrecognisable from the batter who started the summertime with 5 innings astatine little than a tally a ball.

The adjacent question is whether England tin construe this show into 1 nether unit connected the satellite stage, thing they person failed to bash successful caller years.

The communal presumption is that bowling is England's spot going into the World Cup, though they person conceded 180 oregon much successful 2 of these 3 matches.

Here they were not astatine their champion with Linsey Smith, caller from her emergence to fig 1 successful the T20 bowling rankings, conceding 40 from her 4 overs successful India's 180-5.

New-ball spouse Lauren Bell was besides unusually wayward aboriginal connected and arsenic a effect 57 runs came from the powerplay, adjacent with Shefali Verma and Harmanpreet falling for 11 and 8 respectively.

To England's credit, they were fantabulous successful the tract – a motion of their betterment nether Edwards.

Sophie Ecclestone ran retired Yastika Bhatia for an enterprising 32 with a nonstop deed from mid-off and, portion Ecclestone spoiled things somewhat with a drama miss from adjacent scope connected the last shot of the innings, determination were different sprawls and stops.

Bell recovered to vessel Jemimah Rodrigues with a good slower shot for 29.

Her versatility - she was threatening with the caller shot and canny astatine the decease - volition beryllium important astatine the World Cup.

Though Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma enactment connected 67 from 48 balls, England fought backmost arsenic they did successful the 2nd T20 successful Bristol connected Saturday.

India could person pushed beyond 190 but fixed Capsey and Knight's batting that inactive whitethorn not person been enough.