Shafali Verma struck a 25-ball 50 to power India’s seven-wicket victory over ECB’s Development XI in the first of two warm-up games before the three-match T20I tour of England beginning later this month. | Photo Credit: K.R. Deepak

A warm-up fixture between India and England and Wales Cricket Board’s Development XI got the visitor’s preparation for the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup underway. A solid batting effort helped India cruise to a seven-wicket victory in Chelmsford on Monday, with batters going on past target to get some time out in the middle under their belts.

Batting first, ECB’s XI struggled against the early swing on offer from India’s seam bowling pool. Renuka Singh Thakur, Kranti Gaud and Arundhati Reddy. Arundhati, in particular, inflicted damage in the PowerPlay with twin strikes in her her first over of the day reducing the host to 16/3 in just the third over of the innings, removing Tilly Kesteven and Bethan Gammon off consecutive deliveries.

Thereafter, India struggled to find breakthroughs. Keeper-batter Ariana Dowse and Florence Miller added 52 runs off the next 49 balls, before Shreyanka Patil clipped the off stump bail to remove the former. Miller fell two runs short of a fifty, with Arundhati breaching her defence and crashing through her middle and leg stumps. Joanne Gardner and skipper Sophia Smale carried the side to 154/6.

The match was unheralded pacer Nandni Sharma’s first run with the senior side. She was economical in her three overs but went wicketless. The tweakers helped keep things in check but Shreyanka was particularly expensive, going at 10.33 in her three-over spell.

India’s response got off to a dominant start with stand-in skipper Smriti Mandhana using some loose bowling to her benefit, hacking 15 runs off the target in the very first over. Living dangerously cost her and she sliced a full toss from Clara Thaker straight to Liberty Heap.

Thereafter, Shafali Verma and a returning Yastika Bhatia took charge of the chase with a 77-run stand off 42 balls, before the former retired out after bringing up a 25-ball half fifty. Bharti Fulmali came in at number 4, in Harmanpreet Kaur’s absence; the Indian skipper received her Padma Shri from President Droupadi Murmu in New Delhi. Yastika fell just short of a fifty herself. Bharti and Arundhati got the job done with three overs to spare but kept going to aid acclimatisation.

Published on May 25, 2026