It was a statement win for England as Nat Sciver-Bruntβs side crushed South Africa in their tournament opener. A commanding 10-wicket victory in Guwahati highlighted their dominance with both bat and ball. South Africa will have to regroup quickly as they take on New Zealand next in Indore on Monday, while England remain in Guwahati for their clash against Bangladesh.
Up next, the action moves to Colombo tomorrow where Sri Lanka will host Australia. For now, this is Pritam Dey signing off on behalf of my co-commentators Akshay Bhide & Ajay Pal Singh who, along with scorer/analyst Bishal Mandal and statistician Aman brought all the updates of this clash. Stay tuned for more cricketing action from around the world. BYE BYEπ
Nat Sciver-Brunt (England Women Captain): "Massively pleased. It just seemed like everyone were really charged up on the field. It's a captains dream as we bowled really well and also managed to pick wickets at regular intervals.
(On Linsey Smith) She just stuck to her strength I think. She is a left-arm spinner but she can swing the ball. We knew that she was a really good matchup to those two batters (SA openers), who obviously scored a lot of runs leading up to this tournament. So, it was important for us to break that partnership early.
(On the spinners) Yeah, absolutely and Sarah Glenn is on the bench as well. We are really blessed to have so many talented cricketers in our squad which obviously makes team selection very difficult.
Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa Women Captain): "Yeah, certainly not the way we wanted to start the tournament. Not the best effort with the bat. I think this team has shown resilience in the past. We will put this behind and move forward.
Obviously, they bowled well with the new ball. Linsey bowled well. We didn't expect that much swing. Could have played straighter.
We found that she (Ayabonga Khaka) can be effective for us in the middle overs. So, decided to get the spin early and see how it worked.
I think just keep trusting what we have done in the past. We have a good form and a good coaching staff as well. In these types of tournaments, you got to have short memory and move forward."
6 PM IST: Time for the Post-Match Presentation!
Least Balls Taken to Conclude a Match in Womenβs ODI World Cup:
119 β Australia vs Pakistan, Hyderabad, 1997
169 β Netherlands vs New Zealand, Ghaziabad, 1997
190 β South Africa vs West Indies, Leicester, 2017
209 β England vs South Africa, Guwahati, 2025, Today*
233 β Pakistan vs West Indies, Hamilton, 2022
Heaviest defeats for South Africa Women in ODI (by balls remaining): 243 vs England, Cuttack, 2013 (50 Over) (Target-78) 215 vs England, Guwahati, 2025 (50 Over) (Target-70), Today* 213 vs New Zealand, Hamilton, 1999 (50 Over) (Target-97) 212 vs Pakistan, Potchefstroom, 2019 (50 Over) (Target-64)
Heaviest defeats for South Africa Women in ODI World Cups (by balls remaining): 243 vs England, Cuttack, 2013 (50 Over) (Target-78) 215 vs England, Guwahati, 2025 (50 Over) (Target-70), Today* 150 vs Australia, Lincoln, 2000 (50 Over) (Target-170)
Instances of 10-Wicket Wins By England Women in ODI World Cups:
Against Ireland in Melbourne, 1988
Against India in Nelson, 1982
Against South Africa in Guwahati, 2025 (TODAY)
Linsey Smith (Player of the Match): "Yeah, obviously, delighted with how we went. The start was special. But great to get the win.
Yesterday, Lottie spoke with me and told me that I will open the bowling. The conditions favored me.
I think just backing myself and not overcomplicate. Attack the stumps and it worked today.
There is a huge talent in this squad. Everyone is pushing to get a place. We are pushing ourselves every day to get better and we keep learning."