Watch highlights of England's victory
An impressive all-round performance from Heather Knight helped England to a 42-run Duckworth/Lewis win over India at Scarborough in the first Royal London one-day international.
Heavy rain ended the game early but Knight stood out with both bat and ball. She took an international-best 3-28 with her spin before sharing a 110-run partnership with Charlotte Edwards to all but ensure England’s victory.
The hosts made early inroads after winning the toss. The returning Katherine Brunt bowled with good pace but it was Anya Shrubsole who soon made the first breakthrough, drawing Thirush Kamini into a loose drive and having her caught behind by Sarah Taylor.
India were struggling at 18 for two when Karu Jain fell to a good low catch by Knight at first slip, before Smriti Mandhana and Mithali Raj helped rebuild after a rain delay.
Raj was aggressive, striking Jenny Gunn over long-on before driving Danni Hazell back over her head for four. The two put on 50 in 115 balls before Raj was caught behind off Gunn for 34.
Mandhana made her second consecutive ODI half-century but England were rewarded for some tight bowling when Harmanpreet Kaur swept a leg-side Knight delivery to Edwards.
India played aggressively in the powerplay, taking 31 from four overs, before Mandhana was run out at the non-striker’s end for a well-constructed 74.
The tourists struggled in the final overs, with Jhulan Goswami run out before Vellaswamy Vanitha was stumped for a quick 27.
Niranjana Nagarajan was then bowled by Knight, before Ekta Bisht and Shikha Pandey played their shots to finish the India innings on 193 for eight from 47 overs.
England, chasing 195 to win after a D/L recalculation, began positively. Edwards and Knight hit 19 off the first two overs, the former dealing almost exclusively in boundaries before the rain arrived.
With the target again reduced, England played more cautiously before Edwards grabbed the initiative. She brought up her half-century from just 56 balls, including nine boundaries, before her attacking innings was ended on 57 as she was bowled by Bisht.
Knight’s own half-century came from 63 balls but she fell to a good catch in the deep by Vanitha as she tried to slog-sweep Pandey for six.
Lauren Winfield played some eye-catching drives but miscued Goswami to mid-on before play was abandoned with Taylor and Lydia Greenway not out.
The game was streamed live on the ECB’s YouTube Channel, just as Saturday’s next match will be. You can recap today’s action below.
By Matt Somerford & Rob Barnett
Live Scorecard / Follow ECB_cricket on Twitter
Why not have a listen at what player of the match Heather Knight had to say, below, including why she has switched from bowling seam to spin?
Heather Knight Press Conference Audio 21.8.14 https://t.co/BM10Fo8Bgb via @audioboo
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) August 21, 2014
. @Heatherknight55 collects her Player of the Match award for her 3 wkts and half century v India #EngWomenpic.twitter.com/XPsTylX3uD
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) August 21, 2014
5.46pm – ENGLAND WIN BY 42 RUNS ON DUCKWORTH/LEWIS! No more play is possible so the hosts are victorious thanks to their 153 for three from 30.1 overs in reply to India’s 193 for eight in 47 overs. Fifties from Edwards and Knight trumped Smriti Mandhana’s 74. England go ahead in the three-game series and take two points in the new ICC Women’s Championship. That next match of the series is on Saturday at the same venue. There will be a report and quotes here later.
5.25pm – Rain intervenes with England 153 for three from 31 overs. It’s safe to say England are comfortably ahead on Duckworth/Lewis.
5.16pm – Lauren Winfield falls for 15 to Jhulan Goswami, making the hosts 148 for three in the 29th over. They need another 36 from 13.1 overs.
110 - The 110 put on by Edwards and Knight is the second highest ODI opening partnership for @ECB_cricket Women against India. Platform.
— OptaJim (@OptaJim) August 21, 2014
5.01pm – Knight holes out to deep midwicket for 52 off Shivanand Jajeswari, leaving England to 127 for two in the 25th over.
4.52pm - Knight brings up her fifty now, from 63 balls, and England are 121 for one. A 1-0 lead in the three-match series looks almost certainly assured.
Great knock from @Lottie2323! 57 off 64 balls. Watch live http://t.co/VTh8OIDop2#EngWomenpic.twitter.com/JpeWPE99fm
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) August 21, 2014
4.36pm - Edwards brings up a half-century from 56 balls with a cut through backward point. The skipper has found the boundary nine times and after raising her bat the century stand with Knight is also completed.
4.11pm - Edwards and Knight are doing as they please at the moment. They advance the score to 66 without loss after 10 overs.
3.55pm - The players are back out in the middle with Edwards unbeaten on 22 and Knight on 21.
3.26pm - The rain is back at Scarborough and the players are off. England have made a stunning start through to be 44 for none after five overs. They've profited on some poor India bowling, which has ensured they are going to be ahead of any Duckworth/Lewis calculations if this rain lingers all afternoon.
3.15pm - A confident start by openers Charlotte Edwards and Heather Knight has helped England to 22 without loss after the first three overs.
44 - Sarah Taylor needs 44 runs to pass Claire Taylor as @ECB_cricket Women’s highest ODI run-scorer against India Women in England. Made.
— OptaJim (@OptaJim) August 21, 2014
2.30pm -India finish on 193 for eight with Mandhana's 74 leading the way for the tourists. Knight took a career-best 3-28 with her off-spin while Shrubsole's two early wickets forced India on the back foot early.
2.26pm - Shrubsole goes for a couple of boundaries in the penultimate over as Shikha Pandey offers the late hitting for India. The tourists are 184 for eight.
2.20pm - Knight has a third wicket with her gentle spin. Niranjana Nagarajan runs past a ball that ends up yorking her and crashing into the stumps. Knight has 3-19 from six overs. India are 174 for eight with two overs to go.
2.10pm - After those two run-outs Vanitha swipes at Knight only to be stumped by Taylor for 27. This is great stuff from England as India can't get any momentum going at the end of the innings.
Great work by @GunnJenny to hit the stumps & get the run out! Watch live http://t.co/VTh8OIDop2#EngWomenpic.twitter.com/10amGB0E7l
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) August 21, 2014
2.07pm - Another run-out. Vanitha drives forcefully to mid-off and then sends Jhulan Goswami back. The intial throw misses the stumps but Gunn collects and still has time to flick the ball back onto the stumps with Goswami well out of her ground. India are 159 for six with five overs to go.
1.59pm - Mandhana's excellent knock comes to an end on 74 as she is run out at the non-striker's end. Vellaswamy Vanitha sends her partner back after flicks straight to Gunn who cleverly lobs her throw for Shrubsole to gather and remove the bails.
1.44pm - India have taken the batting powerplay, but England's bowlers are doing well to restrict them so far. The tourists are 125 for four after 37 overs. Just two come from the previous over bowled by Hazell.
1.31pm - Knight has removed Harmanpreet Kaur with a ball that won't go down as one of her best. It's wide down the leg side and Kaur sweeps to Edwards at short fine-leg where the captain dives forward to hold on. India are 108 for four after 32 overs.
1.21pm - Mandhana leans into a drive off Brunt that races away to the point rope to bring up her fifty from 72 balls. It has been an impressive innings from the 18-year-old.
1.19pm - India reach 100 in the 29th over. Mandhana is closing in on a half-century. The opener has 47 from 70 balls.
1.08pm - England have enjoyed the best of it since the rain delay. India have added just 11 runs in the past five overs to be 88 for three from 26 overs. Gunn and Natalie Sciver are working well in tandem.
12.54pm - Gunn gets the key wicket of Mithali. The India skipper plays slightly away from her body and Taylor holds a sharp chance standing up to the stumps. Mithali departs for 34 with her side 77 for three in the 22nd over.
Towels, gloves & woolly hats! Just some of the items being used by the India bench to keep warm today #EngWomenpic.twitter.com/1vI8SQg5S7
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) August 21, 2014
12.40pm - We're back on after a 50-minute delay. That has meant the match has been reduced to 47 overs each.
.@ConnorCricket tells @BBCSport next years Women's Ashes will be played at first class venues with no clashes with men's games #EngWomen
— BBC TMS (@bbctms) August 21, 2014
11.50am - It's raining again and we're off for the second break of the morning with India 60 for two from 18 overs. You get the feeling we may have a few more of these today, although the forecast suggests things will brighten up as the day goes on.
11.46am - Hazell loses a bit of grip in the damp conditions and bowls a full-toss that Mithali punishes with a one-bounce four back over her head. The world's top-ranked batter was not going to miss out on that. India are starting to get going now. They're 52 for two after 17 overs.
11.35am - Mithali Raj shows some attacking as he launches Jenny Gunn over mid-on for four. The India skipper has been fairly sedate thus far - she has 10 from 33 balls - with her side 40 for two after 14 overs.
11.24am - After the 10-over powerplay India are 32 for two. Smriti Mandhana has steadied the tourists with a couple of fine strokes to be 18 from 24 balls. England have now turned to spin with Danni Hazell into the attack.
.@Lottie2323 is leading #Engwomen back onto the field after a short pause for rain, could be one of those days. @KBrunt26 to continue
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) August 21, 2014
10.57am - The players are going off as the rain has become a bit more steady. India are 18 for two after six overs.
10.52am - Shrubsole strikes again. Karuna Jain edges to Heather Knight at first slip where the vice-captain gets down well to take the low catch. Rain is gently falling and it is bitterly cold with that wind off the North Sea. Shrubsole is enjoying the conditions though and is vindicating Edwards' decision to bowl.
10.45am - Anya Shrubsole has struck in her second over. The Somerset right-armer draws Thirush Kamini into a loose stroke outside off stump and Sarah Taylor holds onto a comfortable catch. India are seven for one are four overs.
. @KBrunt26 to bowl the 1st over for #Engwomen in her come back match. Here's what she's aiming at... pic.twitter.com/NeW3QTrsJb
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) August 21, 2014
10.15am - Hello and welcome to our live blog from the first Royal London One-Day international at Scarborough. England captain Charlotte Edwards has won the toss and elected to bowl in overcast and windy conditions up on the north-east coast.