England 176 for 6 (Ecclestone 33*, Wyatt 30, Mlaba 3-22) beat South Africa 138 for 6 (Brits 59, Kemp 2-18, Ecclestone 2-24) by 38 runs
Allrounder Capsey didn’t have a chance to bat on her international debut as England cruised to a six-wicket victory in the second T20I in Worcester, although she did take a wicket with her second ball when she had Lara Goodall caught by Nat Sciver to break a century opening stand.
Capsey struck the fifth ball she faced – from Masabata Klaas – through long-on for four and she unfurled three more in succession, clearing backward point, piercing the covers and lifting one over backward square. Capsey then turned Ayabonga Khaka to the rope through fine leg to move to 21 off 10 balls and after three overs England were 34 for 1. Mlaba returned to the attack with immediate effect, however, removing Capsey with her seventh delivery, caught by Tryon at mid-off.
Mlaba makes things happen
But when Mlaba returned in the 11th over, there was no mistaking her dismissal of Sciver, bowled by one that deceived her through the air and clattered into the base of the stumps. When Tryon bowled Wyatt for 30 with another full delivery next ball, England were 86 for 4 and South Africa were regaining a measure of control.
Ecclestone proceeded to smash 26 off the final over of the innings, bowled by Klaas, beginning with back-to-back fours before sending the fourth ball over the rope at deep midwicket. She then punched the next ball through the covers for four before sending the last ball a long way over the fence beyond the rope at deep backward square.
For South Africa it has been a different story after struggling to get going since the Test, then losing Lizelle Lee to a shock retirement, then Kapp and most recently Ismail, who went wicketless in the first two games. Tryon, standing in for unwell captain Sune Luus, successfully mixed up her bowling to have England in trouble early.
Brits – who only joined the squad with Kapp’s departure and earned a call-up to the team when Luus fell ill – was excellent in scoring at better than a run-a-ball. But South Africa still look to be a long way short of where their semi-final appearance at the ODI World Cup suggested they might be by now.