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

Aditya Rao · 10/06/2026 · 2 min read

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’s Bowling and Batting Performance

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.

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.

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Key Players and Takeaways

Linsey Smith, who was bowling the 20th over, finished with a three-wicket haul. 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.

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.

Aditya Rao

Aditya Rao is a senior cricket correspondent for Hindustan Times, known for his unflinching deep dives into the corridors of Indian cricket governance and the forgotten tiers of the domestic game. A graduate of Jamia Millia Islamia and a trained investigative journalist, Aditya brings a policy-level rigour rarely seen on the sports pages. His expertise lies in bridging the gap between the Test match purist and the systemic realities of the modern game—covering everything from Ranji Trophy structural reforms to the economics of player development in India’s hinterlands. He has broken several major stories on administrative overhauls and has profiled dozens of unsung players from India’s age‑group pathways. A recipient of the Ramnath Goenka Award and a trusted voice for accountability in sport, Aditya continues to write with a belief that a robust cricketing culture depends as much on sound governance as it does on a solid cover drive.