It took 13 balls for Linsey Smith to blow away South Africa’s top order.
Opening the bowling in an ODI for the first time in England’s World Cup opener, her second ball drew a leading edge from Laura Wolvaardt which popped straight back to her waiting hands. Four dot balls followed, rounding out Smith’s first over in World Cup cricket as a wicket maiden, before she struck again with the first ball of her next. This time, Tazmin Brits, was undone by a ball which shaped back in, drawing her forward before skidding through the gate and onto leg stump. When Marizanne Kapp went in similar fashion in Smith’s third over, South Africa’s three most dangerous batters were back in the dressing room, and Smith had gutted their batting order just five overs into the game.
Smith taking the new ball was the first time a spinner had opened the bowling for England in a World Cup for 32 years. When Smith became a regular in the 50-over side over the summer, she was used later in the innings, when the fielding restrictions in the powerplay were removed and the catchers could go out to take advantage of the opportunities offered by her slower pace. But, when Charlotte Edwards sought her out yesterday and told her she would take the new ball, as she told broadcasters during the innings interval, it wasn’t a massive surprise.
Smith took 16 wickets across seven games in this summer’s One Day Cup, and her economy rate was lower than any other bowler’s. In almost every match she played, she came on first change, just after the powerplay when the ball still retains some of its shape and shine. It was her performances in the early part of that competition, playing for the team Edwards had coached until a month prior, that led to her inclusion in England’s XI at the start of the summer. While previously Smith had been kept out by Sophie Ecclestone blocking out the left-arm spin spot, only now have Smith’s differences to Ecclestone’s been fully appreciated, and room made for both in the 50-over side.
Ecclestone is tall, standing at six foot, generating both bounce and turn which has made her the best bowler in the world over most of her career. Smith is smaller, gives the ball more air at a slower pace, and targets the stumps relentlessly. In Guwahati, it was the extra element of drift through the air which made her so lethal. Smith is the perfect bowler for the conditions on offer. The combination of the movement through the air, persistent line and low bounce makes her impossibly awkward to face. Cutting her away is out of the question, while missing an attempted sweep would likely generate three reds. Drawing the South Africa top-order forwards as she did today, led to stumps being demolished.
Smith’s success in that opening role also plays a part in supporting England’s decision to only play one specialist seamer. Lauren Bell flattened Sune Luus’ off stump in between Smith’s second and third wickets, while Nat Sciver-Brunt’s two wickets in three overs silenced any concerns of rustiness with the ball in hand. Over the summer, when England played three spinners in their XI against India, Charlie Dean was shunted up the order to six to make room for an extra pace option with Sciver-Brunt unable to bowl. With their captain now able to fulfill her all-rounder role, and Smith a dangerous option with the new ball, England picked Alice Capsey to come in at No.7, rather than padding out their lower order with Em Arlott or sacrificing batting depth to play Lauren Filer.
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That opening three-over spell Smith bowled could prove doubly important for England later in the competition. Having put a win on the board and considerably boosted their net run rate by completing the chase with 215 balls to spare, they now have some breathing room. Four wins has generally been enough in this format of World Cup to secure a semi-final qualification place. Even if they lose to India and Australia later in the group stage it would take them more than one slip up after that to prevent them from reaching that number. Even in that case, their net run rate would need to take a significant blow not to carry them through.
England’s next match, against Bangladesh on Tuesday (October 7), will also be played in Guwahati, before they move on to Colombo for the blockbuster fixture against Australia. How the tournament will develop as pitches wear down under the constant schedule will determine who England go to later on. But, for now, Smith is their most dangerous weapon.
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