Dean’s four-for, England’s sharp fielding wrap up India for 134

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36.2 overs India Women 134 (Mandhana 35, Ghosh 33, Dean 4-23) vs England Women

Rookie offspinner Charlie Dean claimed four wickets as India were bowled out for 134 in 36.2 overs to give England a modest target in their World Cup clash in Mount Maunganui.

Anya Shrubsole, the heroine of England’s 2017 World Cup final triumph over India, set England on track with two early wickets before Dean’s career-best 4 for 23 put her side, winless so far in this edition of the tournament, firmly in command.

Punished for bowling too short in their three-wicket defeat to South Africa on Monday, England’s bowlers came in with a clear plan to bowl fuller to the Indian side and they executed well. The defending champions also found the improved fielding performance they had targeted before the match from the outset as India never really got going amid a steady stream of wickets and lost a damaging 7 for 73 in the end.

Shrubsole claimed her 100th ODI wicket when she removed Yastika Bhatia in the fourth over, tempting a drive with an excellent fuller ball which had a hint of inswing and caught a faint inside edge before clattering into the top of middle stump.

Perhaps even more satisfying for England, given their previous poor performances in the field, was Shrubsole’s next wicket as Sophia Dunkley took the first chance of the match in the air, diving forwards at cover point to take a strong low catch off Mithali Raj for just 1. As if to ram home the point that they were a different fielding side in this encounter, Kate Cross threw down the stumps from mid-off to remove Deepti Sharma by a long way via a direct hit that had India floundering on 28 for 3.

Dean entered the attack in the 17th over and made an immediate impact, claiming two wickets in four balls as India slumped to 61 for 5.

Dean, who only made her international debut during the home series against New Zealand late last year and was playing just her second World Cup game, drew an edge as Harmanpreet Kaur defended and was caught behind by Amy Jones. Dean then dismissed Sneh Rana for a second-ball duck with a flighted delivery outside off, her invitation to drive accepted and Jones once again collecting behind the stumps.

India had gone into their shell, batting out 8.2 overs without a boundary before Smriti Mandhana charged at Sophie Ecclestone and cleared mid-off for four. Ecclestone responded three balls later, however, beating Mandhana’s attempted sweep and rapping the front pad, the batter unsuccessfully reviewing the lbw decision and departing for 35.

Pooja Vastrakar overturned her lbw dismissal off Dean when ball-tracking revealed the impact was outside off but Dean responded perfectly two balls later by tightening her line on a flatter delivery as Vastrakar failed to connect on her sweep and was struck in front of off stump. She decided to review again with barely a second to spare only to have umpire Paul Wilson’s decision confirmed.

At that point India had lost 4 for 25 in 8.1 overs and it fell to Jhulan Goswami and Richa Ghosh to try and rescue their team. Goswami started well with a four off Dean through mid-on followed by a six powered down the ground off Cross, but another sharp run out, this time by Nat Sciver running across from midwicket and hitting the stumps at the non-striker’s end, ended their partnership on 37 when Ghosh’s bat was shown to be still in the air as she dived over the line.

Goswami followed a short time later, spooning Cross straight to Danni Wyatt at backward point to depart for 20, and Dean finished off the innings by bowling Meghna Singh.