India lose Heather Knight and Tammy Beaumont cheaply in final innings, England lose big in Lord’s Test Cricket News

Heather Knight and Tammy Beaumont got out cheaply in their final knocks before the internationals retired as England cruised to a seemingly inevitable defeat by India in a historic women’s Test at Lord’s, after finishing on 130-6 chasing a record 457 runs.

After setting a world-record third-day target – well ahead of the highest successful chase in women’s Tests, the 198 Australia knocked against England in Sydney in 2011 – the hosts collapsed to 59-5 in 20 overs on Sunday in sun-kissed London.

Opener Beaumont was bowled for a golden duck by the relentless Kranti Goud (2-40), who caught Knight at short leg for 13 as the two England greats – both of whom were given a guard of honor by India after their dismissal – bowed.

Captain Nat Syver-Brant (11) was cleaned up in a one-ball sweep off Sneh Rana (2-33), overthrown lbw, before Maia Bouchier (2) was unwittingly pinned by Sayali Sathgare (2-19) before same-seamer Castle Alice (2-1) bowled the Caps.

Amy Jones (No 52) – who successfully reviewed an lbw dismissal for 34 on her way to her second fifty of the game – and Maddy Villiers (26) delayed the visitors’ march to victory with a stubborn stand of 67 off 105 balls.

India should secure back-to-back Test wins against England on the fourth day, when entry is free for visitors, and after a 347-run victory in Navi Mumbai in 2023.

From an opening day that was arguably respectable, India completely owned the game and went from 154-1 to 341-7 overnight before visiting skipper Harmanpreet Kaur finally put England out of their misery by declaring around 3.10pm local time.

Harmanpreet Ghosh (50 off 52 balls) called time on her half-century – the third player to cross fifty in the innings after Smriti Mandhana (70) and Yastika Bhatia (113), the first woman to score a Test century at Lord’s.

At Lord’s, England are working hard as India come forward

Bhatia’s innings could have been cut short from the first ball of the morning, at which point he was on 39, but the bail remained substantial when Lauren Bale hit the off-stump.

Bale – who later spent time off the field while being assessed for abdominal muscle pain – denied Mandhana a century when he caught the elegant left-hander very well on the leg-side to wicketkeeper Jones as he dived one hand to his right.

However, the pacer – who also bowled Jemimah Rodriguez (3) with a nip-backer – sent a batch bye as she lost her radar and England’s best bowler, so often in the past, was spinner Sophie Ecclestone (5-118), who claimed her fourth five in 10 Tests and took her tally to eight in this Test.

Ecclestone eclipsed Catherine Syver-Brant’s total of 335 – becoming England’s leading wicket-taker across all formats – and took her tally to 343 on Sunday with Bhatia’s catch and dismissal of Harmanpreet (16) lbw.

Harmanpreet’s belated declaration could be just as tiring for England as Ghosh was ensuring, dismissed by Wang at long-on for 43, able to add a Lord’s fifty to his CV – and there was a real lethargy about the hosts as wickets fell early in their second dig.

Beaumont, who announced before the Test that he was done as an England cricketer, and former captain Knight, who went to Ben Stokes and announced his retirement mid-match, did not enjoy a fairy-tale farewell as they quickly became Gaud champions.

Goud became the first woman on the Lord’s Test honors board for a five in her first innings and now equals Ecclestone’s feat and Bhatia’s ton, a knock that included 14 fours, most of them stylish, before she slogged Ecclestone to cover.

Watch day four of the women’s only Test between England and India at Lord’s on Sky Sports Cricket, Sky Sports Mix and Sky Sports Main Event from 10.30am on Monday (11am first ball). Stream cricket and other top sports now contract-free.