Bristol, May 30 (IANS) All-rounder Freya Kemp’s blistering unbeaten 39 off just 13 balls powered England to 168/5 in their 20 overs against India in the second Women’s T20I at the County Ground on Saturday. After the hosts had an iffy time with the bat on a slow pitch, Freya smashed four boundaries and two sixes in a stunning finishing blitz as 39 runs came off the last two overs to dramatically alter the complexion of England’s innings.

For India, left-arm spinner Sree Charani was the standout bowler with 3-25, as she and Shreyanka Patil were superb in never allowing the momentum to slip away, and kept a tight lid on the scoring rate in the middle overs. But India must chase down 169 to clinch a series win and get a big boost in their preparations for the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup.

Electing to bat first, England endured a shaky start in the Power-play, managing only 35 runs for the loss of Sophia Dunkley, who was dropped early by Jemimah Rodrigues but later fell to Nandni Sharma for 10.

Danni Wyatt‑Hodge, back from maternity leave, looked fluent with three boundaries but was dismissed for 29 by Charani, who later removed the in‑form Amy Jones for 28 and accounted for Heather Knight with a sharp return catch.

Shreyanka added to India’s tally by castling Alice Capsey for 28. India’s spinners were largely effective, returning 4-94 in 12 overs at an economy of 7.75, compared to the pacers’ 1-74 in eight overs at 9.25.

The innings, however, turned decisively in the final stretch. Freya, entering at number seven, unleashed a stunning assault on Arundhati Reddy in the 20th over, smashing two sixes and two fours to collect 24 runs.

Danielle Gibson chipped in with 11 off seven balls, including a boundary, as England ransacked 39 runs from the last two overs – 15 of which came off Nandni’s final over too. Freya’s clean hitting for getting maximums and unleashing crisp drives through the off‑side ensured England surged past 160, a total that looked improbable midway through the innings and left India on the task of acing a stiff chase.

Brief Scores: England 168/5 in 20 overs (Freya Kemp 39 not out, Danni Wyatt-Hodge 29; Sree Charani 3-25, Shreyanka Patil 1-29) against India

–IANS

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