England secured a hard-fought six-wicket victory in the third ODI against South Africa on Wednesday, clinching the series 2-1. The win was anchored by Tammy Beaumont's steady innings after Marizanne Kapp's fiery new-ball spell had left England teetering at 25 for three.

Following a two-and-a-half-hour rain delay, England faced a revised DLS target of 152 in 23 overs. However, Kapp's aggressive opening spell mirrored the team's struggles in the first ODI, causing significant damage. Nat Sciver-Brunt fell to a backward point catch, marking her second duck in three matches, while captain Heather Knight was dismissed by a nip-backer, visibly frustrated as she gestured towards movement behind the bowler's arm.

Kapp's spell was limited to five overs, allowing Beaumont to regain composure. She methodically guided England towards the target, reaching her fastest ODI fifty in just 35 balls. Her calm demeanor seemed to inspire Amy Jones, who hit two impressive boundaries off Nadine de Klerk. Their 90-run partnership ensured England's victory with 24 balls remaining.

Beaumont humorously attributed the win to a haircut from teammate Kate Cross the night before: "It made me a lot lighter running between the wickets."

Earlier, England's bowling plans were disrupted when Kate Cross suffered a back spasm during the first over and had to leave the field. Alice Capsey, who had bowled only 12.5 overs for England in the past year, was unexpectedly thrust into action, completing Cross's over and bowling nine more. Despite conceding 59 runs, Capsey's two wickets were crucial in triggering a South African middle-order collapse, negating the advantage gained by Laura Wolvaardt's half-century.

Tight death bowling restricted South Africa to 233 for eight, a modest total on a flat wicket. Captain Heather Knight praised the team's resilience: "A brilliant effort. To rally around on a flat wicket in the heat was outstanding. We were under pressure throughout, so to win comfortably was really pleasing."

The tour concludes with a four-day Test in Bloemfontein, starting on Sunday.

Source link:   https://www.theguardian.com