England spinners led by Linsey Smith helped their side crush South Africa by 10 wickets and make a strong beginning to their ICC Women's World Cup campaign on Friday. Once the England bowlers bundled out South Africa for a paltry 69, the result of the match was hardly ever in doubt. Smith stamped her class with 3/7.
England cruised to a win in just 14.1 overs with openers Amy Jones (40) and Tammy Beaumont (21) doing the job for them without any trouble. As was the case in South Africa's innings, there was a bit of swing and bite for the bowlers, but the England openers had different ideas. Veteran pacer Marizanne Kapp bowled a couple of gems to Beaumont, but this was hardly enough to trouble the two batters.
It was the England spinners, Smith, Sophie Ecclestone (2/19) and Charlie Dean (2/14), who were the outstanding performers while setting up an incredibly easy chase for their batters. Left-arm spinner Smith led the attack with an impressive three-wicket haul as South Africa were bundled out for their second lowest total in the ICC Women's World Cup.
On a pitch that offered a hint of grip to the bowlers, England, who chose to field, handed the ball to Smith (4-2-7-3) in the second over itself and the move fetched an immediate dividend. Smith gave marching orders to South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt in the second ball of the second over through an easy return catch.
Smith returned in the fourth over to jettison Tazmin Brits with a delivery that came in with the angle, and in the sixth over she ousted the experienced Kapp, whose tentative forward prod did not meet the ball as Smith's delivery crashed onto the stumps.
Pacer Lauren Bell accounted for Sune Luus as South Africa were tottering on 19 for four inside the first six overs, and they never recovered from that point. Once Kapp, Luuk and Brit, SA's most consistent batters, returned to the hut, the pressure was entirely on their middle-order batters to take their side to a respectable total. But they failed to live up to the task, succumbing to a slightly sluggish track and spot-on England bowlers.
England skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt (2/5), who donned the bowler's cap after a short while, added to South Africa's misery, taking out Chloe Tryon and Nadine de Klerk and ruling out any chance of a late fight back.
That only Sinalo Jafta crossed two digits in the South African innings revealed their struggles on the day. Wicketkeeper batter Jafta (22) showed some fight, but all she could manage was save South Africa from crashing to their lowest total of 51 in the ICC World Cup.
Also read: Bangladesh rout Pak by 7 wickets
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