Key events
16th over: England 43-3 (Sciver-Brunt 2, Capsey 9)Capsey whips a full ball off her pads for four, the runs will certainly flow while she is at the crease but can England build an innings and bat the day?
15th over: England 38-3 (Sciver-Brunt 1, Capsey 5 )AliceCapsey joins Sciver-Brunt in the middle with a rebuild job needed. Her first ball jags bag at the pads and she is fortunate to get an inside edge on it to tickle away for four runs. India have been on the money this morning, much more accurate than England’s seamers in the first 10-15 overs yesterday and they are reaping the rewards.
WICKET! Heather Knight lbw b Satghare 6 (England 32-3)
Huge wicket! Knight is done by one that moves up the hill and the umpire raises the finger! Knight reviews but she looks like she already knows her fate. Sure enough it is Umpires Call on the DRS and Knight has to go. England in strife!
14th over: England 32-2 (Knight 6, Sciver-Brunt 0)Nat Sciver-Brunt joins Heather Knight, but not for long because…
WICKET! Maia Bouchier c Bhatia b Gaud 23 (England 32-3)
Oh that is a nothing shot from Bouchier, she hangs the bat out to one that moves away from Gaud and it is neither one thing nor t’other. The edge is taken and India have their first of the day. Bouchier looks crestfallen, she didn’t commit to attack or defence.
13th over: England 32-1 (Bouchier 23, Knight 6)Sayali Satghare from the Pavilion End. Not a lot of bounce from her medium pacers but she does have a short leg in place. Bouchier drives a full ball down the ground for four, both batters have played doozies already this morning.
12th over: England 27-1 (Bouchier 18, Knight 6)Ah that is lovely from Heather Knight, she leans languidly on the first ball of the day and guides it through cover for four runs. Delightful start for England, they need a few decent partnerships on what is clearly a batting day with the mercury set to nudge 30 degree. There is spin there for India though and the pitch is only going to get drier. A single each to Bouchier and Knight makes it six off the fist over of the day.
Lord’s does indeed look a picture, the Pavilion looks stuffed and they are expecting a larger crowd than the 10,763 that watched yesterday. Maia Bouchier and Heather Knight head out to the middle. Shree Charani is going to start with the ball, let’s play!
I’m pulling a double shift today (they say nurses have it tough) so will be very glad of your thoughts, theories, company and correspondence throughout the day.
Catch up on all the action from day one:
And have a read of Raf’s scene setter:
Preamble
James Wallace
Hello and welcome to day two of the Women’s Test match from Lord’s. It’s Saturday and the sun is belting down its rays on St John’s Wood.
England will start the day on 21-1 trailing India by 264 runs after an action packed and historic first day. Mady Villiers has just been talking through her wonderful wicket of Harmanpreet Kaur which was a great moment on the stroke of tea, the big dog bowled through the gate and up the hill from the Test debutant. Scenes.
Spin played a big role on day one, with Sophie Ecclestone and Villiers sharing five wickets between them and the former becoming England’s highest wicket-taker across formats. Despite all that the late wicket of Tammy Beaumont probably shaded the day in the visitors favour despite stumbling from 190-3 to 285 all out in the afternoon.
The crowd are streaming in for what should be a cracking day of cricket, the home side need to bat and bat and bat some more. Play starts at 11am. Join us!
