England Women edged past India Women by five wickets on the last ball of the fifth and final T20I at Edgbaston. They pulled off a stunning victory by chasing down a target of 168 runs, recording their highest-ever successful run chase in women’s T20Is on home soil. Although India had already sealed the series 3-2, the final match turned into another nail-biter that was decided on the last delivery.

Charlie Dean picked up three wickets, and Danni Wyatt-Hodge celebrated her 300th game for England in style with a powerful half-century. Together with Sophia Dunkley, she helped England stay on course before the hosts held their nerve in the tense final moments.

Shafali Verma Lifts India with Fiery Knock

Earlier in the match, Shafali Verma played her best innings of the series after being dropped post the 2023 T20 World Cup. She scored 75 off just 41 balls after India found themselves in early trouble at 19 for 2. No other Indian batter managed to cross 25, and only three reached double digits.

Shafali attacked right from the start. In the seventh over, she smashed Issy Wong for 20 runs, including a straight six and two powerful boundaries. She then brought up her half-century in only 23 balls, matching Mandhana as the second-fastest Indian woman to reach the mark—just behind Richa Ghosh’s record.

England’s Bowlers Step Up

England showed significant improvement in their bowling and fielding—areas that had been under criticism since their T20 World Cup exit. Em Arlott and Linsey Smith, returning to the playing XI, made early breakthroughs.

Dean played a crucial role in the middle overs. She first clean bowled Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur and later trapped Deepti Sharma LBW. Her spell of 3 for 23 with an economy rate under six was a key highlight. Sophie Ecclestone added two wickets to her name, including one where she dismissed Harleen Deol leg-before.

Maia Bouchier, making a return to the side, showed sharp fielding skills. She took a brilliant diving catch near the boundary to dismiss Shafali, making up for previous fielding lapses during England’s World Cup campaign. She also took another catch to remove Richa Ghosh.

Shafali’s Knock Stands Out in India’s Innings

Shafali’s attacking strokeplay brought up India’s 100 with a lofted shot back over Arlott’s head. But her dismissal to Dean—thanks to Bouchier’s athletic catch at cow corner—triggered a collapse. Despite her efforts, India could only post 167 for 7 in their 20 overs.

Fielding Changes and Player Rotations

England rotated their squad in this final T20I. Seamers Lauren Bell and Lauren Filer were rested in preparation for the ODI series. Their replacements—Arlott and Smith—made an immediate impact. The team also recalled Maia Bouchier as an injury replacement for Nat Sciver-Brunt.

Strong Start by Wyatt-Hodge and Dunkley

Opening batters Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Sophia Dunkley gave England a perfect start with a 101-run partnership. Their aggressive approach made the chase look easy early on. Dunkley smashed a six over long-on and followed it up with a boundary. Wyatt-Hodge played all around the ground and brought up her fifty off 30 balls with a well-timed pull.

However, the momentum shifted when both openers fell to spin in quick succession. Dunkley was bowled just one run short of her half-century by Radha Yadav. Soon after, Wyatt-Hodge misjudged a shot against Deepti Sharma and was caught by Jemimah Rodrigues.

Late Drama in the Final Over

The pressure mounted in the last over with England needing six runs to win. Arundhati Reddy, who had been expensive earlier, turned the game briefly by dismissing Tammy Beaumont and Amy Jones in the first three balls. That left England needing five from the final three deliveries.

Sophie Ecclestone and Paige Scholfield ran three off a sliced shot, and then Scholfield added a single. With one run needed off the final ball, Ecclestone pushed it to mid-on. Smriti Mandhana collected the ball and tried to run Ecclestone out, but her throw missed the stumps. Ecclestone completed the run, sealing England's win in dramatic fashion.

Brief Scorecard