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England beat Pakistan by 53 runs: first women’s T20 cricket international – as it happened

Amy Jones starred with bat and gloves in her 100th T20I as England recovered from a desperate start to beat Pakistan at Edgbaston

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Sat 11 May 2024 13.01 EDTFirst published on Sat 11 May 2024 08.40 EDT
 Charlie Dean celebrates dismissing Sidra Ameen.
Charlie Dean celebrates dismissing Sidra Ameen. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images
Charlie Dean celebrates dismissing Sidra Ameen. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

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That’s all for today. We’ll have a report along shortly, and we’ll be back for the second T20I on Friday. Night!

Heather Knight’s verdict

The scoreboard probably flatters us; we weren’t at our best. There was some brilliant stuff – the way Danni Gibson batted is a big positive – but there’s lots we can do better.

I liked the intent (with the bat), we just need slightly better execution next time. It’s the first game of the summer so we won’t look too deeply into it. It’s pretty clear that’s how we want to play and I want us to keep that intent.

I love captaining our three spinners. They’re all world-class and they’re all very different as bowlers and personalities which I enjoy. We really want to boss that middle phase of the innings.

Beth Langton said in Amy’s cap presentation earlier that she makes the extraordinary look ordinary. She’s an unbelievable cricketer who goes under the radar. You almost take her brilliance for granted and I’m really pleased for her today.

Nida Dar’s verdict

We started really well in both Powerplays but we need to go on. It was a great opportunity and we should have grabbed that. We need to sit down together and plan for the next game. There were some good things in the game and we should take that momentum.

The player of the match is Amy Jones

Yeah it was great fun, made a whole better by the win. One game for England is a huge honour and I feel very lucky to have played 100 T20s with an incredible group of girls. A good friend, Beth Langton, gave me my cap which made it even more special.

Pakistan bowled really well; their seamers hit a lot of good areas. When I got out there with Heather it was about rebuilding in a positive way. It felt like a good score in the end.

[On her great catch to dismiss Gull Feroza] You don’t get many down the leg side standing back so it was a great feeling when it went in. With the spinners it feels like every ball is coming to me; they’re a huge asset for us.

Lauren Bell finishes with three for 22, reaffirming her status as England’s first-choice quick in this format. The last wicket completes a good win for England, who recovered emphatically from a mildly farcical start in which they collapsed to 11 for four.

For the most part the game was a reminder of England’s strengths, most notably their three spinners (Sarah Glenn bowled brilliantly to take four for 12) and the wicketkeeping artistry of Amy Jones. Heather Knight and Dani Gibson also batted superbly, though Gibson took a bit of tap with the ball.

ENGLAND WIN BY 53 RUNS

WICKET! Pakistan 110 all out (Sadia c Kemp b Bell 8) That’ll do. Lauren Bell’s extra pace and bounce are too much for Sadia, who slaps a catch to cover point.

18th over: Pakistan 109-9 (Fatima 15, Sadia 8) Fatima makes room to blast Ecclestone wide of extra cover for four more. Pakistan’s last pair are having a bit of fun out there.

17th over: Pakistan 104-9 (Fatima 10, Sadia 8) When Sadia misses a sweep off Dean, England treat themselves to one last review. It pitched just outside leg. Sadia dabs the next ball for four to take Pakistan into three figures, then cuffs a slog-sweep for four more.

Dean finishes with 4-0-29-1. Nothing to tweet about, though she did take that crucial first wicket after Pakistan got off to a flyer.

16th over: Pakistan 94-9 (Fatima 9, Sadia 0) Fatima lashes Gibson to the extra-cover boundary, a defiant blow in the face of imminent defeat.

15th over: Pakistan 89-9 (Fatima 4, Sadia 0) Glenn finishes with career-best figures of 4-0-12-4. Outstanding.

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WICKET! Pakistan 89-9 (Waheeda b Glenn 0)

Make that six wickets for 10 runs. Sarah Glenn completes a fabulous spell by skidding one on to bowl Waheeda Akhtar. England are one wicket away from victory.

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WICKET! Pakistan 89-8 (Tuba c Jones b Glenn 0)

Tuba gets in a tangle against Glenn and gloves the ball through to Jones. She reviewed the decision, just in case, but it was clearly out. Pakistan have lost five wickets for 10 runs.

14th over: Pakistan 88-7 (Fatima 3, Tuba 0) While this hasn’t been a perfect performance from England, Jon Lewis will be thrilled with how they have recovered in both innings. After five overs of each innings England were 21 for four and Pakistan were 50 for one.

WICKET! Pakistan 88-7 (Rameen c Wyatt b Bell 2)

The wickets keep on falling. Rameen Shamim, deep in her crease after a couple of short balls, slogs a slower one from Lauren Bell high into the leg side. Danni Wyatt sprints in from deep midwicket and dives forward to take a terrific two-handed catch.

WICKET! Pakistan 85-6 (Pervaiz c Jones b Ecclestone 4)

Pervaiz tries to glide Ecclestone to third man, but there’s a bit of extra bounce and the ball brushes the glove before Jones takes a smart catch. Pervaiz considers a review, because that’s been the culture in the last 10 minutes, before walking off. England’s spin triplets are doing it again: they have combined figures of 8.1-0-41-4.

12th over: Pakistan 85-5 (Pervaiz 4, Fatima 2) Yep, England still have two reviews left. More importantly, Pakistan need 79 from 48 balls, having lost their way against England’s spinners.

FATIMA IS NOT OUT The ball hit the flap of the pad and then ran very close to the bottom edge. There’s a murmur, if that, on UltraEdge, but the third umpire Anna Harris is satisfied that there’s a gap between bat and ball. They check the LBW as well; that was outside the line, or at least umpire’s call.

Heather Knight is checking whether England have lost a review – I think the umpire’s call on the LBW means they retain it, though I wouldn’t put the farm on it.

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ENGLAND REVIEW FOR CAUGHT BEHIND Amy Jones is certain this is out. Fatima tried to cut Glenn and Jones took the ball smartly up to the stumps. We’ll soon find out whether Fatima hit the ball.

ENGLAND REVIEW Glenn has a big LBW against Fatima turned down, but Heather Knight decides to go for the review. I suspect it will be umpire’s call when it hits leg stump.

WICKET! Pakistan 83-5 (Dar c Bouchier b Glenn 5)

See, I told you England would win comfortably. The captain Nida Dar slog-sweeps Glenn towards deep midwicket, where Bouchier takes a very good two-handed catch above her right shoulder. She made that look easy; it was anything but.

11th over: Pakistan 83-4 (Dar 5, Pervaiz 4) Natalia Pervaiz gets off the mark with an edge past Jones for four.

WICKET! Pakistan 79-4 (Sadaf run out 35)

A tame end to a fine innings from Sadaf Shamas, who swishes her bat angrily as she walks off. Dar clipped Charlie Dean into the leg side and set off for a dodgy single; Sadaf responded to the call and was well short when Jones collected Capsey’s throw from short midwicket and broke the stumps.

Sadaf hit seven boundaries, three or four them quite beautiful, in an innings of 35 from 24 balls.

10th over: Pakistan 77-3 (Sadaf 34, Dar 4) Glenn has made a very good start: 2-0-9-1. Pakistan need 87 off the last 10 overs to win.

DAR IS NOT OUT! She was trapped in front by Glenn and given out LBW – but the ball hit the glove rather than the pad. Dar reviewed straight away and knew she was not out. Mind you, she very nearly gloved the ball onto the stumps.

9th over: Pakistan 72-3 (Sadaf 31, Dar 2) Sadaf continues her eye-catching innings, charging Ecclestone to clatter a boundary through extra cover. There were a couple of bits of imperfect fielding, one at extra cover and another on the boundary, but it was still a good shot.

Once again, though, Ecclestone pulls the over back, this time with four successive dot balls.

WICKET! Pakistan 66-3 (Muneeba c Jones b Glenn 10)

Another useful wicket for England, this time from the new bowler Sarah Glenn. Muneeba Ali tries a reverse lap but can only lob the ball gently into the gloves of Amy Jones. England are starting to turn the screw.

Amy Jones takes the catch to dismiss Muneeba Ali. Photograph: Harry Trump/ECB/Getty Images
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7th over: Pakistan 63-2 (Sadaf 26, Muneeba 8) Sophie Ecclestone’s first ball is too straight, allowing Muneeba to guide it round the corner for four. She pulls things back thereafter, conceding just two from the last five deliveries.

This spell of spin bowling will probably decide the game one way or another.

6th over: Pakistan 57-2 (Sadaf 25, Muneeba 3) Sadaf moves to 25 from 11 balls with the most beautiful back-foot square drive for four. She looks quite a player.

Even with that wicket it’s been a fabulous Powerplay for Pakistan, who have given themselves a chance of a famous victory. They need 107 runs from 84 balls.

WICKET! Pakistan 50-2 (Gull Feroza c Jones b Bell 17)

Amy Jones decorates her 100th T20I with a stunning catch. The new bowler Lauren Bell found the inside-edge with a sharp nipbacker, and in a split-second Jones changed direction, dived low to her left and grabbed the ball one-handed. An artist at work.

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5th over: Pakistan 50-1 (Gull Feroza 17, Sadaf 21) Gull Feroza reverse sweeps four more off Dean. Then Sadaf crashes a low full toss towards mid-on, where Gibson drops a tough low chance to her right.

At the halfway mark I thought England had more than enough runs; I might shut my mouth next time.

4th over: Pakistan 45-1 (Gull Feroza 12, Sadaf 21) Gibson is savaged by the new Sadaf Shamas, who hits five boundaries in the over: two beautiful cover drives, a carve over backward point, a clip through midwicket and a slash past backward point. Blimey.

At this stage of their innings England were 18 for four.

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3rd over: Pakistan 24-1 (Gull Feroza 12, Sadaf 1) We’re likely to see Charlie Dean a lot in the Powerplay at the World Cup. Not all spinners love bowling in the first six overs but she continues to have success.

WICKET! Pakistan 23-1 (S Ameen LBW b Dean 9)

Charlie Dean strikes with her fourth ball! Sidra Ameen, who had swept the previous ball for four, tried again to a fuller delivery and was hit on the back leg in front of middle. Plumb LBW. She reviewed the decision but there were three reds and Pakistan lose a review.

A big shout from Amy Jones and Sidra Ameen is out! Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images
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2nd over: Pakistan 16-0 (Gull Feroza 11, S Ameen 3) Dani Gibson starts well, conceding only four from her first over. There were a couple of unpunished low full tosses but that aside it was good stuff.

1st over: Pakistan 12-0 (Gull Feroza 10, S Ameen 0) Gull Feroza gets off to a flyer, driving Bell classily down the ground before spanking another boundary through extra cover. A couple of wides make it a very good over for Pakistan, who have had a marginally better start than England.

It’s a very short turnaround, so the players are already back on the field. Lauren Bell will open the bowling to Gull Feroza.

20th over: England 163-6 (Gibson 41, Ecclestone 19) Gibson clouts the first ball to wide long-on for four, a fine piece of improvisation after Sadia saw her coming and tossed it very wide outside off stump.

It’s a clever and classy final over by Sadia, but Gibson manages to find the boundary again with a reverse sweep off the penultimate ball. She finishes with a career-best 41 not out from only 21 balls, a textbook No7’s innings.

Pakistan’s target is 164; you’d expect England to win comfortably. Such an assumption looked unlikely when they slipped to 11 for four inside three chaotic overs, but the way they rebuilt the innings was exemplary. The last nine overs yielded a whopping 97 runs.

Danielle Gibson and Sophie Ecclestone. Photograph: Richard Sellers/PA
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19th over: England 152-6 (Gibson 31, Ecclestone 18) Pakistan are behind the clock, which means they’re allowed only three fielders outside the circle for the last two overs.

Fatima’s final over is made up almost entirely of yorkers, but when she errs in line she is put away through square leg for four, one boundary apiece for Gibson and Ecclestone. This has been an admirable recovery from England, who were in all sorts at 11 for four.

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18th over: England 142-6 (Gibson 26, Ecclestone 13) Gibson is dropped at long-on, a fairly straightfoward chance to Gull Feroza off the bowling of Rameen. She punishes Pakistan with two boundaries, another sweep followed by a cracking shot through extra cover. This is a superb cameo: 26 from 12 balls.

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17th over: England 131-6 (Gibson 17, Ecclestone 11) Ecclestone gets four more with a fine shot, deliberately slicing Fatima to the left of long-off. After an awful start, England have scored 93 runs in the last 10 overs.

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