Indian cricketers had a mixed start to their 2019 Women’s Cricket Super League campaign in England. Western Storm’s Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma played a part in their team’s opening win while Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues were unable to fire in their respective team’s losses.

Last season’s player of the series Mandhana was among the runs as Western Storm got off to a winning start beating Loughborough Lightning by seven wickets in Loughborough on Tuesday

Lightning were reduced to 15/3 as West Indies opener Hayley Matthews, Sri Lanka’s Chamari Atapattu and captain Georgia Elwiss were all out for ducks. Debutant Deepti Sharma got the wicket of Elwiss in only her third ball of the match. she finished with 1 for 17 in her 4 overs.

However, England’s Jones (65 off 53 balls) and South Africa’s Mignon du Preez put together a partnership to take Lightning’s score to 125/6 in 20 overs.

In response, Storm didn’t look in trouble despite the early wicket of Rachel Priest as Mandhana and England captain Heather Knight steered the chase. The Indian left-hander’s innings of 32 from just 24 balls was an eye pleaser as they kept their team in the front. Despite their wickets, Storm won with three overs to spare.

Earlier in the opening game, Southern Vipers notched a 34-run win over Lancashire Thunder at Liverpool on Tuesday

England’s Tammy Beaumont and Danielle Wyatt scored half-centuries as scored 166/7 from their 20 overs. In response, Thunder’s chase never really got going and they were dismissed for 132 in the final over with Wyatt (2-14) starring with the ball as well.

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur bowled an over for nine runs and could not contribute much with the bat scoring 1 off 6 coming in at No 4. She was stumped By Carla Rudd off Wyatt.

In the third game, Surrey Stars began their title defence with a close nine-run win over Yorkshire Diamonds.

England wicketekeeper Sarah Taylor top-scored with 43 as the Stars made 130/9. Chasing 131, the Diamonds had got off to a wonderful start thanks to Australian wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy.

However, the Diamonds collapsed after her dismissal with six wickets going for just 25 runs. Playing her first match in England, Jemimah Rodrigues was out for 4.

Rodrigues was instrumental on the field though with two catches and a run out. She caught Dane van Niekerk and Gwen Davies as well as got the wickets of Aylish Cranstone.