SA vs. ENG [W] 2024/25, South Africa Women vs England Women 2nd ODI, Durban Match Report, December 8, 2024

England 137 for 4 (Beaumont 34, Bouchier 33, Dercksen 2-22) won South Africa 135 (Tryon 45, Dean 4-45, Ecclestone 3-27, Filer 3-32) for six wickets

 

Charlie Dean became the first England bowler to take a hat-trick in a women’s ODI in 25 years, although he later admitted he had not noticed the feat, as South Africa were beaten by six wickets at Kingsmead.

 

After losing the opening ODI in Kimberley by six wickets on Wednesday, England bounced back to level the series in style, instigating a five-wicket collapse for four runs before an aggressive batting display led by Tammy Beaumont and Maia Bouchier concluded the competition with 26. leftovers. After a 3-0 win in the T20Is, England also took an unassailable 8-2 lead in the multi-format series.

 

After winning the toss and bowling first, England showed their intent early on, with Lauren Filer bowling Tazmin Brits and Sune Luus in their first two overs to reduce South Africa to 14 for 2.

 

However, Laura Wolvaardt, in her 100th ODI, and Annerie Dercksen responded with a fluent stand of 58 in 13 overs to give the impression that South Africa had weathered much of England’s initial storm.

 

Then, however, came a drinks break at the end of the 16th over, and what followed was a surprising mid-innings meltdown.

 

On 29, and just three balls after the restart, Dercksen clipped an open drive from Dean to Filer at backward point, and with his sixth ball of the same over, Dean bagged the key blow of the innings, as Marizanne Kapp drove impulsively. She broke through the line and took a simple catch for Sophie Ecclestone at mid-on.

 

Ecclestone herself was called into action four balls later, when Wolvaardt, whose cover driving had once again been the feature of her innings, this time misjudged the length and slid in on her own stumps for 35, while staying back in the fold. .

 

At 76 for 5, South Africa were drunk and two balls into Dean’s next over, they were almost out of the count. Nadine de Klerk made a horribly off-balance cut, which Heather Knight slipped and collected via a deflection off the goalkeeper’s gloves, and then Sinalo Jafta lamely advanced and was pinned in front of the cross and leg of the first ball.

 

A review could not save her, and Dean had become only the third England bowler to take an ODI hat-trick in women’s cricket, after Carol Hodges against Denmark in 1993 and, more recently, Clare Connor against India in 1999. She seemed bewildered when asked about the achievement during the inning break and later admitted in the postgame presentation that the moment had slipped her mind.

 

South Africa encountered some resistance, thanks to Chloe Tryon, who led the lower order with 45 off 49 hard-fought balls. Filer returned to the attack to bowl Nonkululeko Mlaba as he retreated towards leg, but his extra pace proved more to Tryon’s liking as his subsequent over was ruled out for three fours for offside.

 

The spinners, however, would not refuse for long. Ecclestone found some extra spin and bounce to beat Tryon through a strong take from Beaumont at short leg, and then cleaned up the innings with 18 unused overs when Ayanda Hlubi was bowled for 6.

 

In response, England’s chase was started by Beaumont and Bouchier, whose opening stand of 69 in 12 overs broke the requirement.

 

Both were eventually removed by the aggressive Dercksen, whose use of the short ball induced two spongy pulls, Bouchier to midwicket and Beaumont to the keeper, and when Heather Knight was caught lbw for 7 by Kapp, there was the threat of a wobble at 82 for 3 .

 

However, Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Nat Sciver-Brunt put the contest beyond doubt with a fourth-wicket stand of 47, and although de Klerk got a consolation lbw in the final over, two fours from Amy Jones sealed the deal .

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