Sluggish South Africa lose to energetic England

England players celebrate their win during the ICC Women's World T20 2018 match between England and South Africa at Darren Sammy Cricket Ground on November 16, 2018 in Gros Islet, Saint Lucia.
England players celebrate their win during the ICC Women's World T20 2018 match between England and South Africa at Darren Sammy Cricket Ground on November 16, 2018 in Gros Islet, Saint Lucia.
  • England seamers claim six wickets, including an Anya Shrubsole hat-trick, knock South Africa out

In a game that saw only the second ever hat-trick in ICC Women’s World T20s, England made short work of an insipid South Africa to take a step closer to the semi-finals. England’s Anya Shrubsole took a hat-trick at the end of the first innings, but Natalie Sciver made a bigger impact at the start, as South Africa’s batting collapsed for the second consecutive game.

England raced to their target in 14.1 overs to end South Africa’s campaign. They moved to the top of the table with five points, but are still not assured of their semi-final spot; they face the Windies in their last game on Sunday (18 November).

Chasing just 86, England’s openers brought up their fifty partnership off 43 balls, before they lost Daniele Wyatt for 27 (27b, 4x4) against the run of play. On the way, Wyatt crossed the 1000-run milestone in T20I cricket. England lost two more wickets before notching up a seven-wicket win.

Earlier, South Africa made a lead-footed start, taking 28 balls to get the team score into double figures, despite the pitch at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium having no real demons in it. Opener Lizelle Lee seemed to be stuck in quicksand, the big-hitting batter playing out a maiden in third over. Her innings finally ended at 12 (26b, 1x6), LBW to Sciver, and it meant that South Africa were only at 27 for two in seven overs.

Their predicament got worse when two wickets fell in the eighth over, one to an unfortunate run-out: Captain Dane van Neikerk was caught short of her ground at the non-strikers’ end as the bowler got a finger to a straight drive that hit the stumps; South Africa were left reeling at 30 for four.

Chole Tryon then built two partnerships to give South Africa hope of getting to a hundred, but she was dismissed for 27 (28b, 1x4, 2x6) in the 18th over, the first wicket in a double-wicket maiden from Sciver. Sciver finished with incredible figures of three for four and South Africa folded for 85 in 19.3 overs, Anya Shrubsole claiming a hat-trick to clean up the last three wickets, dismissing Shabnim Islamail, Masabata Klaas and Yolani Fourie.

South Africa now play Bangladesh on Sunday.

Scores in brief:

England defeated South Africa by seven wickets at the Daren Sammy National Stadium at Gros Islet, Saint Lucia

South Africa: 85 all out, 19.3 overs (Chloe Tryon 27; Natalie Sciver 3-4, Anya Shrubsole 3-11, Kirstie Gordon 2-18)
England: 87-3 in 14.1 overs (Danielle Wyatt 27, Tamsin Beaumont 24; Dane van Neikerk 2-13)