The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton, will host the national women’s teams of England and Pakistan for the 2nd One-Day International (ODI) of the ongoing bilateral series. Following England’s convincing win in the ODI opener, Pakistan faces a must-win in the 2nd ODI, scheduled for the 26th of May 2024, at 3:30 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).
Squads:
England – Heather Knight (C), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones (WK), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danielle Wyatt
Pakistan – Nida Dar (C), Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Zafar, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Gull Feroza, Muneeba Ali (WK), Najiha Alvi (WK), Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Rameen Shamim, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Tuba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani, Waheeda Akhtar
Players to watch out:
Nat Sciver-Brunt
The 31-year-old all-rounder, from 93 ODI outings, has amassed 3474 runs, at an average of 45.11 and from 90 bowling innings has taken 73 wickets. Nat hasn’t had a bowl in this series and also missed the 1st Twenty20 International (T20I). She registered scores of 31, 8, and 32 in the subsequent games and can be banked upon to lead the scoring, notching up a big score.
Sophie Ecclestone
The 25-year-old left-arm off-spinner, from 62 ODIs, has secured 98 wickets, including her best of 6/36, maintaining an economy rate of 3.67, and has also been handy with the bat, scoring 342 runs from 45 innings. With 5 wickets from 3 T20Is and a three-fer in the ODI opener in this series, Sophie has continued her extraordinary form and can be relied upon for the goods.
Aliya Riaz
The 31-year-old all-rounder, from 60 ODI outings, has accumulated 1288 runs and also chipped in with the ball, bagging 12 wickets. Aliya has struggled for runs of late but consistently managed starts, departing on scores of 19 and 21 on this tour, and it’ll be hoped she capitalizes on the starts. In her first bowling outing in a while, her figures read 2/24 in the ODI opener.
Nashra Sundhu
The 26-year-old left-arm off-spinner has scalped 88 wickets from 65 ODIs, maintaining an economy rate of 4.29, and has registered her best of 4/26. Nashra, in a recent series against West Indies, struck 4 wickets from a couple of ODIs, and in the ODI opener this series against England returned figures of 2/41. The team will count on her for breakthroughs.
Pitch:
The Cooper Associates County Ground provides a well-balanced playing surface, slightly favoring the batters. Despite being good for batting, the average score in the 220s suggests that bowlers, especially spinners, can expect some assistance from the pitch.
Weather:
The temperature is expected to hover around 16°C with moderate winds and a humidity of 82%. However, with rain on the radar throughout the match duration, the chances of a complete game are very slim.
Fantasy playing XI:
Amy Jones, Heather Knight, Tammy Beaumont, Aliya Riaz, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Nida Dar, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Kate Cross, Sadia Iqbal
Match details:
Date – May 26, 2024
Time – 3:30 PM IST
Venue – The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton
Broadcast – The game will be live-streamed on the FanCode app and website.