An inspired display by all-rounder Freya Kemp helped England level their three-match T20 series with India after a 26-run victory in Bristol.
Kemp initially starred with the bat after she scorched a scintillating unbeaten 39 off 13 balls, which included two sixes, to guide England to 168 for five.
India looked well set on 70 for one until Kemp dismissed Smriti Mandhana for 32, and she later returned to send the dangerous Jemimah Rodrigues back for one with England able to restrict the tourists to 142 for nine to set up a winner-takes-all clash at Taunton on Tuesday.
Without injured captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, England were boosted by the return of opener Danni Wyatt-Hodge and she struck three fours in an enterprising innings of 29.
Amy Jones and Alice Capsey each added 28 in the middle-order, but England were indebted to number six Kemp after they collapsed to 126 for five.
Kemp smashed 24 off Arundhati Reddy’s final over of the innings, including a six off the last ball over long on to set 169 for victory.
India made a strong start despite an early scalp for Lauren Bell, with Mandhana and Yastika Bhatia going along nicely until Kemp dismissed the former and the latter was forced to retire on 33.
Rodrigues went soon after to Kemp – who finished with two for 15 – with the run-rate increasing before stand-in England captain Charlie Dean further turned the screw with two wickets in the 18th over, which included Indian counterpart Harmanpreet Kaur for 28.
There was no way back for India from 130 for six and Bell added another wicket to her tally to finish with two for 33 before Sophie Ecclestone got in the act.
Ecclestone accounted for Shreyanka Patil to restrict India to 142 for nine and leave the T20 series finely poised at 1-1 on an encouraging day for England.
