Gowahati: After having bowl the proteas for a meager 69 in just 20.4 Overs, the openers of England Tammy Beaumont and Amy Jones shed light on the prosecution, captivating the house in 14.1 Overs.
By choosing to play first, England rolled out the dice early by launching the new ball to turn, a movement of the captains often turns into the power game. But the tweaker of the left arm Linsey Smith turned out to be the ace in their handle, exploiting a sticky surface which has groped South Africa in the dark.
“For this beginning to have been very special. I only discovered yesterday that I opened the bowling alley and I was excited for the challenge. Conditions suited me well,” said Smith.
It was just the fifth ODI of Smith, but the 30 -year -old is no stranger to international cricket, having been part of the T20 team of England since 2018. Now a permanent element of the 50 -year team, his desire to play in the danger area of the power game could be a Trump card for England in the future in this campaign.
Smith struck each of his first three Overs and did not have the chance not to win a fourth when a chance of Sinalo Jafta stump went beggar. Jafta clung sinister out of 22, the only South African to reach the double characters in a desolate story of collapse.
It was the lowest third total of the ODI proteas and their worst against England.
The prosecution was hardly more than a formality, although Jones survived a break on the 31st when Masabata Klaas reversed a return. She finished unbeaten on 40 with Beaumont on 21 no.
“This is not the way we wanted to start the tournament. We have shown resilience in the past and we will bounce back,” insisted the South African skipper Laura Wolvaardt while her strikers looking for answers.
The domination of England was such that Heather Knight, marking his 150th ODI appearance, was not necessary to beat or play in the bowl because his teammates were so dominant against South Africa. She only became the second England player to appear in 150 Female Odi.
The emphatic victory vaulted in England at the top of the point table with the eight teams who have now played a match each.
