England demolish S Africa

Seamer Anya Shrubsole returned with a five-wicket haul as defending champions England dished out a brilliant all-round performance to thrash South Africa by seven wickets in their Super Six match of the ICC Women’s cricket World Cup here on Sunday.

Shrubsole produced a devastating spell of pace bowling to claim all the top five South African batters and leave them gasping for breath at 42 for five in 16 overs after skipper Charlotte Edwards decided to field on winning the toss.

While Shrubsole gave just 17 runs in her 10 overs, team-mate Danielle Wyatt mopped up the South African tail, taking the last three batswomen in just nine deliveries to skittle them out for a paltry 77 in 29.3 overs.

England then overhauled the target by making 81 in 9.3 overs after losing three wickets at the Barabati Stadium here.

Lydia Greenway (25) and Arran Brindle (28) took the team home after the dismissal of Edwards (6), Wyatt (14) and Sarah Taylor (0). Greenway hit five fours in her unbeaten 30-ball innings, while Brindle cracked six boundaries in 16 deliveries that she faced.

For South Africa, CL Tryon and M Kapp took two wickets and one wicket respectively.

Earlier, Shrubsole picked up two wickets — opener Yolandi Potgieter (1) and M du Preez (0) — within a space of four balls in her first over to leave South Africa at two down for five in two overs. Both Potgieter and Preez were trapped in front of the wicket.

Score board

SOUTH AFRICA: Yalandi Potgieter lbw Shrubsole 1, Trisha Chetty c Gunn b Shrubsole 9, Mignon du Preez lbw Shrubsole 0, Marizanne Kapp b Shrubsole 13, Cri-zelda Brits lbw Shrubsole 4, Shandre Fritz c Greenway b Colvin 10, Dane van Niekerk (not out) 17, Chloe Tryon lbw Brunt 0, Shabnim Ismail c Taylor b Wyatt 16, Sunette Loubser c Edwards b Wyatt 0, Marcia Letsoalo c & b Wyatt 1. Extras (LB-5, W-1) 6. Total (all out, 29.3 overs) 77.

Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-5, 3-12, 4-18, 5-42, 6-42, 7-47, 8-69, 9-69.

Bowling: Katherine Brunt 8-1-28-1, Anya Shrubsole 10-5-17-5, Jenny Gunn 3-1-8-0, Holly Colvin 5-3-6-1, Laura Marsh 2-0-6-0, Danielle Wyatt 1.3-0-7-3.
ENGLAND: Charlotte Edwards c Tryon b Kapp 6, Danielle Wyatt c Ismail b Tryon 14, Sarha Taylor b Tryon 0, Lydia Greenway (not out) 25, Arran Brindle (not out) 28. Extras (LB-1, W-7) 8.

Total (for 3 wkts, 9.3 overs) 81.

Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-24, 3-26.

Bowling: Marizanna Kapp 3-0-18-1, Shabnim Ismail 2-0-23-0, Chloe Tryon 3-0-14-2, Marcia Letsoalo 1-0-17-0, Sunette Loubser 0.3-0-8-0.