Match Report
England v South Africa NatWest Women’s International Twenty20
England Women started their Twenty20 campaign in fantastic style as they beat South Africa at Northamptonshire CCC by 54 runs.
The home side made 138-6 from their twenty overs with captain Edwards top-scoring with 45 and taking the Player of the Match Award as a result.
Sarah Taylor and Edwards opened the batting for the home side and made a steady start. They put on 14 for the first wicket before Taylor was run out by Claire Terblanche after she’d called for a second run and the ball beat her to the stumps.
Edwards was joined in the middle by Jenny Gunn as Claire Taylor, England’s solid number three was still at the team hotel suffering from sickness. Together they posted an extra 52 runs for England with Gunn playing some big shots including one massive six, hit over long on. Edwards timed the ball beautifully as she made her 45 from just 34 balls striking nine fours.
Edwards was the second wicket to fall as she was caught by Annelie Minny off the bowling of Susan Benade and England were 66-2.
Lydia Greenway joined Gunn at the crease and pushed the total upwards making a quick-fire 25. Gunn was the third to go as she was caught by the South African captain Cri-Zelda Brits off Sunette Loubser’s bowling for 24 with England on 82-3.
Greenway was joined at the crease by Beth Morgan. Together they added 23 to the total before Morgan tried to hit one through the leg side, but missed and was bowled by Benade leaving England 115-4.
Nicola Shaw was next in to join Greenway. With Greenway on strike she played the ball down to deep mid-off but after crossing with Shaw she watched the ball and both batters found themselves at the pavilion end. Greenway failed to make it back to her end and was subsequently run out by Loubser for 25 and England were 136-5.
Shaw was joined by debutante Ebony Rainford-Brent and she made a valiant effort to add much-needed runs to England’s total. She finished unbeaten on 12 from 8 balls. Meanwhile as Rainford-Brent dug in to play her first international Twenty20 she was bowled as she faced her first ball trying to play across the line off the penultimate ball of the England’s innings.
Marsh came to the crease to play the last ball of the innings and made two to see England through to 138-6.
In reply South Africa made 84-4, finishing 54 runs short of England’s total. England looked sharp and athletic in the field with both Gunn and Greenway taking difficult catches to see their side through to a comfortable victory.
Annelie Smith and Loubser opened the batting for the visitors, but Loubser (1) fell early on to a stumping by Sarah Taylor off isa Guha’s bowling, leaving South Africa 2-1.
Olivia Anderson joined Smith in the middle but they added just one after Greenway took a brilliant catch at backward point, diving forwards to her right to dismiss Anderson for nothing for Brunt’s first wicket. South Africa were struggling on 3-2.
Trisha Chetty joined the opener and made seven from ten balls before she was caught by Gunn who took a running catch at deep mid-on to give Brunt her second wicket and South Africa were 24-3.
Benade headed to the middle but she and Smith only managed to post another four runs before Gunn took another catch at deep mid-on off Holly Colvin’s bowling to dismiss opener Smith for 17.
Captain Brits was next in and she and Benade dug in for South Africa, putting on 56 runs for the fifth wicket. However it wasn’t enough and the pair couldn’t make enough runs with Benade finishing unbeaten on 34, South Africa’s top scorer and Brits finishing 20 not out.
Brunt took 2-12 from her allocation of four overs whilst spinner Colvin went for just nine runs and claimed one wicket.
