Wyatt stars as England clinch series win over India

Nat Sciver and Danni Wyatt shared in a century stand as England won the third T20I to clinch a series win

Danni Wyatt smashed an unbeaten 89, off 56 balls, as England clinched a 10-6 victory in their multi-format series with India courtesy of an eight-wicket win in the third and final T20I in Chelmsford on Wednesday night.

Chasing 154 to win, Wyatt shared in a 112-run stand for the second wicket with Nat Sciver (42 off 36), and though Sciver fell 22 short of the victory target, Wyatt struck the winning runs with eight balls to spare.

A win for India would have seen them instead claim the T20 leg of their tour 2-1 and tie the multi-format series, and they looked to be in with a chance when posting a decent total of 153-6 after electing to bat first.

The visitors’ prospects improved further when Deepti Sharma (1-29) trapped Tammy Beaumont for 11 in the fourth over, but a welcome return to form for Wyatt – who was dropped for the ODI leg of the series – saw England to victory.

Earlier, veteran England quick Katherine Brunt (2-27) won her personal duel with 17-year-old superstar opener Shafali Verma, bowling her for a two-ball duck in the opening over.

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Katherine Brunt bowls Shafali Verma goes for a duck in the third T20I and then gives her a bit of a send off

Harleen Deol (6) did not hang around long, picking out Sciver at short midwicket, who took a great low catch diving forward, but Mandhana and India captain Harmanpreet Kaur then rebuilt.

The pair put on 68 for the third wicket, in decent time too, before Kaur (36 off 26) fell lbw to Sciver in the 13th over. Mandhana, meanwhile, kicked on through to a 13th T20I fifty, off 42 balls.

Brunt returned to take the key wicket, Mandhana holing out to deep midwicket for 70, while Sophie Ecclestone (3-35) claimed a couple late on as India inched over 150.

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Danni Wyatt hits a beautiful six to cap a brilliant 89 not out for England against India in the third T20I

England’s collapse when chasing a similar score of 149 in Hove on Sunday will have been fresh in the memory but, despite the early loss of Beaumont, there were no such wobbles on this occasion.

Wyatt brought up her eighth T20I half-century, and first in 19 games, off 33 balls, and went on to strike 12 boundaries and one six, with the opener particularly strong when hitting over the top straight down the ground or into the covers.

Sciver, meanwhile, was a perfect foil and kept up her recent fine form. Sneh Rana (1-27) snuck one through her defences in the 17th over, but there was to be no late collapse from the hosts on this occasion.