Cricket
Lionesses secure ODI series win in Potch─── MORGAN PIEK 07:56 Thu, 12 Dec 2024
England Women claimed a 2-1 series win against South Africa on Wednesday following a six-wicket victory according to the DLS Method in the third and final One-Day International played in Potchefstroom.
Laura Wolvaardt scored 61, while Marizanne Kapp contributed 38 as the Proteas posted 233/8 in their innings batting first. South Africa was somewhat unlucky with two lbw reviews, where, on another day, Wolvaardt and Annerie Dercksen, who scored 13, might have survived. However, the umpires’ decisions were accurate according to the laws.
Sophie Ecclestone was the pick of the English bowlers by taking 2/26 in her 10 overs, while Alice Capsey and Charlie Dean also claimed two wickets each.
Due to rain, England was set a revised target of 152 runs in 23 overs for the win.
Despite early wickets, Tammy Beaumont, who scored an unbeaten 65, and Amy Jones, not out on 49, led England to victory with 24 balls to spare. England found themselves in trouble early, with Maia Bouchier, Nat Sciver-Brunt, and captain Heather Knight all dismissed cheaply, leaving the score at 25/3. The seasoned allrounder Kapp took all three wickets in a brilliant opening spell.
The departure of Danni Wyatt-Hodge for 22, with the score on 63, gave South Africa a genuine chance at a series win. However, Beaumont and Jones put together an outstanding 90-run unbeaten partnership for the fifth wicket to secure the win for England.
Reflecting on the match, Beaumont said the team was confident chasing the target. “You would have seen Heather at the toss mention that we knew there was weather around, so that’s why we wanted to chase," Beaumont explained.
Rain at the JB Marks Oval - Cricinfo
“We back ourselves chasing in both 50-over cricket and T20 cricket. Knowing what you’ve got to get, always helps. In the changeroom, we all guessed what the target might be, and no one thought it would be as high as 152.
“We were very comfortable knowing we could score at around seven an over for a sustained period with the batting lineup we had. Once we knew the target, we were pretty happy and just got on with it, really.”
The teams now head to the Free State for the standalone Test, which will be played at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein. The first ball is set to be bowled at 10:00 on Sunday morning.
