LOSING a Test match to India for the first time in their history - and with it the two-match npower series - was not the way England planned to christen their new “home” at Taunton last week, but Charlotte Edwards is not calling for the “for sale” board to be erected just yet.
Until their five-wicket defeat, which was sealed with only eight balls of the match remaining, Edwards is keen to emphasise that England have enjoyed a healthy record at Somerset’s county ground and the captain, who scored a century there for the second time last week, believes that her young team will be stronger for the unwelcome experience.
Being based in Taunton guarantees at least one international fixture there a season, but England will not have to wait until the visit of New Zealand next summer for the chance to get back to the form that helped them to whitewash India 4-0 in the NatWest one-day series.
It has been confirmed that next February England will tour India, with Australia and New Zealand also invited to contest a quadrangular series. Sudha Shah, the India coach, believes that her team must improve their fielding if they are to challenge in that limited-overs tournament.