The first women’s T20I semi-final of the 2022 Commonwealth Games will be played between England and India on August 6 at Edgbaston in Birmingham. The match will start at 3.30PM IST.
While England topped Group B, beating New Zealand, South Africa, and Sri Lanka in the league stage, India, on the other hand, stood second in Group A, defeating Barbados and Pakistan. The Women in Blue lost to only Australia in the league stage.
Squads
England: Heather Knight (c), Maia Bouchier, Katherine Brunt, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Freya Davies, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Freya Kemp, Nat Sciver, Bryony Smith, Issy Wong, Danni Wyatt
India: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Sabbhineni Meghana, Taniya Sapna Bhatia, Yastika Bhatia, Deepti Sharma, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh, Renuka Thakur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Radha Yadav, Harleen Deol, Sneh Rana
Last 5 performances
While England have won all their last five matches, India, on the other hand, have won three and lost two.
Head-to-Head
England and India have played 22 T20Is against each other, out of which England have won 17 and India have won five.
Players to watch
Alice Capsey:
This right-handed top order batter of England has been the most prolific batter for her side. She has scored 117 runs in three matches, including one half-century. She has a healthy strike rate of 116. She is blessed with good technique and extraordinary match temperament.
Sophie Ecclestone:
The wily left arm spinner from England is the most successful bowler for her side in this competition. She has claimed five wickets in three matches, including the best of 25/3. She has bowled at an economy rate of under five runs per over.
Katherine Brunt:
The right arm speedster from England has scalped four wickets in three matches. The veteran has had an economy rate of just over three runs per over. Apart from her bowling, she is more than a handy lower order batter. She has scored an unbeaten 38 in the only innings in which she batted in this tournament.
Harmanpreet Kaur:
The captain of India, who is a right-handed middle order batter has scored one half-century in two innings in which she has batted in this competition. In addition to this, she also has one wicket to her name, bowling right arm off spin.
Smriti Mandhana:
The left-handed opening batter of India has mustered 92 runs in three matches, including the best of 63 not out. She has batted at a strike rate of 139. She will be expected to lay the foundation for the batters to follow.
Renuka Singh Thakur:
The right arm pace sensation from India has been the leading wicket-taker in this tournament so far. In her three outings, she has scalped nine wickets, including two four-wicket hauls. She is a good new ball bowler and has lethal inswingers in her repertoire.
Pitch
Out of the 12 league matches played at this venue in this Commonwealth Games, teams batting first and the teams batting second have equal number of matches. The average first innings score is 124 and the average second innings score is 105. A high scoring contest can be expected. On the other hand, the spinners would enjoy bowling on this wicket that has undergone a lot of wear and tear over the last one week.
Weather
The weather is expected to see sun and some clouds. The maximum temperature forecast is 21 degrees Celsius. There will be 44 percent cloud cover and just seven percent chance of rain. The wind will blow from the north-west.
Fantasy Playing XI
Amy Jones, Shafali Verma, Alice Capsey, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Katherine Brunt, Deepti Sharma, Harmanpreet Kaur, Renuka Singh Thakur, Sophie Ecclestone, Issy Wong
Upcoming Milestones
- Harmanpreet Kaur is 37 runs away from completing 2500 T20I runs. She will become the 1st Indian and seventh overall to achieve the feat in women’s T20Is.
- Rajeshwari Gayakwad is 5 wickets away from completing 50 T20I wickets. She will become the 6th Indian to do so.
Match details
Date: August 6, 2022
Time: 3.30PM IST
Venue: Edgbaston, Birmingham
Live streaming: Sony LIV app, Sony Sony Sports Network
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I am a former cricketer having represented Mumbai University at All India University level. I was a part of MCA probables for the U-19 and U-23 age group. I have been an avid cricket writer for the last five years. Currently I am pursuing my Ph.D from IIT Bombay.