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Day 1: Edwards in model innings

Justine Roberts

England 230-4 v India

It Would have been difficult to miss Charlotte Edwards' car at Shenley Park. Lurid gold and dabbed with her oversized signature, it's a somewhat dubious perk afforded England's youngest international, whose name is rarely seen unaccompanied by the description 'England's star batsman'.

Following her tally in the recent one-day series - 15 runs in three matches - that tag was beginning to look a little frayed around the edges. Happily, Edwards lorded over proceedings yesterday, chalking up her maiden Test century along the way.

Conditions favoured the batting side, the combination of a true wicket and a billowing wind proving a double challenge for India's bowlers. So it was no surprise when England captain Karen Smithies chose to bat. Smithies looked in coruscating form. She and Edwards put on 134 for the second wicket before Smithies was stumped, as had been Clare Connor.

Were it not for the slow outfield and long boundaries, England would have mustered more than 230. They must accelerate today if they are to capitalise on their solid start.

Undoubtedly the first day belonged to Edwards, though, who put her improved form down to a last-minute correction in her batting technique. Rarely can she have dominated a day's play as unequivocally as her car did the car park.

Day 2: Sparkling Taylor lifts England

Justine Roberts

India (123-5) trail England (329) by 206 runs

The small crowd at Shenley, composed mainly of local schoolchildren doing their best to emulate the Barmy Army, was at odds with the bucolic idyll that serves as the MCC's out-of-town grounds.

Nevertheless, they had reason to shout as England grabbed the game by the throat with a decisive opening spell of seam bowling that no doubt brought a smile to the face of watching bowling coach, Graham Dilley.

With 15-year-old off-spinning prodigy, Laura Harper, watching from the sidelines, England's bowlers had every incentive to prove themselves. Harper has made the headlines for being chosen to represent the West of England Under-15 Boys' XI, but if England keep bowling as they did yesterday, she may have to bide her time before graduating from the England A side.

India enjoyed the best of the first session, claiming four wickets for only 56 runs as the ball seamed about under murky skies.

Jane Cassar, 21 not out overnight, finally succumbed to an edge to the wicketkeeper, bringing her patient innings to an end just five short of a half-century.

England were eventually bowled out soon after lunch when Clare Taylor was run out following a spirited last-wicket stand of 30 with Sarah Collyer.

Their total of 329 was made to look all the more impressive when Taylor swapped bat for ball to produce a sparkling opening spell of two for 16 from eight overs. An all-rounder in every sense - Taylor has also represented her country at football - she removed opener Anju Jain and dangerwoman Anjum Chopra third ball, as well as beating the bat numerous times. At one stage India were two down with only a wide recorded, before rallying to 24 for two. An excellent low diving catch by wicketkeeper Cassar then put paid to Purnima Rau for the third Indian wicket.

India staged something of a recovery, led by Chanderkanta Aheer, their captain. Aheer was lucky to survive a dropped half-chance off the bowling of Sue Redfern before she had troubled the scorers and made the most of it by stroking 48 confident runs. Redfern finally trapped Aheer leg before in the first over of her second spell.

By the close, the troops of the Barmy Army had long since been bussed back to their homes, much to the relief of the few MCC members, and India still needed 57 to avoid the follow-on.

Day 4: Smithies is denied maiden triumph

Justine Roberts

England (329 & 123-9) drew with India (201 & 223-8)

Karen Smithies' mother has followed England since her 30-year-old daughter was first selected, at the tender age of 17. For three days of this four-day match she was confident of seeing their first home Test victory for 20 years, only for England's women to prove that surrendering a winning position is the not the exclusive preserve of their male counterparts.

It was far from a sedate draw, however, with the advantage swinging to and fro in the last session.

The ease with which the Indians set about knocking off the 252 runs they required to win suggested their previous travails had been merely an elaborate ploy to keep the game going for four days.

With scoring thus far in this match so leisurely it might have brought a slow hand clap from an audience of snails, England were confident enough to declare at 123 for nine, leaving India to make 252 in 83 overs.

Barely an hour later, England coach Paul Farbrace was joking ruefully that it was time for Plan B, as openers Chanderkanta Aheer and Anju Jain cracked the first fifty in under 10 overs. By the time the opening partnership was broken, there was 121 on the board and 40 overs left, the match was firmly in India's sights.

England, though, applied the brakes with accurate spells from Sarah Collier and Clare Connor. Jain and Anjum Chopra succumbed to injudicious shots and with England bagging four wickets in three late overs, it was India's turn to worry.

Failure to accelerate the scoring on the afternoon of the third day cost England the match. Off-spinner Purnima Rau was one of the main reasons. Oblivious to the midsummer sun, Rau bowled 25 overs without removing her sweater to finish with five for 24.

Only Smithies looked confident, notching up her second fifty of the match. Since her match-winning century at Trent Bridge, Smithies has been in such form she could probably bat with a walking stick, and she deservedly won the batsman-of-the-series award. Nevertheless, her mother is still awaits that elusive Test win.