The Proteas were made to pay dearly for a timid batting display when England won the opening ODI by five wickets in Northampton on Monday.
Johannesburg — The Proteas were made to pay dearly for a timid batting display in the opening One-Day International against England on Monday as they failed to take advantage of excellent batting conditions on a hot day in Northampton.
With the exception of an explosive innings of 88 from Chloe Tryon, which came off just 73 balls, the rest of the South African batters played far too meekly on a flat deck, which along with the fast outfield, was conducive to batting. England dominated in their reply reaching the target with 107 balls to spare
Having won the toss, Suné Luus would have expected much more from her batters, but whether as a result of nerves or mindset they simply couldn’t get on top of the England bowlers. Katherine Brunt (3/18) bowled an excellent spell, but she was allowed to as the Proteas, let her bowl at them and never took the initiative.
The same could be said of the early spell from left-arm spinner Sophie Eccelstone, who conceded a run-a-ball through her first five overs.
It was somewhat worrying that on the eve of the match — the first in the three game series — that Luus spoke about merely trying to rotate the strike against Ecclestone, the No.1 bowler in One-Day cricket. That kind of defensive mindset was always going to put the South Africans on the back foot, and it allowed England to make early in-roads.
By the end of the 17th over, they’d lost three wickets, with their scoring rate well below four an over. Marizanne Kapp, a week after scoring a sublime century in the one-off Test, struck three boundaries, but was dismissed in a desperate bid to increase the scoring rate.
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Laura Wolvaardt, perhaps feeling the need to be circumspect as wickets fell at the other end, used up 72 balls to make 43, before she was trapped lbw by Charlie Dean.
Tryon, was the only player to bat with the requisite intensity, and it wasn’t just boundaries she hit, which included 10 fours and three sixes, one which went out of the ground, but also the aggression she showed running between the wickets.
She shared a partnership of 97 for the sixth wicket with Nadine de Klerk, who made 38, but needed to bat through the 50 overs if South Africa was going to post a respectable total.
Unfortunately she was caught at deep midwicket, in the 46th over and the tail provided little resistance with South Africa’s innings ending in the 48th over. Nat Sciver was England’s most successful bowler taking 4/59.
Opener Emma Lamb dominated in the home side’s response, showing just what a good wicket it was as she registered a maiden ODI century in just her fourth match, eventually finishing on 102 that came off 97 Balls and included 15 fours
Sciver added to her wicket haul with a bruising 55 that came off just 36 balls.
The second match will be played on Friday.
SCORECARD
South Africa 218 all out
England 219/5
England won by 5 wickets
