Linsey Smith stars as England beat South Africa by 10 wickets after bowling Proteas out for 69 in Women's World Cup clash
Updated 03/10/2025 at 13:51 GMT+1
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Welcome to our live text coverage of England's Women's World Cup clash with South Africa at Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati. England got their campaign underway on day four of the tournament. Nat Sciver-Brunt, who is skippering England in a World Cup for the first time, won the toss and elected to field with South Africa aiming to build a strong total.
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England crush South Africa in swift opening win
Linsey Smith led England’s demolition of South Africa as the Proteas fell for 69 all out, losing by ten wickets in both sides’ opening Women’s Cricket World Cup match.
Given the new ball, Smith (3-7) took wickets in each of her first three overs, disposing of openers Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits (both for 5), and then dangerous all-rounder Marizanne Kapp (4).
She was ably supported by her fellow bowlers with skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt (2-5), the second seamer in a spin-heavy attack, also taking two wickets in her first couple of overs, despite only bowling nine overs in the calendar year.
Sophie Ecclestone (2-19) and Charlie Dean (2-14) both got a brace of wickets too, with the former accounting for top-scorer Sinalo Jafta (22) - the only South African to reach double figures.
In reply, Amy Jones hit six fours in an unbeaten 40 off 50 balls, with Tammy Beaumont (21 not out) hitting the winning runs off the first ball of the 15th over.
England next face Bangladesh, who beat Pakistan yesterday, on Tuesday, while South Africa take on New Zealand 24 hours earlier.
Sciver-Brunt delighted with Smith call
England were confident Linsey Smith could cause difficulty to South Africa, and the call to hand her the new ball paid instant dividends as she got the wickets of key openers Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits.
"She’s a left-arm spinner but she can swing it as well," skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt said.Â
"We knew she was a really good match up against these two batters.
"Everyone was really on it today."
Smith awarded Player of the Match
Linsey Smith unsurprisingly won the honour after taking three wickets with the new ball.
"I found out I was taking the new ball when Lottie [Charlotte Edwards] told me yesterday," Smith said.
"I just try to keep things simple and bowl at the stumps."
Of England's spin-heavy attack, Smith is confident they can combine to make life difficult for many teams in the tournament.
"We all offer different things, hopefully we can all keep growing as a unit," Smith said.
England win by 10 wickets!
Not the spectacle anyone expected but a perfect performance and start to the World Cup for England.
England 73-0 (14.1 Overs) - Beaumont 21, Jones 40
Beaumont glances the first ball of the over from Khaka down to fine leg for four.
England 69-0 (14 Overs) - Beaumont 16, Jones 40
Just one run needed for England now.
England 64-0 (13 overs) - Beaumont 15, Jones 39
Back-to-back boundaries from Jones take England to the brink of victory, both smacked through the leg side.
England 55-0 (12 overs) - Beaumont 14, Jones 31
Klaas gets the treatment from Jones this time whacking a short ball over midwicket. To compound South Africa's misery the bowler misses a caught and bowled chance off the following delivery.
England 48-0 (11 overs) - Beaumont 13, Jones 26
Two fours in the over from Jones, one swiped through midwicket, the other banged back over the bowler Mlaba's head.
England 39-0 (10 overs) - Beaumont 13, Jones 17
Amy Jones starting to look comfortable at the crease.
England 34-0 (9 overs) - Beaumont 12, Jones 14
Just a couple of leg byes for England in this over. The openers keen to end the innings with a star next to their names.
England 32-0 (8 overs) - Beaumont 12, Jones 14
Beaumonth plays a good pull off the penultimate ball but it is fielded well at long on so just gains a single.
England 30-0 (7 overs) - Beaumont 11, Jones 13
Just the single off Kapp's over. She's doing her bit with the ball - to little avail.
England 29-0 (6 overs) - Beaumont 11, Jones 12
Poor fielding allows Jones's shot through the covers to reach the boundary.
England 23-0 (5 overs) - Beaumont 10, Jones 7
Fine over from Kapp, she almost bowleed Beaumont through the gap between bat and pad and referred a leg before non-decision, which replays showed the ball hit the Kent batter outside the line.
England 21-0 (4 overs) - Beaumont 9, Jones 6
England's openers not taking any undue risks.
England 19-0 (3 overs) - Beaumont 9, Jones 5
Beaumont rocks on the back foot to pull the last ball of the over for four to square leg.
England 14-0 (2 overs) - Beaumont 5, Jones 4
beaumont this time a little fortunate hitting a lofted off drive just wide of cover point. Tryon also concedes five wides from a ball starting on leg stump which drifted wildly further down the leg side.
England 5-0 (1 over) - Beaumont 1, Jones 4
Kapp causing Jones a few problems outside off stump, beating her once and conceding a couple of runs off a streaky edge.
England set to begin reply
And look for them to get the runs swiftly to set a high run rate.
South Africa's worst ever ODI score against England
Not the most surprising stat.
Bell hails dream start
"What a start that was," Lauren Bell said after the match.
"Linsey set the tone up the top and every bowler came in and did their job.
It was a dream start, I don't think we could be much happier."
South Africa 69 all out!
Mlaba b Dean 3
A number eleven's dismissal with a wild swipe directed towards cow corner missing the ball.
South Africa 67-9 (20 overs) - Khaka 5, Mlaba 2
"Oh my God!" Ecclestone shuts after a single is allowed off the number eleven. High standards I guess.
South Africa 64-9 (19 overs) - Khaka 4, Mlaba 0
Khaka, who must be furious with her team-mates, takes her frustration out on a fuller delivery crashing it for four through the covers.
South Africa 60-9 (18 overs) - Khaka 0, Mlaba 0
You just can't start a World Cup worse than this.
Wicket! Jafta b Ecclestone 22
South Africa 60-9 (17.3 overs)
She comes down the wicket and plays a cross-batted cut, missing the ball by miles and gets bowled.
South Africa 60-8 (17 overs) - Jafta 22, Khaka 0
Another South African bowler comes in to try to remedy the team's batters' failings.
Wicket! Klaas b Dean 3
South Africa 60-8 (16.5 overs)
The perfect left-arm off-spinner's delivery beating the outside edge and clipping the top of off stump.
South Africa 58-7 (16 overs) - Jafta 21, Klaas 3
Four singles off Ecclestone's over. They would be foolish to go any harder off her.
South Africa 54-7 (15 overs) - Jafta 19, Klaas 1
Not much cause for celebration as South Africa reach their fifty. Jafta then just gets the last ball off Dean's over past mid off for four.
South Africa 48-7 (14 overs) - Jafta 14, Klaas 0
Klaas blocks out the rest of the over. You feel South Africa would be delighted to reach three figures from this point.
Wicket! de Klerk c Knight b Ecclestone 3
South Africa 48-7 (13.1 overs)
A silly swipe outside off stump from de Klerk catches the edge and Knight takes a sharp catch at slip.
South Africa 48-6 (13 overs) - Jafta 14, de Klerk 3
The Proteas are rebuilding now. In some ways these two batters can bat with less prsssure now given the hopeless cause.
South Africa 44-6 (12 overs) - Jafta 13, de Klerk 1
Jafta became the first South African to move into double figures with a nice late cut for four, but is lucky to get away with an ugly shot that lands just over the in-field.
South Africa 38-6 (11 overs) - Jafta 8, de Klerk 0
It goes without saying, South Africa have to just think about batting through their overs now rather than putting pressure on the England bowlers.
Wicket! Tryon c Capsey b Sciver-Brunt 2
South Africa 38-6 (10.1 overs)
An awful shot, miss-hitting high in the air to Capsey at short mid-off.
South Africa 38-5 (10 overs) - Jafta 8, Tryon 2
Just the single off the bat from Sophie Ecclestone's first over, after the first ball went for five wides.
South Africa 32-5 (9 overs) - Jafta 8, Tryon 1
Tryon, who cannot have expected to be batting in the powerplay, gets off the mark with a clip to fine leg.
Wicket! Bosch b Sciver-Brunt 6
South Africa 31-5 (8.1 overs)
Sciver-Brunt's first ball traps Bosch in front of her leg stump.
South Africa 31-4 (8 overs) - Bosch 6, Jafta 8
There could have been another Smith wicket, but Jones fumbles a stumping chance with Jafta way out of her ground.
South Africa 31-4 (7 overs) - Bosch 6, Jafta 8
Jafta with another crashing drive through the offside, this one going for four and Bosch smashes another off the final ball of Bell's over.
South Africa 22-4 (6 overs) - Bosch 2, Jafta 3
Jafta rocks on the back foot and pushes through point with Bell stopping it just before the boundary.
Wicket! Kapp b Smith 4
South Africa 19-4 (5.1 overs)
What a start for Linsey Smith. Here she beats Kapp's outside edge and clips off stump to get her third wicket.
South Africa 19-3 (5 overs) - Kapp 4, Bosch 2
This game could be over pretty quickly. So much rides on South Africa's star all-rounder Kapp now.
Wicket! Luus b Bell 2
South Africa 17-3 (4.4 overs)
A disastrous start for South Africa, Luus is bowled by a ball which may have kept low, hitting the off stump.
South Africa 16-2 (4 overs) - Luus 2, Kapp 4
Kapp gets off the mark with a four through the covers.
Wicket! Brits b Smith 5
South Africa 12-2 (3.1 overs)
Incredible. Smith takes a second wicket, the ball drifts in from her round-arm action and takes Brits' leg stump.
South Africa 12-1 (3 overs) - Brits 5, Luus 2
Luus gets off the mark with a flick through midwicket.
South Africa 9-1 (2 overs) - Brits 4, Luus 0
A great start for England.
Wicket! Wolvaardt c and b Smith 5
South Africa 9-1 (1.2 overs)
Wolvaardt hits a leading edge back to the slow-left-arm bowler. A big wicket.
South Africa 9-0 - Wolvaardt 5, Brits 4
Wolvaardt drove a four wide of third man, a little edgily, then Brits - after being beaten by an outswinger - crashed Bell through the point region for a four.
Wolvaardt key at top of order
The South African skipper has an imposing average of nearly 50. If England can get her out early their already miserly 1/3 price, will shorten considerably.
England have won the toss and elected to field
Skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt will share the new ball with Lauren Bell as England field a very spin-heavy attack.
Hello and welcome...
Thanks for joining our coverage of England's opening match in the Women's World Cup.
Here are today's teams:
England: Tammy Beaumont, Amy Jones (wk), Heather Knight, Nat Sciver-Brunt (c), Sophia Dunkley, Emma Lamb, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell.
South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt (c), Tazmin Brits, Sune Luus, Marizanne Kapp, Anneke Bosch, Sinola Jafta (wk), Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Nonkululeko Mlaba.
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