India A Women started their tour of England in commanding fashion as they defeated England A Women by seven wickets in the first One-Dayer at the County Ground in Hove. Chasing a competitive target of 223 runs, India A produced a composed batting performance, reaching 226/3 in 46 overs with 24 balls remaining. The victory was built on a strong bowling effort followed by crucial partnerships, with Tejal Hasabnis and Harleen Deol playing key roles in a successful run chase.
After winning the toss, India A Women opted to field first and their bowlers kept England A under pressure throughout the innings. England A Women managed to post 222/6 in their allotted 50 overs, but they struggled to maintain momentum against a disciplined Indian bowling attack. The opening partnership between Ella McCaughan and Jodi Grewcock provided a cautious start, but India A struck early when Grewcock was dismissed for just 2 runs off 14 balls, caught by Chattybri and bowled by Jintimani Kalita, leaving England A at 20/1 after 5.4 overs.
Ella McCaughan then attempted to rebuild the innings with Grace Scrivens. The pair added valuable runs, but McCaughan’s innings ended at 25 off 47 balls, including three boundaries, as she was dismissed by Vaishnavi Sharma with Hasabnis taking the catch. England A reached 43/2 after 13.5 overs. Grace Scrivens then took charge and anchored the innings with an impressive 88 off 118 deliveries, hitting six fours and maintaining the scoreboard pressure.
Scrivens found support from Davina Perrin, who contributed 14 off 29 balls before being dismissed by Minnu Mani, while Kira Chathli fell without scoring, bowled by Mani. The biggest partnership of the innings came between Grace Scrivens and Charis Pavely, who added important runs to take England A towards a competitive total. Pavely scored 54 off 84 balls, striking five boundaries, before Shabnam Shakil dismissed her with the score on 186/5. Abi Norgrove remained unbeaten on 13, while Chloe Skelton added an unbeaten 5 as England A finished with 222/6.
India A’s bowling attack shared the responsibility well. Sayali Satghare was the most successful bowler, finishing with figures of 1/59 from 10 overs, while Jintimani Kalita impressed with 1/29 in six overs. Shabnam Shakil claimed 1/35, Vaishnavi Sharma took 1/27, Minnu Mani picked up 2/39 in 10 overs, and Niki Prasad ended with 0/32 from seven overs.
In reply, India A Women began their chase steadily but lost Priya Punia early after she scored 23 off 26 balls with five boundaries. Punia was caught by Norgrove off Charley Phillips, leaving India A at 46/1 after 7.5 overs. Pratika Rawal then played a fluent innings, scoring 46 off 71 deliveries with eight fours. She formed an important partnership with captain Harleen Deol, who controlled the middle overs brilliantly.
The pair helped India A recover from the early setback before Rawal was dismissed for 46, caught by Chathli off Charis Pavely, with the score moving to 92/2. Harleen Deol continued her excellent innings, bringing stability and attacking when required. She scored a valuable 53 off 76 balls, including six boundaries, before being dismissed by Grace Ballinger at 163/3 after 35.5 overs.
With the chase under control, Tejal Hasabnis and Niki Prasad finished the job with an unbeaten partnership. Hasabnis played a match-winning knock of 57 not out from 71 balls, hitting seven fours, while Niki Prasad provided excellent support with an unbeaten 28 off 33 deliveries, including five boundaries. Their partnership ensured India A crossed the target comfortably, finishing at 226/3 in 46 overs.
England A’s bowlers tried to create pressure, with Grace Ballinger taking 1/56 from nine overs, Charley Phillips claiming 1/39 in eight overs, and Charis Pavely picking up 1/33 in eight overs. Chloe Skelton, Grace Potts, and Grace Scrivens also contributed with economical spells but could not prevent India A from completing a dominant victory.
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