South Africa Women implode as England pummel them with ease as spinners skittle out South Africa for 69 all out.
Smith and Jones set seal on England’s rout of South Africa women.
You would be mistaken to believe that England is not a credible contender for this World Cup. With a resounding victory over a helpless South Africa, who were dismissed for their lowest score against England, second-lowest at a World Cup, and third-lowest overall, they surged to the top of the points table.
In 14.1 overs, England managed to reach the target of just 70. The entire game lasted 34.5 overs, which is less than the length of a complete Twenty20 match. With a net run rate of 3.773 after one game, England leads the early standings and is more than twice as high as the next-best Australia.
In the face of a cunning England attack, South Africa’s total belied conditions that neither sailed nor spun significantly. They lost their three best batters to Linsey Smith, who were taken aback by her early deployment of spin. Smith is the only bowler to dismiss Laura Wolvaardt, Tazmin Brits, and Marizanne Kapp in the same innings while opening the bowling in her debut ODI World Cup match.
In contrast, Nat Sciver-Brunt and Lauren Bell took three more wickets in the first 10.1 overs by bowling good lengths. South Africa could only hope to creep to respectability at 38 for 6 barely out of the powerplay, but they failed to do so. Only Sinalo Jafta, who was moved up at No. 6, reached double digits after they were bowled out in 20.4 overs.
The remaining batters will have to examine their shot selection and movement at the crease, which was virtually nonexistent. They will be questioned about their choice. South Africa chose to use all of their all-rounders, leaving out Annerie Dercksen, who earlier this year recorded her first ODI century in Sri Lanka.
When Wolvaardt played across the line and popped up a leading edge to give a straightforward return catch, Smith struck second ball. The first ball of Smith’s subsequent over sneaked through the bat-pad gap and bowled Brits after drifting in from around the wicket.
Sune Luus at No. 3 had a difficult task after both openers were removed, but she was taken out off stump by a Bell inswinger that curled in. Smith managed to get the ball to slip over Kapp’s inside edge and into the middle stump three balls later, completing the drift as well. Going forward, Wolvaardt, Brits, Luus, and Kapp will all need to improve their feet.
Smith hit second ball after Wolvaardt played across the line and popped up a leading edge to give a simple return catch. Smith’s next over began with a ball that drifted in from around the wicket, slipped through the bat-pad gap, and bowled Brits.
After both openers were removed, Sune Luus at No. 3 had a tough job, but a Bell inswinger curled in and took her off stump. Three balls later, Smith completed the drift as well, getting the ball to slip over Kapp’s inside edge and into the middle stump. Luus, Kapp, Brits, and Wolvaardt will all need to get better at footwork in the future.
Despite Kapp’s best efforts, England’s chase was essentially academic as she routinely beat the batters with back-of-a-length balls. An lbw shout against Tammy Beaumont was reviewed by South Africa; it sneaked back in but still struck her outside the queue. Beaumont and Jones decided not to rush the outcome and instead remained patient in the face of a well-organised South African offensive.
In a reminder that there is more than one “Storm Amy” in England today, Jones sent Mlaba back over her head and swung Klaas over mid-on after threading her through point as soon as the fielding limitations were removed. Beaumont gave them a boundary to wrap things up.