Edwards leads Eng to warm-up win
England women's captain, Charlotte Edwards, led by example when she scored 78 off 94 balls to guide her side to a 51-run victory over the Momentum Proteas Women in their first warm-up match of the ICC Women's World Cup 2013 in Mumbai on Monday.
England posted 270 for nine after they were asked to bat first by South Africa. Tammy Beaumont was the first wicket to fall in the third over, caught behind off Shabnim Ismail's bowling without scoring. Edwards was joined by Sarah Taylor, who scored 20 runs before she was removed by Yolandi Potgieter.
It was the third-wicket partnership between Edwards and Lydia Greenway that saw England catapult away from the Proteas bowlers. They shared a stand of 101 runs in 20.1 overs before Sunnette Loubser got the breakthrough, disturbing Edwards's stumps when she was looking set for a century. Loubser struck again a few overs later, sending Arran Brindle back to the pavilion for eight.
After the 42nd over, wickets began to tumble. Loubser took her third wicket when she dismissed Danielle Wyatt (22), while Marcia Letsoalo removed Heather Knight (42) and Jenny Gunn (10).
South Africa made a sedate start. They lost their first wicket at the end of the sixth over when Danielle Hazell got the wicket of Shandré Fritz (15). Trisha Chetty and Savanna Cordes knuckled down and produced a 57-run partnership before the latter was trapped lbw for 33 in the 27th over.
Chetty formed yet another important 50-partnership, this time with captain Mignon du Preez (67*) before Holly Colvin struck, sending her back to the hut. Marizanne Kapp was run out by Hazell for nine at the end of the 39th over before Cri-Zelda Brits (0) followed her back when she fell victim to an lbw dismissal by Colvin.
Susan Benade added 23 runs off 26 balls before Gunn ended her 37-run partnership with Du Preez. South Africa were going nicely with the potential to get further on, but ran out of overs with four wickets still in hand.
They take on Sri Lanka in the second warm-up match at the MIG Cricket Club in Mumbai on Tuesday.
