Mithali, Karuna fashion easy win

Skipper Mithali Raj and opener Karuna Jain hit scintillating half-centuries as the Indian eves thrashed England by eight wickets in the third one-day international cricket match in Guwahati on Sunday, to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.

Electing to bat, England scored a modest 215 for 7, which the hosts surpassed in 40.4 overs.

India showed attacking form with the bat. Mithali Raj played a captain's knock and remained unbeaten on 65 off 81 balls, with eight fours. She was ably supported by Karuna Jain (64) and a rampaging Anjum Chopra (40).

Openers Karuna Jain and Jaya Sharma laid a strong foundation for the home team on a slow wicket as they forged a strong opening partnership of 67 runs before Sharma fell at 24, but not before hitting three fours and a six.

Vice-captain Anjum Chopra continued with her good form in the series as she took advantage of an already battered English attack and scored an unbeaten quickfire 40 off 46 balls, studded with seven hits to the fence.

The match looked all lost for the visitors as Raj and Chopra treated the English bowlers with disdain in their dominating 81-run stand.

With the slow pitch turning docile, the duo hit the English bowlers to all parts of the field, cheered by a 20,000 strong crowd in the Nehru stadium.

Scorecard

England:
Charltone Edwards c Raj b Amita Sharma 66
Laura Newton b Reema Malhotra 40
Claire Taylor lbw b Al Khadeer 1
Aran Brindle run out (Malhotra) 38
Lydia Greenway c and b Al Khadeer 2
Rosalie Birch st Jain b Al Khadeer 4
Beth Morgain run out (Amita Sharma) 16
Nicola Shaw not out 15.
Extras: (b-5, lb-5, w-23) 33
Total: (for seven wickets in 50 overs) 215

Fall of wickets: 1/102, 2/103, 4/148, 4/154, 5/162, 6/186.7/215.

Bowling: Jhulan Goswami 8-2-31-0, Amita Sharma 10-0-30-1, Rumali Dhar 5-1-20-0, Neetu David 10-0-45-0, Nooshin Al Khadeer 10-0-46-3, Reema Malhotra 7-0-33-1.

India:
Karuna Jain b Brindle 64
Jaya Sharma c and b Watts 24
Mithali Raj not out 65
Anjum Chopra not out 40
Extras: (lb-2, w-15, nb-6) 23
Total: (for two in 40.4 overs) 216

Fall of wickets: 1/67, 2/135.

Bowling: Isha Guha: 7-0-33-0, Beth Morgan 5-0-24-0, Nicola Shaw 3.4-0-34-0, Jo Watts: 9-1-47-1, Charlotte Edwards 10-0-43-0, Rosalie Birch 3-0-15-0, Aran Brindle 3-0-18-1.