News Jun 10, 2026

All-round England trump Richa Ghosh’s heroics in warm-up

England Secures Thrilling Win Over India in Warm-Up Game

On paper, England won and India lost, but for both sides, a thrilling warm-up game in Cardiff was almost the near-perfect workout before the 2026 T20 World Cup kicks off.

England posted 171 for 6 after being inserted at the toss, and captain Nat Sciver-Brunt – in much need of some batting time – produced a 45-ball 57 that held the first innings together. She got an opportunity to start slow and then build into her innings courtesy of opener Amy Jones’ 45-ball 64, who continues her splendid form.

England’s Batting Performance

Despite a middle-overs wobble triggered by India’s spinners, Dani Gibson struck four fours and a six in her unbeaten 12-ball cameo of 30 in the death overs to provide England with a strong finish.

India, with their captain Harmanpreet Kaur back in the team after missing the opening warm-up game, continued their experiment of giving Shafali Verma one over to start the bowling innings while Renuka Thakur conceded 44 runs. Kranti Gaud mixed her lengths, often troubling England’s batters with the fuller deliveries.

India’s Chase

Then in the chase, Smriti Mandhana fell for 1, and the next four batters produced scores of 13, 15, 17 and 18. With batters settling in and then getting out, it was Richa Ghosh from No. 6 who dragged the game from a one-sided affair to a close one. With nine fours and two sixes, she scored 68 in 36 balls, but with six needed off three balls, she was stumped in the final over. Linsey Smith, who was bowling the 20th over, finished with a three-wicket haul.

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Alice Capsey, not Jones, kept gloves for England in the chase, a move to acclimatise their back-up keeper. Jemimah Rodrigues, Lauren Bell, Arundhati Reddy, Sophia Dunkley and Heather Knight were some squad members across both teams who were rested for this fixture.

Upcoming Tournament Openers

Both teams now move to Birmingham for their respective tournament openers. England play Sri Lanka (June 12) while India take on Pakistan (June 14), both at Edgbaston.

Julian Anand

Julian Anand is a senior cricket writer at ESPNcricinfo, known for his lyrical prose and deep-dive longform features on the sport’s unsung heroes. An alumnus of St. Stephen's College, he began his career covering Delhi’s club and university circuits before joining the global cricket desk. Julian has a rare ability to humanise the game—whether chronicling a young pacer from the Maidan or revisiting a forgotten Test classic. He is especially respected for his technical breakdowns of fast bowling and his archival research into cricket history. His work has been recognised with the SJA British Sports Journalism Award and multiple internal honours at Cricinfo. When not at the press box, Julian mentors young sports writers and plays occasional league cricket as a medium-pacer.