Top 3 reasons why South Africa-W lost to England-W in Women's World Cup 2025 match 4

England Women began their campaign in the 2025 ICC Women's World Cup with a convincing victory against South Africa Women in match 4 at Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati, Assam, on October 3. Winning the toss, England chose to bowl first, and their bowlers made a great start. South Africa’s batters struggled badly and were all out for just 69 runs in 20.4 overs, their second-lowest total in a Women’s ODI World Cup. Sinalo Jafta was the only player to fight a little, scoring 22 runs.

Chasing a small score of 70, England’s openers Amy Jones and Tammy Beaumont made it look very easy. They stayed unbeaten and finished the chase in only 14.1 overs. Jones scored 40 not out, while Beaumont added 21 not out. With this, England won by 10 wickets and sent a strong message at the start of their campaign. Below are the main reasons for the South Africa Women defeat:

1. Batting Collapse Against Swing Bowling

South Africa’s batting collapsed right from the beginning. England’s bowlers, especially Lauren Bell with pace and Linsey Smith with swing, created big problems. Both openers Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits, were out for 5 runs each. By the sixth over, South Africa was already in trouble at 19/4. After that, six batters were bowled out by scoring only single digits, indicating that they simply had no answers to the moving ball. 

2. Linsey Smith’s Dream Debut

Playing her first World Cup match, Linsey Smith was the star of the day. The left-arm spinner took 3 wickets for just 7 runs in 4 overs. She dismissed Wolvaardt, Brits, and Marizanne Kapp and exposed the fragile state of South Africa's batting. Her bowling spell ensured England never came out of cruise control.

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3. Strong Bowling as a Team

England’s bowling was not about one player alone. Nat Sciver-Brunt took 2 wickets for 5 runs, while Sophie Ecclestone and Charlie Dean grabbed two wickets each. Their tight bowling did not allow South Africa to score freely and bowled them out for only 69 runs.