India defeat England to advance to Commonwealth Games final

England suffered an agonising four-run defeat and will now compete for the bronze medal on August 7

Edgbaston: India 164-5, England 160-6 - India won by four runs

Scorecard

India are one win away from winning a Commonwealth Games gold medal after defeating England by four runs at Edgbaston.

Smriti Mandhana (61) and Jemimah Rodrigues (44 not out) produced memorable performances with the bat to lay the platform for victory before a nerveless final over from Sneh Rana secured the win.

Mandhana and Shafali Verma shared a swift 76-run partnership for the first wicket and their lightning start had India dreaming of a 200-run total.

However, wickets from Freya Kemp and Nat Sciver checked the run rate, with Verma (15), Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur (20) falling in quick succession.

^{Smriti Mandhana shone with the bat [Darren Staples/Getty Images]}

Rodrigues, however, proved an immovable force and she finished unbeaten on 44 off 31 balls to help her side to 164 for 5 at close.

Katherine Brunt had a hand in the other two wickets to fall, removing Sharma caught and bowled and combining with Danni Wyatt to run out Pooja Vastrakar.

The second innings began well for England, with Wyatt playing brave shots from the get-go.

However, the early loss of Sophia Dunkley, lbw for 19 in the third over, set the tone for England with the bat as a lack of communication and awareness ultimately lost the game for them.

Alice Capsey (13), one of three England players dismissed by a run out, was the next to fall, and was soon joined in the shed by Wyatt (bowled Rana).

Nat Sciver (41), who provided some late fireworks, and Amy Jones (31) shared a 54-run partnership to keep England in contention while Sophie Ecclestone struck the final ball for six. But it was all in vain as England fell five runs shy of victory.

Rana finished with figures of 2 for 28 while Sharma impressed with 1 for 18.

England will face either Australia or New Zealand in the bronze medal match on August 7.

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