England women start with a flourish

England women began their Twenty20 campaign in style as they beat South Africa by 54 runs in the first encounter at Northampton.

The home side made 138 for six from their 20 overs with captain Charlotte Edwards top-scoring with 45 and taking the player-of-the-match award. In reply, South Africa managed just 84 for four.

England looked sharp and athletic in the field with both Gunn and Greenway taking difficult catches to see their side through to a comfortable victory.

Sarah Taylor and Edwards opened the batting for the home side and made a steady start, putting on 14 for the first wicket before Taylor was run out by Claire Terblanche.

Edwards was joined in the middle by Jenny Gunn as Claire Taylor, England’s solid number three was still at the team hotel suffering from sickness.

Together they posted an extra 52 runs for England with Gunn playing some big shots including one massive six over long-on.

Edwards timed the ball beautifully as she made her 45 from just 34 balls striking nine fours but was the second wicket to fall as she was caught by Annelie Minny off Susan Benade, leaving England 66 for two.

Charlotte Edwards played a captain's role in her side's comfortable 54-run victory at Northampton

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Lydia Greenway joined Gunn at the crease and pushed the total upwards making a rapid 25, but the latter was next to go as she was caught by South Africa captain Cri-Zelda Brits off Sunette Loubser for 24.

Beth Morgan added 23 to the total with Greenway before she was bowled by Benade leaving England 115 for four.

Nicola Shaw was next in to join Greenway, but succeeded only in running out her partner for 25 and England were 136 for five.

Shaw and debutant Ebony Rainford-Brent made a valiant effort to add much-needed runs to England’s total, but Rainford-Brent sacrificed her wicket first ball as England finished on 138 for six.

Opener Loubser fell early in South Africa's reply to a stumping by Sarah Taylor off Isa Guha, with Greenway seeing off Olivia Anderson for a duck thanks to a brilliant catch at backward point.

It left South Africa three for two, which soon became 24 for three as Trisha Chetty departed thanks to a catch from Gunn.

Benade headed to the middle but she and Smith only managed to post another four runs before Gunn took another catch at deep mid-on off Holly Colvin’s bowling to dismiss opener Smith for 17.

Captain Brits was next in and she and Benade dug in for South Africa, putting on 56 for the fifth wicket. However, it was not enough and the pair could not make enough runs with Benade finishing unbeaten on 34, South Africa’s top scorer and Brits finishing 20 not out.

Brunt took 2-12 from her allocation of four overs whilst spinner Colvin went for just nine runs and claimed one wicket.