Women’s World T20, SF, India v England as it happened: Fifties for Sciver, Jones take ENG to final

8.30 am: That will be all from us. A disappointing end to an impressive campaign for India. Stay tuned for report, analysis and more.

8.20 am:

Harmanpreet Kaur says no regrets about the team selection: “One odd game doesn’t make us a bad team, proud of the way we played in the tournament. England read the conditions better.”

Player of the match: Amy Jones, for her fifty and work behind the stumps.

“Playing at 8pm gives you a lot of thinking time. We were thinking about it, planning on how to play their high-quality spinners, and the plans worked.”

8.08 AM: India are dismantled, says Nasser Hussain on air. Can’t argue there. Did India do the right thing by leaving Mithali Raj out? Hindsight, looks like a poor call.

IT’S ALL OVER! JONES GET TO HER FIFTY... ENGLAND WIN WITH 17 BALLS TO SPARE

England 112/2 after 17 overs - Need 1 run

FIFTY FOR SCIVER! England on the brink of a big win. Jones gets a single off the last ball to move to 49. Will be fitting if these two finish unbeaten on 50s.

After 16 overs, England 103/2

Another over, another boundary. Lofted by Jones over midoff.

After 15 overs, England 93/2 - Sciver 42, Jones 40

This is where India’s collapse started but there is no sign of that from England. Just too easy for England at the moment. Rodrigues with a 6-run over.

After 14 overs, England 87/2

8 runs from Anuja Patil’s over, that started with a boundary for Sciver — lofted over square leg, after shuffling across.

After 13 overs, England 79/2

More singles on offer through the leg side off Poonam, even dot balls are not coming for India. Masterclass in a tricky run-chase.

After 12 overs, England 74/2

Singles are there for the taking and Sciver, Jones are taking it. 4 runs from Radha’s over, who’s done with her spell.

After 11 overs, England 70/2

“Beautiful batting, smart and clinical,” says Ian Bishop on air. Can’t sum it up any better. Another boundary in that over, as Hemalatha bowls short of length. Sciver muscles one through midwicket. England playing a lot on the back-foot.

After 10 overs, England 60/2

8 runs from Poonam’s over. There is no control whatsoever for India. Runs leaking, the odd boundary relieving the pressure. England are in cruise control now. The one-sided field is not helping at Poonam’s pace.

After 9 overs, England 52/2

50 up for England as Anuja Patil is punished both sides of the wicket. Short and wide, cut away by Sciver for four. If she’s straight, easy singles on offer on the leg side.

The field is not helping the bowling lines here.

After 7 overs, England 44/2

Poonam into the attack, doing what she is comfortable doing. Bowling. Clever batting by England though, moving all the way to the offside and exploiting the big gaps in the field. England are doing this nice and easy now.

Sloppy work by India on the field as Deepti’s wayward throw gives England an extra run in that over.

After 7 overs, England 37/2

DROPPED! Oh dear, Poonam Yadav’s catching continues to disappoint. She was the only fielder in the circle on the leg side and she drops Nat Sciver on 2 off Anuja Patil’s first ball. That was a sitter.

We had written in the preview that fielding is going to be so crucial, how big is that drop going to be?

After 6 overs, England 30/2

If the old ‘win the powerplay, win the match’ adage works, India are ahead. But that doesn’t take into account the collapse.

Radha bowls her third over as well, concedes five runs including a wide.

After 5 overs, England 25/2 - DEEPTI STRIKES!

Deepti gets the third over in the powerplay and she makes it count! Mind games with Wyatt play out in India’s favour. After teasing the batter, seeing her come down the track, Deepti shortens the length and it’s hit high. Jemimah takes a good catch at deep midwicket. Big big wicket for India.

After 4 overs, England 22/1

First boundary of the England innings comes in the 3rd over, a pull over Deepti’s head by Jones. She then hits the first six of the innings as well, taking on Radha and clearing the long on boundary with ease. Great footwork.

After 2 overs, England 6/1. Wyatt 4, Jones 1

Radha Yadav strikes early as Beaumont tries to sweep by shuffling across, but hits it straight to midwicket, giving an easy catch to Reddy. India needed an early breakthrough and they have it. They need a lot more of this, though.

After 1 over, England 3/0. Wyatt 2, Beaumont 1

As expected, India start with spin and give away only 3.

Right then, time for England’s chase. Wyatt and Beaumont to open, off-spinner Deepti Sharma has the new ball. Can India defend 112?

After 19.3 overs, India 112 all out

Poor cricket. More poor cricket. Reddy goes for a big heave, dancing down the track. Then Deepti is run out.

They lost their last 8 wickets for only 23 runs, some collapse that! Don’t blame the pitch for that, there was some bad cricket.

England need 113 off 120 balls to reach the final. Still takes some chasing on this pitch though.

After 19 overs, India 111/8

Knight doesn’t bring herself on despite being on a hattrick. Shrubsole it is. A run out in that over as Nasser calls it ‘headless’ cricket. Radha Yadhav pays for lethargic running. Reddy hits a boundary off the fifth ball to make it a decent over.

After 18 overs, India 104/7

Five runs from the over seems like a god-send for India now given the carnage in the two overs preceeding this. Hazell finishes her spell. 0/20.

After 17 overs, India 99/7 - another two-wicket over!

This is just madness. What are the Indians thinking? Knight with two wickets in over. Hemalatha hits one straight to the fielder at cover. And then Anuja Patil comes down the track and chips one to long on.

Wouldn’t batting till the 20th over be the sensible decision now?

After 16 overs, India 95/5 - GAME-CHANGING OVER?

15.1: WICKET! Veda comes down the track and plays the sweep shot. Bizarre shot, tame dismissal as he toe-edges one to Jones.

15.5: WICKET! “Biggest of the match?” asks Nasser Hussain. The Indian captain tries to slog off Gordon, but only manages to miscue it. Did not get to the pitch of the ball and paid the price.

(That Mithali Raj decision is not looking good)

Gordon finishes with 2/20 in her four overs! WHAT A SPELL.

After 15 overs, India 93/3

Shrubsole comes back and concedes just 4 runs.

Big 5 overs in this match coming up. India need around 40 runs to make it a par score.

After 14 overs, India 89/3 - EVENTFUL OVER!

13.1: Easily done by Harmanpreet, lofted over extra cover for a six.
13.2: One big shot too many? But this straight drive falls between two fielders at the deep, Kaur not happy with Jemi not returning for the second run.
13.5: Jemi run out! Lofted cover drive, the youngster wants two but her dive is not enough. FINE MARGINS! Beaumonth with the throw. BIG WICKET.

After 13 overs, India 77/2

BACK-TO-BACK BOUNDARIES! And it’s Jemimah who breaks the shackles. Sciver into the attack and Jemi loves the pace on offer. Uses it twice to cut behind square for fours.

After 12 overs, India 67/2

IT really is a struggle against the slow bowlers now. Rodrigues trying to move around the crease, pull, sweep, drop and run but nothing seems to be working now. She’s on 12 off 20 balls now. Just three runs from Ecclestone’s over.

After 11 overs, India 64/2

Hazell continues, five runs from the over with Rodrigues employing the sweep. Tough going out there for batters.

After 10 overs, India 59/2 - Rodrigues 9, Kaur 3

You’d think the focus will now be on taking the singles and doubles and that’s what happens in Gordon’s over. 4 singles off it. India need a partnership.

After 9 overs, India 55/2 - Rodrigues 7, Kaur 1

OUT! The lack of runs resulting in another wicket for England. Taniya Bhatia goes for a big shot, no timing on it. Captain Knight gets her firs wicket.

Time for Harmanpreet Kaur...

After 8 overs, India 50/1

50 up for India. The slow turn on offer is proving to be a problem for shot-making, much like it was the case in the first semifinal. England have pulled things back... just two singles in that first over by Gordon.

After 7 overs, India 48/1

Just five singles off Hazell’s over as Bhatia and Rodrigues tap the ball around in gaps. Mandhana’s dismissal will bring the rate down.

After 6 overs, India 43/1 - Mandhana out!

WICKET! Just when it looked like India will finish the powerplay in control, Mandhana is caught and bowled by Ecclestone! 23-ball 34 for Mandhana. Good innings, but such a disappointing way to get out. It was a short from the youngster who dropped her earlier, Mandhana got into a position to pull it, awkwardly. Lobbed it straight back up.

After 5 overs, India 35/0

Hazell from the other end with her offspin, and Mandhana finishes what was shaping up to be a good over with a four. Lofted over extra cover, not fully timed but well placed.

After 4 overs, India 28/0

First taste of spin from England. Ecclestone not having the best passage of play. Smriti Mandhana hits one over midwicket that keeps going, going and going over the ropes. Hit with the breeze, in some style. 10 runs from that over, including another boundary, a sweep past square leg.

After 3 overs, India 18/0 - Bhatia 4, Mandhana 14

What an eventful over from Shrubsole to Mandhana!
2 - lofted over cover.
2- top-edged over fine leg.
4 - cut away through point.
DROPPED - Ecclestone puts one down at point. How big is that going to be?

After 2 overs, India 9/0 - Bhatia 4, Mandhana 5

All timing, as Smriti Mandhana stands up tall and drives one through extra cover for the first boundary of India’s innings, in the 2nd over. Sciver the bowler, who gets the ball to move the other way compared to Shrubsole — into the left-hander.

After 1 over, India 3/0 - Bhatia 3, Mandhana 0

Big swing for Shrubsole in the first over, moving into Bhatia, who gets a couple and a single down the square leg region. Mandhana beaten off the last ball.

5.29 am: Players are all ready... Shrubsole / Sciver will be up against Mandhana / Bhatia. Let the game begin!

5.24 am: If you are just joining us...

India took the bold call to leave Mithali Raj out, of course. We can reserve judgement till after the match but will just leave this here for now: Meg Lanning’s 39-ball 31 in the first match on this match was a useful innings given how things played out on a tough pitch to bat on.

Time for the national anthems.

5.22 am: Time for the national anthems...

5.16 am: Some stats to warm you up for the match...

• England have won all four times they’ve met India in the ICC Women’s World T20 competition; successfully chasing down India’s score in all four of those matches.
• This is the first time these two sides are meeting outside the Asian subcontinent or England in a T20I.
• India have the opportunity to reach an ICC Women’s World T20 final for the first time; they tasted defeat both times they previously got to the semi-final stage (2009 and 2010).
  
• The highest T20I score ever posted by an England player came against India earlier this year – Danni Wyatt’s 124 off 64 balls (25th March 2018).
• Smriti Mandhana is set to record her 50th T20I innings with the bat during this match; she claimed her highest ever T20I score last time out against Australia (83).

PLAYING XI : Big news is Mithali Raj not being selected, of course. Harmanpreet says at the toss, “It’s not about not selecting Mithali, it’s about keeping a winning combination.” The combination that defeated Australia, of course.

Big call. Correct call? Let’s find out.

ENGLAND WOMEN

Tamsin Beaumont, Danielle Wyatt, Amy Jones (W), Natalie Sciver, Heather Knight (C), Lauren Winfield, Sophia Dunkley, Anya Shrubsole, Danielle Hazell, Kirstie Gordon, Sophie Ecclestone

INDIA WOMEN

Smriti Mandhana, Taniya Bhatia (W), Jemimah Rodrigues, Dayalan Hemalatha, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Deepti Sharma, Veda Krishnamurthy, Anuja Patil, Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy, Poonam Yadav

5.03 am:

TOSS: Harmanpreet Kaur wins the toss and India will bat first.

BIG NEWS: Mithali Raj is NOT selected, India stick to the winning XI.

4.50 am: Hello and welcome to The Field’s live blog for the second semi-final of the ICC Women’s World T20. The venue is Antigua. The protagonists? Finalists of the 2017 Word Cup Final. India and England.

Fifteen months after the thriller on the hallowed turf of Lord’s, here we are – it’s India vs England in a ICC women’s world event once again. This time, it’s in the semi-final of the first ever standalone ICC Women’s World T20, at Sir Vivian Richards stadium in Antigua. In a constant upward curve for the women’s game, this is another inflection point. An entertaining tournament is now at the business end.

This should be a cracker!