Match Report
England v South Africa
2nd NatWest Women’s International Twenty20
England Women won the second NatWest Women’s International Twenty20 against South Africa by 37 runs and with that the Twenty20 series. With three England batters all making nought, it was always going to be a struggle to defend their total of 116-8, but they clung on for victory, despite a below-par performance with the bat and in the field.
Captain Charlotte Edwards won the toss and elected to bat first on a warm, sunny morning in Northampton. She and Sarah Taylor opened the batting for the hosts, but South Africa made early inroads and England found themselves struggling on 14-3 after an early collapse.
Taylor was the first to go – she was clean bowled for seven as she went for a hook shot. With England 11-1 Edwards was joined by Jenny Gunn. Gunn made three before she was caught at mid-off by Susan Benade off Ashlyn Kilowan’s bowling in the third over.
Lydia Greenway was next to the crease, but she was clean-bowled on her first ball, leaving Kilowan on a hat-trick and England reeling on 14-3.
Beth Morgan, coming in at five, managed to avoid the hat-trick and she dug in with Edwards to post an extra 40 runs. But after making 13 she was caught and bowled by Sunette Loubser and England were 54-5.
Ebony Rainford-Brent was next to join Edwards, but she didn’t hang around, getting her second duck in consecutive games after going for a run that wasn’t there. She called for it, but Edwards, at the other end, said no, and it was too far for Rainford-Brent to get back and she was run out.
Caroline Atkins, having been left out yesterday was keen to make an impression, but it wasn’t to be and she was stumped by Trisha Chetty after coming down the wicket to play a shot off Loubser’s bowling. She returned to the pavilion without scoring and England were 60-6.
Holly Colvin, the young spinner, coming in at eight for England supported Edwards and together they added 22 runs before Colvin was heading back to the pavilion. She made eight before she tried to hit one over the top, but it was literally plucked out of the air by Alicia Smith, South Africa’s tallest player off the bowling of Benade.
Edwards, at the other end, continued battling, striking 76, her third international Twenty20 half-century, and her highest score in this form of the game at international level. She established herself as the leading run-scorer in international women’s Twenty20s and today made the highest score by an England player in Twenty20. After the first game today Edwards is on a total of 333 runs at an average of 47.57.
Laura Marsh replaced Colvin at the crease, but she made just four before she was bowled by Kilowan as she ran down the track, leaving England 102-8. Katherine Brunt joined Edwards at the crease and supported her as Edwards continued to play admirably at the end to see England through to 116-8 from their twenty overs.
Brunt finished without scoring while Edwards reached 76 not out off just 66 balls including seven fours. South Africa’s bowlers did a fantastic job with Kilowan recording figures of 3-25 and Loubser finishing with 2-13.
In reply South Africa posted 79-7 with Smith and Daleen Terblanche opening the batting for the visitors.
Brunt opened the bowling for England in partnership with Isa Guha. They kept the South Africans run-rate right down in the first six overs where fielding restrictions are in place.
In the sixth over, Guha got the breakthrough England were looking for as she had opener Smith trapped lbw for 12 and South Africa were 16-1.
Annelie Minny joined Terblanche at the crease, and in the seventh over, it looked like Brunt had claimed the wicket of Terblanche, who was on two, with Morgan taking a catch at square leg off a full toss, but it was deemed a no-ball and the batter was spared.
Colvin and Marsh came on first change for England, a smart move by Edwards as they claimed two wickets apiece.
Minny was the next batter to fall as she was also trapped lbw by Marsh for 13 with South Africa on 38-2.
Chetty joined Terblanche at the crease and they added just four runs, before Colvin had Terblanche (9) caught by Taylor, who came running up the wicket to take the catch. With South Africa 42-3, Benade made her way out.
She made just one run before she launched a ball off the bowling of Colvin and was caught in the deep by Brunt for one and South Africa looked to be struggling on 53-4. Captain Cri-Zelda Brits was next out for the batters, but she only managed to make two before Greenway took a catch at mid-wicket off Marsh’s bowling, leaving South Africa 57-5.
Chetty, South Africa’s top scorer with 15 was the next to fall as she was run out by Edwards after failing to make it back to her crease. South Africa were 69-6.
Claire Terblanche, who had replaced Brits, was joined by Loubser in the middle. The spinner (Loubser) put on just three but was run out by Greenway on the last ball of the game and South Africa were 37 runs short of victory – the closest margin on this tour.
England struggled in the field and didn’t give as good a display as they have done in previous matches. Catches were dropped and miss-throws were the order of the day as South Africa pushed through to make it the closest match of the whole tour.
Charlotte Edwards was awarded the Player of the Match Award.
