England quick Lauren Filer will again look to turn up the heat on India as her side aim to level the T20 series at Old Trafford.
Filer took a couple of key wickets – including India’s star batter Smriti Mandhana – as England went on to close out a nail-biting five-run win at the Oval to finally get a result on the board following two chastening defeats.
With Nat Sciver-Brunt out injured, Charlotte Edwards’ side are again set to be captained by Tammy Beaumont for the crucial fourth match – when India will be aiming to put the series to bed ahead of the last T20 international at Edgbaston on Saturday.
Filer – whose fastest delivery reached 79.4 miles per hour at the Oval on Friday – has no issues with using her pace to keep India on the back foot as much as possible.
“I knew that I would be able to push close to 80 (mph), I sort of touched on 78 every so often in the last year,” Filer said on a media Zoom call ahead of Wednesday’s match at Old Trafford.
“For me on Friday, the great thing about it was the fact that it was more consistent and that is what I have been trying to do.
“It is not necessarily hitting that one ball that is 80, because that is not going to make a difference – the difference is the consistency of increasing my speed.
“From the game in Trent Bridge, I think I was averaging 73 then I went up to 75 in Bristol and then 76 at the Oval. That is what I am trying to aim for.
“Hopefully again I can hit that 80 number, but it is definitely just about trying to keep consistently bowling at that mid-70s, and I think in the women’s game, that is not heard of very often.”
Filer added: “I think that has always sort of been my role in this team – that is my strength, it is to bowl quick.
“Obviously we have got bowlers that can bowl variations, but I think with me, if I try to over complicate (things), it probably hinders my game to be honest.
“I think trying to bowl as quick as I can in most scenarios is going to work, and then the scenario that maybe it doesn’t is where I sort of bring my variations out and try and work with that.
“It is definitely a message from sort of higher up to say, ‘just try and bowl as quickly as you can and adapt to the game’.”
Sophia Dunkley & Danni Wyatt Hodge.
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100 partnership up top 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ZLGecxj7b5
England should not have faced such a tense finish – with India seemingly well set needing 49 from 42 balls with nine wickets in hand – having suffered a collapse from 137 without loss to finish at 171 for nine.
“After two defeats, I think we were still in a great place. We knew where to improve and we know that on our day we can beat India – and obviously that was proved on Friday night,” Filer said.
“We will be taking the positives from that win and also learning from the mistakes we made in that game – it probably shouldn’t have been as close a game as it was – into Manchester.”
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