England vs India: Heather Knight and Tammy Beaumont fall cheaply as hosts face huge defeat

England v India, One-off Test, Lord’s (three out of four days)

India 285 (Mandhana 83; Ecclesiastes 3-68) & 341-7 Dec (Bhattia 113; Ecclesiastes 5-118)

England 170 (Jones 52; Goud 5-37) & 130-6 (Jones 52*; Satgare 2-19)

England’s way by 327 runs

score card

England suffered a crushing defeat on the fourth and final day of the Women’s One-off Test against India at Lord’s.

After India posted a world record total of 341-7 and chased down England’s 457, the hosts finished on 130-6, needing another 327 to win.

There were no fairytale endings for retired Tammy Beaumont and Heather Knight, with the former lining up for a golden duck and Knight falling for 13 to leave England.

Captain Nat Sciver-Brunt was also out cheaply, bowled for 11, and England were reduced to 59-5 before Maddie Villiers and Amy Jones countered with a sixth-wicket stand of 67.

A sensational catch by Richa Ghosh in the final 10 minutes of the day ended Villiers’ resistance, although Jones was not out on 52.

The visitors’ indomitable leader Yasthika Bhatia composed and overnighted her batting partner Smriti Mandhana with a majestic 113 to become Lord’s first woman Test captain.

England’s bowling improved in the morning session as Lauren Bell removed Mandhana for 70 and Jemima Rodriguez was bundled out for three, but hopes of a miracle comeback were dashed when Bell was sidelined with a stomach ailment.

Bhatia feasted on Lauren Filer and Issy Wong’s failure to target the stumps to reach her first international hundred before Richa Ghosh’s counter-attack saw Harmanpreet Kaur claim a fifty-fifty before tea.

Sophie Eccleston took 5-118 to become the first Englishwoman on the Lord’s Test honors board but it was a rare cause for celebration on a difficult day in India’s reign.

More to follow.