EN-W vs IN-W 2nd ODI: India 333 for 5 (Harmanpreet 143*, Deol 58) beat England 245 (Wyatt 65, Renuka 4-57) by 88 runs

Harmanpreet Kaur’s transcending unbeaten century delivered India a reverberating triumph over England at Canterbury and an unassailable 2-0 ODI series lead.

India’s 88-run win, based on Harmanpreet’s 143 not out off 111 balls, implies Saturday’s finale at Lord’s will be a dead rubber with regards to the series with England’s best expectation currently claiming the two ICC Women’s Championship points on offer in a consolation victory after winning the T20I leg of the tour 2-1.

Asked to accomplish the first 300-plus run chase in quite a while’s ODI after India posted 333 for 5 – their second-highest in the format, England managed 245 in reply, Danni Wyatt’s 50 going in vain as Renuka Singh claimed four wickets to put the win beyond England’s reach and India winning with 34 balls to spare.

Having won the toss and choosing to bowl first in cool and cloudy conditions, England knew the key to forcing the series to a decider at the home of cricket was to decrease the danger of India’s firing top order.

Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet had delivered their side to a commanding seven-wicket win in the opening ODI at Hove on Sunday, with 91 and 74 not out respectively, Mandhana also keeping her side in contention during the T20Is with an unbeaten 79 in the second match.

England started alright when Kate Cross, playing her 50th ODI, bowled Shafali Verma in the second over of the match and Charlie Dean took a sharp return catch to eliminate Yasatika Bhatia and break a second-wicket stand of 54.

Opener Mandhana looked dangerous once more however, stripping off four fours and smacking Sophie Ecclestone over the fence at wide long-on on en route to 40. Yet, it was Ecclestone who finished Mandhana’s thump with one that spun back in to beat the attempted sweep and strike the side of her back thigh for lbw. At that stage Mandhana had placed on 33 runs with Kaur, who carried on in fine touch with Harleen Deol keeping pace nicely.

Deol dispatched Ecclestone down the ground for six to move to 47 and raised her fifty a brief time later with a single dabbed through midwicket and afterward carried India past the 200-mark with another maximum, swept over deep square leg off Lauren Ringer.

When Bell had Deol caught by Wyatt at deep midwicket, India were on track to post a monumental total and Harmanpreet was in a staggering mood.

Harmanpreet released her trademark slog-sweep overwhelming everything in the vicinity and was likewise punishing to the off side, her two sixes over the covers off debutant Freya Kemp bookending a merciless slog off Ecclestone over the deep midwicket boundary.

What a magnificent innings by @ImHarmanpreet! An unbeaten and entertaining knock of 143 with 18 fours and 4 sixes. Keep shining. 🌟 pic.twitter.com/l3axiANS8E

— Amit Mishra (@MishiAmit) September 21, 2022

Kemp, the 17-year-old left-arm seamer who has had a noteworthy maiden international summer in England’s T20I team, endured a torrid introduction to the longer format. After bowling seven overs for 28 runs, she wound up surrendering 82 runs off her 10-over allocation for only one wicket, that of Pooja Vastrakar, who was caught by Emma Sheep in the 46th over. It was the most runs yielded by an England bowler in a Women’s ODI, trailed by individual seamer Ringer, who took 1 for 79 from 10 overs.

Harmanpreet added the overwhelming majority as she and Deepti Sharma heaped on one more 71 runs Vastrakar’s excusal at a stunning partnership run rate of 17.75, the highest for a 50-plus stand in Women’s ODIs where information is available.

They took 62 runs off the last three overs, 26 of those approaching off the 48th as Kemp sent down six wide deliveries and went for three fours and a six. Harmanpreet grabbed 18 of the 19 runs Kemp yielded off the final over, including another aerial cover drive for six followed promptly by three consecutive fours to finish a dazzling showcase.

At the point when Capsey fell for 39 guiding Deepti to Shafali at mid-off, it was in the possession of experienced pair Wyatt and Amy Jones – England’s acting captain without the injured Heather Knight and Nat Sciver, who is taking an mental-health break – to steady  the home side once more.

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They set up on 65 runs however when Renuka bowled Wyatt for 65 with a plunging yorker to guarantee her third wicket and Dayalan Hemalatha had Jones befuddled with just her third delivery after entering the assault, it seemed like only a matter of time before India finished things.

Renuka claimed her fourth when Ecclestone picked Deol on the deep midwicket boundary. Before long Shafali got her maiden ODI wicket – and third in international cricket – when failed to overturn her lbw excusal through a now-working DRS. Dean delivered a strong thump at No. 9 to reach 37 from 44 balls before she was the last batter out, puzzled off the bowling of Hemalatha, however the damage was long done, well before – by Harmanpreet.