England kept their T20I series against India alive with a thrilling 5-run win in the third match at the Kia Oval.
Stand-in skipper Tammy Beaumont’s decision to bat first paid off as she and Sophia Dunkley added 137 for the opening wicket. Dunkley scored 75 and Danni Wyatt-Hodge made 66, but a late collapse saw England finish on 171/9, with Deepti Sharma and Arundhati Reddy taking three wickets each.
Chasing 172, India started strongly with an 85-run opening stand between Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana. However, regular wickets in the latter half and a disciplined final over from Lauren Bell turned the tide in England’s favour.
With 12 needed off the last over and six off the final ball, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur attempted a big shot but mistimed it straight to mid-off, handing England a narrow and hard-fought win.
