England bundle up South Africa for their second-lowest score, seal 10-wicket victory

South Africa were outclassed by England in their opening match of the Women's World Cup, succumbing for just 69 runs and losing the game by a margin of 10 wickets.

Spinner Linsey Smith led the English bowling attack and bundled South Africa for their second-lowest score in the ICC Women's World Cup, leaving the match result in little doubt. Smith grabbed 3 for 7 in the rout. England coasted home in just 14.1 overs, with openers Amy Jones (40) and Tammy Beaumont (21) finishing the job without any trouble.

As was the case in SA's innings, there was a bit of swing and bite for the bowlers, but England batters were in no mood to enact a horror script of their own. Veteran pacer Marizanne Kapp bowled a couple of gems to Beaumont, but the total could not have been defended with such lonely pieces of magic.

But it was the England spinners — Smith, Sophie Ecclestone (2/19) and Charlie Dean (2/14)- who were the real heroes while setting up an incredibly easy chase for their batters.

On a pitch that offered a hint of grip to the bowlers, England, who chose to field, handed the ball to Smith (4-2-7-3) in the second over itself and the move fetched an immediate dividend. Smith gave marching orders to SA skipper Laura Wolvaardt in the second ball of the second over through an easy return catch.

Smith returned in the fourth over to jettison Tazmin Brits with a delivery that came in with the angle, and in the sixth over, she ousted the experienced Kapp. Kapp's tentative forward prod did not meet the ball as Smith's delivery crashed onto the stumps.

Pacer Lauren Bell accounted for Sune Luus as South Africa were tottering on 19 for four inside the first six overs, and they never recovered from that point.

Once Kapp, Luuk and Brit, SA's most consistent batters, returned to the hut, the pressure was entirely on their middle-order batters to take their side to a respectable total. But they failed to live up to the task, succumbing to a slightly sluggish track and spot-on England bowlers.

England skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt (2/5), who donned the bowler's cap after a short while, added to South Africa's misery, taking out Chloe Tryon and Nadine de Klerk, and it also snuffed out any remote chances of a late fight back.

Wicketkeeper batter Jafta (22) showed some fight, but all she could manage was to save South Africa from crashing to their lowest total in the ICC marquee event, which stands at 51.