Key events
Raf Nicholson is tanning her ankles in Bristol and reports lasagne and profiteroles in the press box, “the food of dreams,”
“Gorgeous sunshine. Ground looking busy. England did a special cap presentation earlier to nine year old Evie, who also had a keeping master class from Amy Jones before play. She needs to watch her back because Evie looks pretty good to me .”
India XI – Harmanpreet and Shreyanka Patil return
Harmanpreet, who was rested for the first T20, returns and fancies the pitch looks dry and so they play the extra spinner, Shreyanka Patil. Bharti Fulmali and Kranti Gaud miss out.
India XI: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Sree Charani, Nandni Sharma.
England XI – Smith and Wyatt-Hodge return
England have bolstered their batting, with new mum Danni Wyatt Hodge returning. Linsey Smith is also back. Issy Wong and Tilly Corteen-Coleman miss out.
England XI: Sophie Dunkley, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Amy Jones (wk), Alice Capsey, Heather Knight, Freya Kemp, Dani Gibson, Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell.
England win the toss and will bat
Charlie Dean: “it feels a good day to get out there – it looks a bit of a belter. We were in a brilliant position with both bat and ball at the half way stage, we need to be more ruthless.”
Harmanpreet Kaur: would have batted too. Happy with the team and the balance pre World Cup.
Preamble
Hello! The World Cup is now less than two weeks away and England have just two games left to primp and preen their strategy. Out-thought and out-bowled by India in the first T20 at Chelmsford, they will want to do better today in Bristol – stand-in captain Charlie Dean pinpointed “leaving ourselves too much to do at the end,” as a flaw to fix.
Play will start at 2.30pmBST, the toss and the teams at 2pm. Do join us.
