Marsh sets up second victory for England
Laura Marsh, the off-spinner, was England’s second highest wicket-taker during its tour of Sri Lanka last November. That was its last international assignment before the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 at home. So, it was surprising when Marsh did not play the first two games. She returned to action against Sri Lanka at the County Ground in Taunton on Sunday, and made an immediate impact in a seven-wicket win.
Her returns of 4 for 45 and Natalie Sciver’s 2 for 32, which included the scalp of Chamari Athapaththu, restricted Sri Lanka to 204 for 8 after it opted to bat first. Sarah Taylor and Heather Knight made 74 not out and 82 respectively, and shared a third-wicket partnership of 148 to steer the chase, England reaching 206 for 3 in 30.2 overs to record its second win in three games.
Sri Lanka started strongly through an opening partnership of 44 between Nipuni Hansika and Hasini Perera. Sciver broke the stand in the 13th over when Fran Wilson caught Hansika for 17, which included three fours.
The big breakthrough came in Sciver’s next over when Athapaththu, who had stolen the limelight with her unbeaten 178 in a losing cause against Australia, was caught behind for 1.
After that, it was the Marsh show. Introduced into the attack in the 21st over, she struck with her eighth ball when Perera was caught behind for 46.
Marsh landed another decisive blow in the 29th over when Shashikala Siriwardene, who hit five fours in her 33, was bowled. Sri Lanka was reduced to 118 for 4, and in search for partnerships. England never allowed it to get away as the spinners dried up the boundaries.
Dilani Manodara (28), Oshadi Ranasinghe (26) and Ama Kanchana (34 not out) did their best, but there was very little contribution from the rest of the lower order. That Sri Lanka crossed the 200-run mark was because of an eighth-wicket partnership of 45 between Ranasinghe and Kanchana.
Sri Lanka’s bowling had been thoroughly exposed in its losses to New Zealand and Australia, and it once again fell short against the home side. Considering that the match was being played on a used surface, England’s plan during its chase was clear. It attacked the new ball to stack up 65 for 2 in the first Power Play.
Even if Kanchana removed Tammy Beaumont and Lauren Winfield, the openers, by the eighth over, England had already crossed 50 by then.
Winfield, playing her first game of the tournament after recovering from a wrist injury, was particularly aggressive with five fours in her 24-ball 26. Taylor, back to her favourite No. 3 position, and Knight, the captain, took over the responsibility after that.
They scored at 6.62 runs per over, hitting 21 fours and one six between them. Knight fell off the 76th ball of her innings in the 30th over, but Taylor remained unconquered, her 74 coming off 67 balls.