England seal Twenty20 series

23 August 2008

Laura Marsh has Annelie Minny lbw for 13 to leave South Africa 28 for two

Captain Charlotte Edwards again led from the front as England women wrapped up the NatWest Twenty20 international series against South Africa with a game to spare.

The player of the match followed up yesterday’s 45 in a 54-run opening victory with 76 not out, from 66 balls including seven fours, as England won the second match of three by 37 runs.

The 28-year-old held the England innings together to post 116 for eight at Northampton, and her bowlers combined to limit the tourists to 79 for seven in reply.

Edwards won the toss and elected to bat first on a sunny morning but South Africa made early inroads to have England 14 for three.

Opening partner Sarah Taylor was the first to go, bowled for seven by Charlize van der Westhuizen as she went to pull.

Jenny Gunn made three before she was caught at mid-off by Susan Benade off left-arm seamer Ashlyn Kilowan in the third over. Kilowan then bowled Lydia Greenway first ball, leaving England reeling.

Beth Morgan prevented the hat-trick and she dug in with Edwards to put on 40 runs but she was caught and bowled by off-spinner Sunette Loubser for 13.

Ebony Rainford-Brent collected her second consecutive duck after a mix up with Edwards and Caroline Atkins, who replaced Nicky Shaw, also went for nought - stumped off Loubser - to leave England 60 for six.

Holly Colvin added 22 with Edwards but was caught by South Africa’s tallest player Alicia Smith off Susan Benade for eight as she attempted to hit over the top.

Edwards then brought up her third international Twenty20 half-century and went on to make her highest score in this form of the game at international level.

Laura Marsh added just four before she was bowled by Kilowan, running down the track, as Katherine Brunt finished nought not out. Kilowan finished with 3-25 while Loubser took 2-13.

Charlotte Edwards reverse sweeps en route to 76 as South Africa keeper Trisha Chetty looks on

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Brunt and Isa Guha then kept South Africa’s run-rate down and Guha broke through in the sixth over as she had Smith trapped lbw for 12.

Opener Daleen Terblanche, on two, was reprieved when she hit a Brunt full toss no-ball to Morgan who took a catch at square-leg in the seventh over.

Leg-spinner Colvin and seamer Marsh came on and claimed two wickets apiece. Annelie Minny was lbw to Marsh for 13 and Colvin had Terblanche (nine) caught by wicketkeeper Taylor who came running up the wicket to take the catch.

Benade made just one before she became Colvin’s second victim, caught in the deep by Brunt.

Captain Cri-Zelda Brits managed only two before Greenway took a catch at midwicket off Marsh, leaving South Africa 57 for five.

Chetty, South Africa’s top-scorer with 15, was the next to fall as she was run-out by Edwards. Loubser was also run-out by Greenway for three on the last ball of South Africa’s innings.