England cruised to an eight-wicket victory over South Africa in their Women’s Cricket World Cup match at Harlequins on Wednesday, thanks largely to a splendid 99 by vice-captain Charlotte Edwards.
England won the toss and sent South Africa in to bat. The hosts put on a much better performance, scoring 174 for six in their 50 overs.
Opener Cri-Zelda Brits made 46 runs, and shared in a 54-run partnership with teenager Johmari Logtenberg, who made 23 before she was caught behind by Jane Smit off Isa Guha.
Alicia Smith made 31, and captain Alison Hodgkinson and Charlize van der Westhuizen scored a flurry of runs in the last three overs. Hodgkinson was not out on 24 off 23 balls, and Van der Westhuizen made eight at a run a ball. Hodgkinson played some elegant reverse sweep shots that went straight to the boundary.
England, needing 175 to win, were in command throughout, and South Africa did their cause no good with some sloppy fielding.
Susan Benade took a good catch at square leg to dismiss Laura Newton (10) off the bowling of Smith, but Edwards and Claire Taylor put on 133 for the second wicket. Their partnership came to an end when Edwards, who was batting with a runner after sustaining a thigh muscle strain, slashed at a delivery from Smith, and was given out lbw for 99. She was dropped by Benade when she had 41.
Taylor had two lives, when she was dropped by Hodgkinson on 43 and immediately afterwards bowled by Smith off a no ball.
Taylor and captain Clare Connor saw England safely home in the 40th over, with Taylor hitting Shandre Fritz for a huge six to score the winning runs, at the same time bringing up her half-century. She was not out on 55, and Connor made five.
South African coach Stephen Jones said it was a disappointing result, but he did see an improvement.
”When you compare us against teams like Australia and England, physically we are way behind. Their fitness levels are much better than ours, and the top teams are getting stronger as the tournament goes on.
”We’ve got a lot of aches and pains and niggles — the girls are finding playing in a tournament like this, where they have a match every second day, very tough going.
”But we batted better than in the previous matches, although we didn’t accelerate early enough. I would say we were 50 runs light.
”There were some dropped catches, but the girls gave it all they have. But we are at least three years behind the top teams,” he said.
Asked about Brits, who did not bowl in Wednesday’s match, Jones said they are working on her technique at the moment, and thought it better to keep her out of the attack. Brits bowled 17 wides against Australia on Monday, and nine wides in less than four overs against India.
”If we’d had more runs to play with, we’d have bowled her in the middle,” said Jones.
Smith, the only South African to take wickets, said South Africa failed in all three departments — bowling, batting and fielding. But she was philosophical about the defeat.
”Shit happens,” she said. ”It’s a bit like David and Goliath — except that David won!”
England are now virtually certain of a place in the semifinals.
Technically, South Africa are still in with a chance, but they need to win their remaining matches, against Sri Lanka on Friday, and New Zealand on Sunday, and hope that New Zealand lose their last two matches. — Sapa