England opened its Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 campaign with a dominant 10-wicket win against South Africa on Friday at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati. It was a day for the spinners as Linsey Smith dominated the proceedings and helped the four-time champion bundle out the Proteas for just 69 runs on the board.

Here are the major talking points of the game:

Smith spins all the way

The 30-year-old Smith made her ODI debut earlier this year in May, and was one of three spinners chosen for the match.

While South Africa lost the toss, skipper Laura Wolvaardt didn’t seem too unhappy to bat first. However, Smith struck with just her second ball of her spell and sent the Proteas captain packing for just five. The left-arm tweaker went on to remove Tazmin Brits and Marizanne Kapp, and by then, England had seen the back of South Africa’s major run-getters. Smith was ably supported by her fellow spinners in Charlie Dean and Sophie Ecclestone as the trio accounted for seven wickets, out of which six were scalped by bowling good-length deliveries.

South Africa’s batting collapse

While England’s bowlers maintained disciplined lines and attacked the stumps, the Proteas batters also had their issues while batting. As pointed out by commentator and expert Natalie Germanos, the batters’ footwork left much to be desired, especially against spin. The only batter to get into double digits was wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta (22), who still attempted to play counter-attacking shots against spin at times.

Sciver-Brunt’s bowling return

The last time the England skipper had bowled overs in a competitive fixture — she bowled four overs in the World Cup warm-up match against India — was back in January during the women’s Ashes.

On Friday, she took two wickets and conceded just five runs in her three overs. This is a promising sign for the English pace battery as Sciver-Brunt’s availability to bowl a few overs means less pressure on the primary pacer, who in this match was Lauren Bell.

Published on Oct 03, 2025