A depleted South Africa lost to England by just four wickets due to Nat Sciver-Brunt’s impactful play.
Sciver-Brunt put up a half-century, turning the game in England’s favor. The match was highly competitive, with South Africa initially leading, but the tide shifted in the last six overs as Sciver-Brunt, Amy Jones, and Ayanda Hlubi’s performances pushed the game towards England.
With this victory, England took a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20 series against South Africa. This win may serve as some retribution for England’s recent World Cup result.
Recently, England has adopted a more measured style of play, moving away from aggression, which has drawn some criticism from the media. However, this victory has quieted many of those critics.
South Africa felt the absence of key players Kapp and Khaka in this T20 series; with them, the outcome could have been quite different.
Fortunately for South Africa, Tryon will return for the second match, potentially giving them an edge. Nadine de Klerk and Charlie Dean both put in strong performances for South Africa.
South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt shared her thoughts on the match:
“We knew if we could get to 150 it would have been a good total, it’s unfortunate we couldn’t defend it. There are a lot of positives to take out of this game. We were on the wrong side of the result but lost in a few pressure moments that we can talk about.”
Score Summary:
South Africa 142-5 (20 overs): De Klerk 29* (16); Dean 2-20
England 143-6 (19.2 overs): Sciver-Brunt 59 (54); Marx 3-19
