Bristol: Freya Kemp backed up her impressive 39 with two wickets as England cruised to a comprehensive 26-run win over India in the second T20I of the three-match home T20I series at the County Ground on Saturday.
England captain Charlie Dean’s decision to bat first in a must-win match paid off.
Leading the way for the home side, budding all-rounder Kemp scored a 13-ball 39 with four fours and two sixes to boost England’s total at the back.
Apart from him, returning opener Danny Wyatt-Hodge (29), Amy Jones and Alice Capsey, 28 each, contributed significantly to England’s total.
Among India’s bowlers, Sri Sarani took 3 for 25 in his four overs, while Sreyanka Patil and Nandani Sharma picked up a wicket each.
Chasing a tough target of 169 runs, the visitors could muster 142/9 in 20 overs thanks to a middle-order collapse.
India got off to a shaky start to the chase as they lost right-arm opener Shafali Verma (22) in the third over with 27 runs to spare.
After an early stumble, Yastika Bhatia joined Smriti Mandana (32) in the middle and the duo batted smartly to add 53 runs for the second wicket, with Kemp caught by the opener in the ninth over.
Bhatia then shared a 39-run partnership with captain Harmanpreet Kaur (28) for the third wicket before being dismissed for 109 off the final ball of the 15th over.
He top-scored for India with a cautious 33 off 36 balls with the help of five fours, while his strategic dismissal backfired on the tour.
For England, Lauren Bell, Kemp and captain Dean took 2 wickets each and Sophie Ecclestone took a scalp.
For his all-round exploits, the 21-year-old Kemp was adjudged the man of the match.
Meanwhile, England’s 26-run win helped level the three-match series against India at 1-1, with the third and final match scheduled for June 2 at Taunton.