LONDON: Anya Shrubsole bowled England to a dramatic nine-run win over India in the ICC Women’s World Cup final at Lord’s on Sunday.

India, set 229 to win, were well on course for victory at 191-3 in front of a full house of more than 26,000.

But the dismissal of opener Punam Raut, who made a fine 86, lbw to Shrubsole, sparked a stunning collapse.

Shrubsole took five wickets for 11 runs in 19 deliveries as India, bidding for a first World Cup title on the ground where their men’s side led by Kapil Dev won an inaugural World Cup crown in 1983, slumped to 219 all out.

Pace bowler Shrubsole finished with stunning figures of 6-46 in 9.4 overs as England won a fourth World Cup title and third on home soil, by gaining revenge for their opening group stage loss to India.

Opener Smriti Mandhana was bowled for a duck by Shrubsole.

India captain Mithali Raj, the all-time leading run-scorer in women’s ODIs, effectively ran herself out for just 17. Her exit brought in Harmanpreet Kaur, whose stunning 171 not out had set up India’s semi-final win over reigning champions Australia.

Kaur lofted and swept left-arm spinner Alex Hartley for two huge sixes.

Raut went to fifty in 78 balls and Kaur got there in 80 balls. But they were separated when Kaur swept Harley to Tammy Beaumont at deep backward square to end a stand of 95.

Veda Krishnamurthy raised a fifty stand with Raut off just 54 balls before Raut’s fine innings ended when she was lbw to Shrubsole, having faced 115 balls including four fours and a six.

It was the start of a cascade of wickets as panic set in. Krishnamurthy (35) holed out off Shrubsole before Jhulan Goswami was yorked by Shrubsole for a duck.

Shika Pandey was run out before Shrubsole, after Jenny Gunn had dropped a simple catch, ended the match by bowling Rajeshwari Gayakwad for a duck.

Earlier pace bowler Goswami took 3-23 in 10 overs as India held England to 228-7.

Goswami’s haul, which saw her take two wickets in two balls, included the dismissals of Sarah Taylor (45) and top-scorer Nat Sciver (51), who added 83 for the fourth wicket.

England started steadily after Knight won the toss. But from 47-0, they lost three wickets in quick succession to be 63-3.

Scoreboard

ENGLAND:

L. Winfield b Gayakwad24 T.T. Beaumont c Goswami b Yadav23 S.J. Taylor c Verma b Goswami45 H.C. Knight lbw b Yadav1 N.R. Sciver lbw b Goswami51 F.C. Wilson lbw b Goswami0 K.H. Brunt run out34 J.L. Gunn not out25 L.A. Marsh not out14

EXTRAS (LB-3, W-7, NB-1)11

TOTAL (for seven wkts, 50 overs)228

FALL OF WKTS: 1-47, 2-60, 3-63, 4-146, 5-146, 6-164, 7-196.

DID NOT BAT: A. Shrubsole, A. Hartley.

BOWLING: Goswami 10-3-23-3 (3w); Pandey 7-0-53-0 (1nb, 1w); Gayakwad 10-1-49-1 (1w); Sharma 9-0-39-0 (1w); Poonam Yadav 10-0-36-2; Kaur 4-0-25-0 (1w).

INDIA:

P.G. Raut lbw b Shrubsole86 S. Mandhana b Shrubsole0 M. Raj run out17 H. Kaur c Beaumont b Hartley51 V. Krishnamurthy c Sciver b Shrubsole35 S. Verma b Hartley0 D.B. Sharma c Sciver b Shrubsole14 J. Goswami b Shrubsole0 S. Pandey run out4 Poonam Yadav not out1 R.S. Gayakwad b Shrubsole0

EXTRAS (LB-3, W-7, NB-1)11

TOTAL (all out, 48.4 overs)219

FALL OF WKTS: 1-5, 2-43, 3-138, 4-191, 5-196, 6-200, 7-201, 8-218, 9-218.

BOWLING: Brunt 6-0-22-0; Shrubsole 9.4-0-46-6 (4w); Sciver 5-1-26-0; Gunn 7-2-17-0 (1w); Marsh 10-1-40-0 (1w); Hartley 10-0-58-2 (1w); Knight 1-0-7-0.

RESULT: England won by nine runs.

UMPIRES: S. George (South Africa) and G.O. Brathwaite (West Indies).

TV UMPIRE: P. Wilson (Australia).

MATCH REFEREE: S.R. Bernard (Australia).

PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Anya Shrubsole.

PLAYER-OF-THE-TOURNAMENT: Tammy Beaumont.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2017