Valkerie Baynes is a general editor at ESPNcricinfo
Sophia Dunkley hits half-century on debut as England look at 400-plus total
Written by I Dig Sports
Published in
Cricket
Thursday, 17 June 2021 05:34
Lunch England 357 for 8 (Knight 95, Beaumont 66, Dunkley 66*, Shrubsole 16*, Deepti 3-65, Rana 3-109) vs India
Debutant Sophia Dunkley's unbeaten half-century guided England to their highest Test score against India by lunch on the second day of their one-off contest in Bristol. Dunkley, the first Black woman to play Test cricket for England, was not out on 66 at the break, having guided England to 357 for 8, with Anya Shrubsole on 16.
Play resumed on the second day under overcast skies with the floodlights on and England on 269 for 6. Jhulan Goswami struck with the 12th ball of the morning when she trapped Katherine Brunt lbw after Brunt had added just one run to her overnight 7. India reviewed after the appeal was initially turned down, and were vindicated, replays showing the ball hitting middle stump.
Dunkley, who resumed on 12, settled into a good rhythm by sending Goswami to the fence twice in the space of three balls with a wristy club through midwicket and a deft placement between third slip and gully. Dropped on 27 when she sent a simple return catch to Deepti Sharma, Dunkley pressed on with boundaries through the covers off Sharma and then Sneh Rana, the last of those bringing up her fifty partnership with Sophie Ecclestone and taking her to within sight of her half-century.
Two balls later, however, Dunkley had to overturn umpire Sue Redfern's lbw decision off Rana to avoid departing on 46, with replays showed the ball missing leg stump. Dunkley went on to bring up the milestone soon after by running two after turning Rana through fine-leg to warm applause from the stands.
Ecclestone had an almost identical lbw decision by umpire Chris Watts overturned, with Sharma's delivery shown to be missing leg stump, but there was no doubt two balls later when she spooned Sharma straight to Shikha Pandey at mid-on for 17. It was Sharma's third wicket.
Dunkley built from there, finding the rope three more times, as Shrubsole provided excellent support, hitting two boundaries of her own.
Sophia Dunkley
Deepti Sharma
Sneh Rana
India Women
England Women
ENG Women vs IND Women
India Women tour of England