Record-breaker: England bowler Katherine Brunt
(Picture: PA)Katherine Brunt surpassed Anya Shrubsole and became England’s top women’s Twenty20 international wicket-taker as the hosts beat South Africa by six wickets at New Road, writes Rachel Steinberg.
The result saw England clinch the three-match T20I series with a game to spare, having already wrapped up the multi-format contest.
Alice Capsey, filling in for captain Heather Knight who was ruled out with a hip injury sustained in the last game, took her maiden wicket on debut for her country.
Anneke Bosch and Lara Goodall combined for an opening partnership of 102 as the tourists set a target of 149, which England comfortably chased down with an over to spare.
England had gone into the match with 10-2 lead, having also won all three one-day internationals and the T20 opener at Essex following a draw in the standalone Test .
Stand-in skipper Nat Sciver, England’s top scorer with 47 from 41 deliveries, won the toss and elected to field first.
South Africa settled into a comfortable opening rhythm, the opening partnership of Bosch and Goodall combining for 25 runs in their first five overs.
The pair had put on 98 before Capsey, who watched England win the World Cup in 2017 as a fan, was handed the ball for the 15th over.
Goodall pounced on the 17-year-old’s first delivery with a reverse-sweep through point for four to bring up the century partnership for the tourists.
The debutant responded in style, taking her first wicket on the next ball when Goodall, on 42, sliced to Sciver at backward point for an easy catch.
Bosch reached 61 before falling lbw to Sophie Ecclestone, who finished with two for 27.
Brunt’s first crack at the milestone came with her second delivery of the 19th over as South Africa looked to climb past 150.
But Sciver dropped the catch at extra cover, recovering quickly to run out Mignon du Preez for the fifth wicket.
With two deliveries left, Brunt sent a slow ball past Laura Wolvaardt (21), writing her name into the history books as the South African mis-timed her swing and the ball clipped her leg stump. Sinalo Jafta’s closing single took South Africa to 148 for six.
Sophia Dunkley, who was promoted to open in the first T20I at Chelmsford, played herself in before taking a six and three fours off successive Masabata Klaas deliveries, but was then caught at long-on for 23 from 15.
Danni Wyatt made her own milestone mark, becoming just the third England player to reach 2,000 T20I runs on an afternoon that saw her make 39 from 24 balls before she was brilliantly caught by Sune Luus.
Sciver, who was nearly dismissed in the 18th over but for a mistake from Klaas, was unluckily run out backing up before she could make 50 but England found themselves needing just eight from 12 balls and Maia Bouchier finished the job with two fours.
