Rain fails to dim Shrubsole's star role for England as West Indies crumble

Anya Shrubsole was in inspired form with both ball and bat for England. With the bat, she propelled England to a total they looked like falling short of at one stage. With the ball, she blew away West Indies top order. If only she could have blown away the rain as well. England won by 121 runs on DLS.

England won the toss and batted first with an eye on continuing their good form with the bat. They knew that the West Indies would want to prove that the first ODI.

Whereas England got a juicy full toss first ball to get Amy Jones on her way with a six first ball. Today Jones had to work for her runs. The fluent Jones of Thursday did not turn up today. West Indies bowled consistently outside Jones off stump. There were wild swishes at too many deliveries for the opening batter.

Tammy Beaumont, on the other hand, was busy as ever. Beaumont would score 61 from 83 balls to top score for England. The openers put down a base of 59 for the first wicket before Jones luck run out and Hayley Matthews took a good diving catch at Point to give Chinelle Henry her first wicket.

Henry wasn’t originally named in the side having been replaced by Britney Cooper the opening batter. Shakera Selman injured herself in the warm-up and Henry was back in.

Sarah Taylor started to exude the confidence of old. there was a groan from the crowd when one of her paddle sweeps didn't pay off. The crowd wanted to see an innings of class from the England wicketkeeper.

England resumed on 73 for 1 after the break. Beaumont and Taylor started off comfortably. It all changed in the twenty-fourth over the first ball of the over from Afy Fletcher appeared to hit Beaumont’s stumps but as in the men’s world cup, the bails did not dislodge.

It did not perturb Fletcher who got her revenge next ball dismissing Sarah Taylor for 23 from 27 balls.  the following with Beaumont back on strike Beaumont was lbw.

Nat Sciver and Heather Knight started to rebuild. Knight was bowled for 14. Sciver was still in the middle and her 35 from 34 balls. Sciver was bowled hitting across the line for a 34 ball 35.

England were in danger of falling short of a good total. Shrubsole with 32 from 16 balls clubbed two sixes and two fours. When Sophie Ecclestone joined in with 11 from 6 balls ensured England finished on 233 for 7 from their 41 overs.

West Indies started their innings chasing 244 runs at a run a ball. When Matthews hit Shrubsole for two consecutive fours West Indies had a chance. Shrubsole's next over was a maiden to Matthews as she ran in hard and beat the edge often. Her next over she had Cooper lbw for 6.

Matthews then got the thinnest of edges shortly after to knick it behind to Taylor. Shrubsole was joined in the wickets by Cross. Kycia Knight hit straight to Brunt at Mid-on in the Lancashire seamers first over.

Stafanie Taylor was Cross' second wicket. England had been responsible for dropped catches on Thursday. Sciver plucked a great catch out of the air to dismiss the dangerous Taylor for 6.

Rain returned at the end of the thirteenth over with West Indies on 32 for 4. The DSL calculation meant West Indies should have been on 104 at that stage. Cross at the break in the play had figures of 2 for 2.

When the players reentered the field of play West Indies revised target was 209 from another 15 overs. That was at a run-rate of 11.8

Laura Marsh in her 100th ODI for England bowled Chedean Nation for 9 with a classic off-spinners delivery .the run-rate was over two a ball.

For England, the concern was if they could get enough overs in and Marsh and Ecclestone raced through their overs. England were ready for the restart early and was eager to finish the job.

With 4 overs left it was mathematically impossible for West Indies to win. The game petered out into an inevitable conclusion. West Indies finished on 87 for 6. Campbelle being bowled for 29 from the final ball.