England break World Cup duck with comfortable win over India

After three straight defeats, Heather Knight's side could afford no more slip-ups and they produced a much-improved performance to beat India easily

Tauranga: India 134, England 136-6 - England win by four wickets

England broke their World Cup duck at the fourth attempt, beating India by four wickets thanks predominantly to a fine display in the field.

Charlie Dean claimed four wickets in a much-improved team performance that was typified by an excellent catch from Sophia Dunkley to dismiss Mithali Raj and a direct-hit runout from Kate Cross that left Deepti Sharma short of her ground. Heather Knight made an unbeaten half century in response.

Knight's team had come into the game – their second in three days at Mount Maunganui – under enormous pressure following three successive losses. No England side had ever gone on such a run at a Women's World Cup, and they knew that barring an unlikely set of results, a fourth defeat would just about end their hopes of retaining the crown they won in 2017.

Nonetheless, it was a surprise when Knight won the toss and opted to field first. But her decision was vindicated once Anya Shrubsole bowled Yastika Bhatia and had Raj caught at cover by Dunkley, with Sharma run out two overs later with India still within the powerplay.

The only partnership of note for India came between Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur, both of whom made centuries in a mammoth stand against West Indies earlier in the tournament. They couldn't replicate that effort, however, with Dean – England's youngest player and featuring in just her second match of the competition – producing beauties to claim Kaur and Sneh Rana in the same over,  both edging balls that drifted away from them, before Mandhana, who top-scored with 35, missed a sweep against Sophie Ecclestone to fall lbw.

^{Heather Knight made an unbeaten half century as England beat India (Hannah Peters/Getty Images)}

Thereafter, India were indebted to Richa Ghosh in reaching three figures at all, with Dean adding Pooja Vastrakar and Meghna Singh to her growing list of scalps. Kate Cross chipped in with the wicket of Jhulan Goswami in an expensive three-over burst.

England's reply started in nervy fashion; Danni Wyatt failed for the second time in two games since replacing Lauren Winfield-Hill at the top of the order, while Tammy Beaumont – who led a much-improved fielding display – was trapped in front by Goswami for her 250th ODI wicket, via an intelligent review from India.

Nat Sciver, hardly utilised with the ball, was the most fluent player on either side with the bat. She smashed 45 off 46 deliveries, before chipping a catch to midwicket just as she appeared set to lead England to a vital victory.

In her absence, that job was left to Knight, who ensured an extension to England's stay in the last-chance saloon. She passed fifty and was present as the calm head at the end, watching as Amy Jones (10), Sophia Dunkley (17) and Katherine Brunt (0) all came and went while trying to improve England's net run rate.

They got there in the end though, and further wins against New Zealand, Pakistan and Bangladesh would give them eight points and a very realistic possibility of reaching the semi-finals in spite of their desperate start.