Women's Twenty20 international, Mumbai:
England 126-5 (19.2 overs) beat India 125-4 (20 ovs) by five wickets
Match scorecard
 England's decicion to promote Marsh up the order paid off |
Laura Marsh made her highest score for England as they beat India by five wickets in Mumbai to win the Twenty20 series by a 2-1 margin. The 23-year-old from Kent was promoted to number four and responded with an unbeaten 47 off 53 balls. She shared stands of 49 and 44 with Beth Morgan and Jenny Gunn as England reached 126-5 with four balls to spare. Earlier, Marsh, Katherine Brunt, Nicki Shaw and Danielle Hazell took a wicket each in India's total of 125-4. It was par for the course by the home side, who made 125-5 and 126-7 in the two previous games, but it needed an enterprising partnership of 56 between Harmanpreet Kaur (30 not out) and Anjum Chopra (22) to get them there. Having been bowled out for 96 in the second match of the series, England needed an improved batting performance. They did not make a promising start to their run-chase, however, as Hazell, skipper Charlotte Edwards and Brunt all departed inside the first four overs - Edwards caught off Rumeli Dhar after racing to 17 off 11 balls, with the help of four boundaries. It left Marsh, whose previous best score in any form of international cricket was 38, and Morgan with the dual job of stabilising the innings and keeping the scoreboard ticking over.  | It has been great to see some of the younger girls getting international experience and making the most of their opportunities |
They managed both before Morgan was stumped off Diana David for 28 to leave England on 72-4 after 11 overs. Marsh found another reliable partner in Gunn and the tourists were only 10 short of their target when Gunn became left-arm spinner Gouher Sultana's third victim at the start of the penultimate over, bowled for 22. But having lost the 50-over series 3-2, England were in no mood to to throw this one away and Marsh and Lydia Greenway completed the job to put their side in good spirits for their defence of the ICC World Twenty20 title in the Caribbean in May, Marsh hitting her fifth boundary to seal the win. "It is great to finish the tour on a real high. Our priority was to win the Twenty20 series," said Edwards. "We have all worked hard as a team throughout the tour, it has been great to see some of the younger girls getting international experience and making the most of their opportunities. I'm looking forward to the defending our Twenty20 title in the West Indies."
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