India's Mandhana and Kaur fall in inaugural women's Test at Lord's / Photo: JUSTIN TALLIS - AFP
India's Mandhana and Kaur fall in inaugural women's Test at Lord's
India suffered a double blow as opener Smriti Mandhana fell agonisingly short of becoming the first woman to score a Test century at Lord's on Friday before England dismissed Harmanpreet Kaur as well.
The tourists looked like they might bat through the second session without losing a wicket while opener Mandhana (83) and India captain Kaur (58) were sharing a fourth-wicket partnership of 89.
But Mandhana, eyeing a coveted place on the Lord's honours boards, edged fast bowler Issy Wong behind, with wicket-keeper Amy Jones holding a fine catch standing up to the stumps.
And Kaur was out to what became the last ball before tea when bowled trying to drive a sharply turning off-break from England debutant Mady Villiers to leave India 202-5.
After 142 years -- and 150 matches -- of men's Test cricket at Lord's, this four-day fixture represents another landmark in the evolution of a now fast-developing women's game.
This match is also taking place 50 years after the first major women's match at the London ground, a one-day international between England and Australia.
Members of the England team that day gathered on the outfield Friday to ring the five-minute bell signalling the start of play.
In contrast to that 1976 team, England were playing their second match at the 'Home of Cricket' in under a week following their defeat by arch-rivals Australia in Sunday's T20 World Cup final -- with India knocked out of the tournament by the eventual champions in a group-stage game at Lord's.
And in a feat women cricketers of the amateur era could scarcely have envisaged, Friday's match meant Mandhana became the youngest women to feature in 300 international games across all formats at the age of 29 years and 357 days.
But after England won the toss, Shafali Verma suffered the disappointment of a duck when well-caught by a diving Jones off Lauren Filer.
Yastika Bhatia also fell cheaply when bowled by a superb Lauren Bell delivery that swung in and seamed away.
But elegant left-hander Mandhana cover-drove Bell for several fours in classic style and later slog-swept spinner Sophie Ecclestone for six on her way to a run-a-ball fifty.
Jemimah Rodrigues helped Mandhana put on 64 for the third-wicket before she unluckily dragged on to Wong for 35.
India were 122-3 at lunch, with Mandhana 56 not out and Kaur unbeaten on 14.
England's bowlers struggled for accuracy early in the second session.
Kaur -- in just the eighth Test of her long career - carved Bell through point for four and swept Villiers for another boundary.
Before the match, the 37-year-old India great said it was "late but not too late" and Kaur marked the occasion with a well-made fifty off 99 balls including six fours.
B.Boyer--JdCdC
