Edwards excels as Proteas crumble

By Dominic Farrell

Captain Charlotte Edwards was in the runs once more as England Women beat South Africa by 42 runs to claim an unassailable 2-0 lead in the NatWest International T20 series at Wantage Road.

Edwards passed 50 for a fourth consecutive international innings on her way to 75 not out, compiled throughout an imposing total of 141 for three.

South Africa’s batting flailed in posting just 89 for four at the Essex County Ground on Monday but they appeared up for the fight as Dane van Niekerk and Mignon du Preez helped them race to 46 for one after the six-over powerplay.

But off-spinner Danielle Hazel took the crucial wicket of Du Preez amid excellent figures of 1-17  and the Proteas subsided badly to 99 all out.

Marizanne Kapp scored 27 from 28 balls but looked on as five wickets fell for 15 runs at the other end, Jenny Gunn the main beneficiary with 3-13.

Heather Knight and Anya Shrubsole also took two wickets apiece and three quicksilver stumpings from Sarah Taylor added up to a highly satisfactory evening for England.

Having won the toss and elected to bat, Edwards put on 45 in seven overs for the first wicket alongside Lauren Winfield.

Yorkshire opener Winfield stuck arguably the shot of the innings with a lofted drive over extra cover and contributed a handy 22 from 20 deliveries before being stumped by Trisha Chetty off van Niekerk.

Taylor and Nat Sciver both went along at a run-a-ball alongside Edwards to keep England ticking along through the middle overs.

Both fell attacking Moseline Daniels, leaving Edwards to provide the final acceleration as she struck 11 fours overall - laced with aplomb on either side of the wicket.

Shrubsole arched a delivery back to take Lizelle Lee’s off stump, although there was precious little to cheer for England at the start of the South African reply.

But du Preez’s error in picking out Nat Sciver with the field spread proved pivotal and soon, when Gunn bowled Sune Luus and pinned Chloe Tryon lbw to find herself on a hat-trick, the game appeared up for South Africa.

Edwards opted against giving seamer Gunn a slip and Shabnim Ismail edged the hat-trick ball through the vacant cordon, but there was little else to grumble about for the hosts as the match raced towards its conclusion - Taylor’s dazzling glovework standing up to the pace of Shrubsole and Kathrine Brunt proving a particular highlight.

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Post-Match Reaction

England captain and player of the match Charlotte Edwards: “I thought they came out brilliantly. We didn’t bowl as well as we have done up front and they capitalised on that. I’m delighted to win by that margin but it didn’t feel like that easy a game. Our bowling and our fielding was exceptional through that middle phase.

“Something I learned from batting was it got harder the longer I was in there. I came off and said ‘look, girls, we’re probably going to have to bowl cutters and bowl straight’. If we did that I knew we could defend that total. It was probably good that I batted for as long as I did.”

The grin says it all! @Lottie2323 with the player of the match champagne. More bubbly for the collection! #EngWomenpic.twitter.com/19pjm8Irvt

— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) September 3, 2014

South Africa captain Mignon du Preez: “I think once again we had very soft dismissals, we just kept on losing wickets in clusters. At the end it got too hard for the girls to keep up.

“We thought it was very gettable. 141 is a good total but I do think on this ground it was a score we could chase down. Unfortunately we just couldn’t carry the form we started with in the first six [overs] through the innings.” 

South Africa Innings

9.12pm - END OF INNINGS! Daniels run out 0; SA 99 all out. ENGLAND WIN BY 42 RUNS AND TAKE THE SERIES. Shrubsole has time to fumble and still throw the stumps down as South Africa’s misery is complete. England win the match and the series in resounding fashion.

9.08pm - WICKET! Kapp st Taylor b Brunt 27; SA 97/9. Brunt atones for her error immediately and that might just be the best of the lot from Taylor, whipping the bails off flawlessly from England’s quickest bowler.

9.07pm - MISSED CHANCE! It looked like a run out had accounted for South Africa’s ninth wicket but Brunt fumbled at the crucial moment, breaking the stumps at the bowlers’ end.

9.02pm - WICKET! Loubser b Knight 0; SA 91/8. A beautifully flighted delivery from Knight is far too good for Sunette Loubser. Remember when this one looked like throwing up a close finish? England’s bowling unit has been irresistible since the powerplay.

9pm - WICKET! Chetty st Taylor b Knight 6; SA 91/7. More quicksilver work from Taylor as Chetty errs in edging out of her ground. This has become something of a procession.

8.56pm - WICKET! Ismail st Taylor b Shrubsole 4; SA 84/6. That’s superb work from Taylor standing up to the returning pace of Shurbsole. In comes Trisha Chetty, demoted from opening in the last match.

8.52pm - Gunn might have a friendly word with captain Charlotte Edwards later as Shabnim Ismail edges the hat-trick ball through a vacant first-slip region. Either way, South Africa are now 80 for five and need something truly special now.

8.50pm - WICKET! Tryon lbw Gunn 0; SA 79/5 - Gunn on a hat-trick!  Chloe Tryon plays across the line and that is absolutely plumb.

8.48pm - WICKET! Luus b Gunn 3; SA 79/4. Very much a case of “you miss, I hit” as Sune Luus looks to launch one over midwicket, only to be castled. The required rate is up above 10 now and England are in the box seat.

8.40pm - WICKET! van Niekerk c Brunt b Gunn 34; SA 71/3. Van Niekerk can’t make the life count and Brunt takes a sensational catch coming in from square leg. The delivery from Jenny Gunn was a waist-high full toss - the third umpire checking for height as van Niekerk began a walk back that severely damages South Africa’s hopes.

8.38pm - DROPPED! Sciver gives little away in an impressive first over but van Niekerk absolutely middles one straight back to the bowler last ball. They either stick or they don’t; unfortunately for Sciver and England it didn’t.

8.35pm - Hazell ends a fine four-over spell of 1-17. Pace off the ball looks like the way to go for England, who have the rate climbing. Here comes seamer Sciver with Sarah Taylor up to the stumps.

8.31pm - Marizanne Kapp pounces on some width from Knight to strike South Africa’s first boundary since the powerplay. The over costs eight and they are 63 for two at halfway.

8.26pm - A very useful first over of spin from Heather Knight backs up the wicket well. Just a pair of singles. The equation for South Africa is 90 from 72 balls.

8.21pm - WICKET! du Preez c Sciver b Hazell 15; SA 47/2. And break it they do! Du Preez will be kicking herself after lifting an inviting delivery from Hazell straight to Nat Sciver with the field now spread.

8.19pm - It’s been an impressive poweplay for South Africa, who are 46 for one. England will want to break this partnership quickly.

8.13pm - Boundaries are flowing for South Africa, who are clearly keen to make amends for their Chelmsford showing. Van Niekerk blasts a couple of fours down the ground off Shrubsole before the same bowler is punished through point by Du Preez. Danielle Hazell’s off-spin comes into play but van Niekerk cuts four more.

8.09pm - South Africa captain Mignon du Preez gets herself up and running with a punchy pull for four as Brunt drops a fraction short. It’s 18 for one after three overs.

8.03pm - WICKET! Lee b Shrubsole 4; SA 13/1. Lizelle Lee follows her opening partner’s lead with another boundary but Anya Shrubsole strikes back in style, beautifully arching a delivery back in to take off-stump.

8.01pm - It’s a highly encouraging start for the tourists as Kathrine Brunt begins with a no-ball before Dane van Niekerk hits fours to third man and cover point.

England Innings

7.42pm - END OF INNINGS! England 141/3 A ravishingly well-timed drive over extra cover brings Edwards a one-bounce four and runs come from every other ball of Ismail’s closing set of six. Greenway contributed a typically busy 13 from nine, but Edwards is the star of the show once more with a sterling 75 not out.

Proteas captain Mignon du Preez feels her power-hitters are better suited to chasing. They certainly have a good total to go at on what appears to be a fine batting surface. Join us for the South African response shortly.

In the words of @aliciakeys, this girl is on fire! #EngWomenpic.twitter.com/Pd3FGxAUgT

— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) September 3, 2014

7.39pm - Edwards and Lydia Greenway manufacture nine from the penultimate over to leave England 130 for three heading into the last. The captain targeted around 140 at the toss - can she finish the job to her satisfaction?

7.32pm - DROPPED! That should have been the end of Edwards. Ismail is almost rewarded for a well-disguised slower ball but Tryon drops a fairly regulation chance coming in from long-on.

7.27pm - WICKET! Sciver c Ismail b Daniels 14; Eng 111/3. Nelson strikes as Sciver perishes in the deep having scored, like Taylor, at a run a ball.

7.24pm - FIFTY! Edwards (45b 7x4 0x6) - It’s a fourth consecutive half-century in international cricket from Edwards, who turns in a virtually chanceless innings. The pace slowed slightly on her way to the landmark but a brace of fours off Tryon means England are 109 for two heading into the last four overs.

7.18pm - Nat Sciver is now at the crease for England and hasn’t wasted any time in moving to eight from six balls. Edwards is three shy of her half-century.

7.12pm - WICKET! Taylor c Letsoalo b Daniels 15; Eng 83/2. The ball after clipping an effortless four to square leg, Taylor perishes at mid-on - opting for the aerial route to curtail a run-a-ball knock.

7.10pm - Tyron provides some much-needed control for South Africa as the 12th over of the innings costs just three singles.

7.03pm - Wonderful, trademark lofted cover drive for four from Sarah Taylor, who appears to be quickly into her stride. Loubser lobs another up and Edwards duly follows her partner’s lead. England very well set on 70 for one at halfway.

6.58pm - Spin is not quite as effective at the other end as Sunette Loubser’s first set of six costs seven and England pass 50.

6.55pm - WICKET! Winfield st Chetty b van Niekerk 22; Eng 45/1. The introduction of spin does the trick for South Africa as Winfield falls aiming a sweep at leg-break bowler Dane van Niekerk. The Yorkshire batsman’s score came off 20 deliveries to help give England a useful foundation.

6.52pm - There’s a meaty four apiece for Edwards and Winfield before the skipper slaps another one through the offside. It amounts to a chastening return to the attack for Ismail and England chalk up an unbeaten 44 from the poweplay.

6.44pm - The change of angle from left-arm seamer Chloe Tryon poses a few questions for England’s opening pair but Winfield finds a superb response in lifting a four over extra cover. Edwards locates the midwicket fence for third time as Moseline Daniels is introduced and England are 27 without loss in the fifth.

Here's @lydiagreenway all padded up and walking to the dug out. #EngWomenpic.twitter.com/vD14w0LGmR

— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) September 3, 2014

6.38pm - Shabnim Ismail more or less backed up Kapp’s good work until the final ball of the second over, when Winfield crunched an on-drive down the ground for England’s first boundary. Kapp drops short next ball and Edwards needs no invitation to pull away to the fence in front of square. There is a repeat dose next delivery as South Africa's tidy start threatens to unravel.

6.32pm - It’s an impressive opening over from Marizanne Kapp. The South African seamer beat the bat on a couple of occasions and conceded only a single to Edwards down to third man.

Pre-Play News

6.28pm - The players are out in the middle, with the opening partnership of Edwards and Lauren Winfield taking guard.

6.20pm - England coasted home with 39 balls to spare in the first game of the series but Edwards is expecting a more testing assignment this time around.

6.07pm - Both teams are unchanged, so here’s a full rundown of the runners and riders.

England:  Charlotte Edwards (capt), Lauren Winfield, Sarah Taylor, Natalie Sciver, Lydia Greenway, Heather Knight, Danielle Wyatt, Jenny Gunn, Danielle Hazell, Katherine Brunt, Anya Shrubsole.

. @Lottie2323 has won the toss! #EngWomen to bat 1st v @OfficialCSA women in the 2nd NatWest IT20 @NorthantsCCCpic.twitter.com/4nC9clS2wt

— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) September 3, 2014

South Africa: Trish Chetty, Dane van Niekerk, Lizelle Lee, Mignon du Preez (capt), Marizanne Kapp, Chloe-Lesleigh Tryon, Sune Luus, Shabnim Ismail, Sunette Loubser, Matshipi Marcia Letsoalo, Moseline Daniels.

6.04pm - Charlotte Edwards steered the hosts to a dominant nine-wicket win over the Proteas in the series opener at the Essex County Ground on Monday and the England captain has won the toss and elected to bat.

6pm - Good evening and welcome to live coverage of the second NatWest International T20 between England Women and South Africa at the Essex County Ground.