India Won By The Match 35 Run

India Won By The Match 35 Run

India 281-3 (50 overs)
England 246 (47.2 overs)

England were stunned on the opening day of the Women’s World Cup, losing by 35 runs to India in Derby.

Openers Smriti Mandhana and Punam Raut took advantage of some poor England bowling, before Mithali Raj lifted India to 281-3.

England stumbled to 67-3 in reply, and though Fran Wilson made 81, she was run out brilliantly by Ekta Bisht and the hosts were bowled out for 246.

That will represent a good opportunity to register a first victory, in an eight-team tournament where each side plays each other before the semi-finals.

However, an England defeat in that game, or the matches against Sri Lanka and South Africa that follow, would be a huge setback, with sterner tests against Australia, New Zealand and West Indies to follow.

England next play on Tuesday, against Pakistan in Leicester.