England hold nerve for most significant win of Edwards era

There person been bumps on nan way, but it is starting to consciousness for illustration England person turned a corner.

Earlier this year, successful nan aftermath of Charlotte Edwards' assignment arsenic caput coach, a mediocre West Indies were swept speech pinch easiness but it did small to person fans and media that overmuch had changed since nan Ashes embarrassment.

Those concerns came to fruition arsenic they were subsequently outplayed by India, and location person been wobbles present astatine nan World Cup - notably nan batting collapses successful near-misses against Bangladesh and Pakistan.

But astatine Indore, a four-run triumph complete India successful beforehand of a deafening, intimidating location crowd, England produced their astir important triumph of nan Edwards/Nat Sciver-Brunt era arsenic they sealed a semi-final spot pinch 2 group games remaining.

Previously, they had earned a estimation for buckling nether pressure.

Consider nan T20 World Cup past October, wherever drawback aft drawback was spilled successful a shocking group-stage conclusion by West Indies.

See besides a pursuit of 181 successful nan 2nd Ashes one-day world successful Melbourne, squandered arsenic Amy Jones mislaid count of really galore balls were near successful nan over.

No, this was not a knockout game, and that situation is still to come. But England were connected nan brink of defeat, India needing 55 from 52 balls pinch Smriti Mandhana batting beautifully connected 88.

Her soft dismissal creaked nan doorway open, gave England an opportunity to prehend - and this time, they pounced.

From losing games they should win, they are starting to triumph games they should lose.

England did not request to triumph this crippled to scope nan semis - they play Australia adjacent connected Wednesday, who look adjacent to unbeatable, followed by New Zealand wherever they would beryllium beardown favourites.

But they did request nan triumph to beryllium to themselves they could triumph games for illustration this.

After removing Pratika Rawal and Harleen Deol early, England were faced pinch 1 of nan astir formidable partnerships successful Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur - and struggled.

Their business of 125 was a masterclass, Harmanpreet's powerfulness mixed pinch Mandhana's finesse.

England bowled excessively wide to nan left-handed opener, who scored heavy connected nan off-side, but nan biggest quality betwixt India and England's different opponents truthful acold is they do not fearfulness Sophie Ecclestone.

Mandhana was exceptional successful sitting heavy successful nan crease and playing nan shot late, while Harmanpreet and later Deepti Sharma took nan world's number 1 bowler down nan ground.

India threw nan crippled distant via their ain mistakes but England merit in installments for really they closed it out, because until nan hosts needed 9 from nan past ball, triumph was ne'er certain.

But a notable quality from nan past twelvemonth is that England's assemblage connection did not dip. They held their standards - nan fielding fumbles did not creep in, they worked arsenic a portion and fought until nan past ball.

Ecclestone won nan conflict pinch Deepti, who slog-swept to Sophia Dunkley. The shot hung precocious successful nan aerial for what felt for illustration an age, nan crowd down Dunkley roaring for it to beryllium put down.

It was a straightforward chance, but we person seen England driblet a number of akin catches nether unit successful caller times. Both Alice Capsey and Emma Lamb besides held connected to high-stakes chances earlier to disregard Mandhana and Harmanpreet.

Basics, yes - but executing them has not ever been nan lawsuit for this side. This triumph is an important hurdle to overcome, 1 which should service them good pinch nan unit cooker turning up a notch from now on.

England's batters must person felt a immense alleviation to beryllium presented pinch a level aboveground successful Indore, a opposition to nan tricky, turning ones successful Guwahati and Colombo.

Their match-winning 288 was lit up by Heather Knight's sparkling 109, nan period coming from conscionable 86 balls, and that was nan difference. England's erstwhile skipper kicked connected erstwhile Mandhana and Harmanpreet could not.

Of course, Edwards will beryllium reluctant to alteration a winning squad but location are still issues to beryllium addressed successful nan batting line-up.

Jones' 50 astatine nan apical of nan bid puts a tick successful 1 box, and though nan openers negotiated nan caller shot and added 73 for nan first wicket, Tammy Beaumont looks retired of sorts.

She scratched her measurement to 22 from 43 balls earlier being bowled attempting to expanse Deepti, but Knight and Sciver-Brunt steadied nan vessel arsenic they truthful often do.

The mediate bid of Dunkley, Lamb and Capsey were talented a level from which they could accelerate - thing they person not been blessed pinch successful nan erstwhile 3 matches wherever they person had to effort to rescue perilous situations.

But they grounded to occurrence erstwhile again here. So acold successful nan tournament, they person scored a mixed 103 runs successful 12 innings astatine an mean of 8.58 and strike-rate of 55.

When India were cruising to nan total, it looked for illustration England would rue nan nonaccomplishment of 3 wickets for 8 runs, but they were grateful their opponents made a acold greater messiness of their ain innings.

Still, England march connected to nan adjacent situation unbeaten, nary little than nan mouth-watering imaginable of facing their top rivals Australia for nan first clip since nan Ashes hammering.