England vs South Africa: LIVE Women’s T20 World Cup result and reaction after Heather Knight’s side secure victory
England beat South Africa in their second Women’s T20 World Cup group game in Sharjah
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England took another step towards the semi-finals at the Women’s T20 World Cup with a strong win over South Africa.
After an opening win over Bangladesh on a slow surface, England’s spin quartet again made good use of a turning pitch in Sharjah as they strangled the South Africa batters. Sophie Ecclestone led the way with figures of 2/15 with Linsey Smith, Charlie Dean and Sarah Glenn once more impressing in support roles, limiting South Africa to 124/6 despite late hitting from Marizanne Kapp and Annerie Dercksen.
It never looked likely to be enough, despite a sluggish outfield, and Danni Wyatt-Hodge (43) ensured a solid platform was laid, eschewing her more expansive strokeplay to manage the chase well. The star turn with the bat came, though, fron Nat Sciver-Brunt, cruising to an unbeaten 48 to guide her side home to a second win from two games. England top Group B with games against Scotland and the West Indies to come.
Re-live all of the action from Sharjah in the blog below:
England 82-2 (14) Wyatt-Hodge 32, Sciver-Brunt 17, Tryon 0-25 (3)
Tryon will have her third. She has been the most expensive of the South Africa bowlers, and England don’t find the singles and twos hard to come by against her.
There was one that jagged in and almost caused an issue for Sciver-Brunt, just jabbing her bat down at the right moment.
England 76-2 (13) Wyatt-Hodge 31, Sciver-Brunt 12, Luus 0-10 (1)
Sune Luus comes into the attack and Sciver-Brunt hits a big top-edge but there’s no one underneath it.
Wyatt-Hodge does exactly the same thing and again it falls safe, but she follows it up with a four coming down the ground and hitting over the top.
Wyatt-Hodge slog-sweeps and that has almost been caught! Brits was almost there, but it just bounced in front of her.
England 66-2 (12) Wyatt-Hodge 24, Sciver-Brunt 9, De Klerk 1-11 (2)
De Klerk, who got the wicket of Alice Capsey is into her second over, and Wyatt-Hodge and Sciver-Brunt are struggling to keep the scoreboard ticking along.
They’re dealing in singles, and just four of them from the over.
England 62-2 (11) Wyatt-Hodge 22, Sciver-Brunt 7, Khaka 0-17 (3)
Khaka will bowl her third, and England are slightly struggling to get the ball away here. The powerplay was slow and it remains to be seen how much that will hurt their chances.
Sciver-Brunt brings up the boundary with a punch through backward point. She tries to follow it up with a paddle, but misses the ball which was not far away from hitting the stumps.
Wyatt-Hodge goes big and over the top but it bounces short of the fielder.
England 55-2 (10) Wyatt-Hodge 21, Sciver-Brunt 2, Mlaba 0-8 (2)
Sciver-Brunt sweeps away for another single.
Wyatt-Hodge tries the paddle, again the slow outfield comes into play and it’s stopped on the boundary.
Capsey out for 19! England 51-2 (9) Wyatt-Hodge 18, Sciver-Brunt 1, De Klerk 1-7 (1)
Time for a new bowler, and it will be De Klerk. One goes straight through Wyatt-Hodge and the keeper and will race away to the boundary.
England will not care where the runs come from. Wyatt-Hodge follows it up with another boundary up and over the off side.
England bring up their 50 after 8.4 overs. At this stage, South Africa had exactly the same score.
But Capsey has hit a delivery straight back to the bowler, it’s a slower ball and the 20-year-old just falls into the trap.
England 40-1 (8) Wyatt-Hodge 13, Capsey 18, Tryon 0-19 (2)
Capsey is on the charge, and has hit another four, again off Tryon.
She follows it up with a sweep, but on this occasion the ball is stopped on the boundary.
England 33-1 (7) Wyatt-Hodge 12, Capsey 12, Mlaba 0-4 (1)
Mlaba on for Kapp and Capsey goes for the paddle and just gets it over the keeper to bring another couple of runs.
Another paddle/reverse and Capsey misses as does the wicketkeeper and they manage to run through for byes.
England 28-1 (6) Wyatt-Hodge 11, Capsey 9, Tryon 0-12 (1)
Change of bowling and it will be Chloe Tryon. Wyatt-Hodge goes over the top and it was only just over the infield, and it only brings one run.
Wolvaardt got a finger-tip to it. Capsey sweeps the next one for four, and that’s a welcome boundary.
She follows it up with a second sweep to the boundary, this is just what England need. 12 runs from it.
Wicket! Bouchier out lbw for 8! England 16-1 (5) Wyatt-Hodge 8, Capsey 0, Kapp 1-5 (3)
Bouchier has been given out lbw but has reviewed the decision! Kapp celebrates believing she has England’s first breakthrough.
Bouchier hasn’t hit it and it’s umpire’s call so she will have to go but England retain their review.
Alice Capsey comes in at number three, and is dropped almost immediately! Capsey hits it slightly in the air.
Wicket maiden for Kapp.
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