England ease to victory over South Africa in second ODI

NICK FRIEND AT BRISTOL: Sophia Dunkley hit her first hundred for England in a comfortable win at Bristol

Bristol: England 337-5, South Africa 223 - England win by 114 runs

Scorecard

England cruised to victory in the second ODI against South Africa, winning by 114 runs after Sophia Dunkley had romped to a maiden international hundred.

Dunkley, moved up to No.3 ahead of this series, came to the crease once both Emma Lamb and Tammy Beaumont had passed fifty and paced herself superbly before falling to the final ball of England's innings.

She went to her half century in 61 balls and needed just 26 more to reach three figures, upper-cutting Shabnim Ismail – back from injury for her first appearance of the tour – for six over cover-point in the process.

Ismail's return was supposed to give renewed firepower to a bowling attack desperately lacking, but despite bowling quickly during her first spell, she conceded 64 runs in her 10 overs, only claiming the wicket of Nat Sciver once the allrounder had smashed 63 in just 47 deliveries.

Sciver's fifty meant that, for the first time in women's ODIs, England's entire top four had hit the milestone. Lamb ought to have made more than 67, but she could scarcely believe it when she managed to top-edge a legside full-toss from Chloe Tryon into the hands of short fine leg. Beaumont was equally frustrated when she drove a flat catch to Ismail – also off Tryon – having earlier been dropped by Nonkululeko Mlaba.

Tryon, who didn't bowl in the five-wicket defeat at Northampton, was by far the pick of South Africa's bowlers, conceding her runs at under five runs per over.

It was only her runs at Northampton that prevented a heavier defeat in the first ODI at Northampton, but she fell cheaply in South Africa's reply, edging behind as she attempted to swat away a short ball from Issy Wong, who picked up three wickets on her white-ball debut for England.

^{Dunkley made her maiden international hundred (Ryan Hiscott/Getty Image)}

By then, South Africa's excellent start to a chase that – if successful – would have been their highest in ODIs had long-since subsided. Laura Wolvaardt and Andrie Steyn shared an 87-run opening stand that ended when Wolvaardt slapped Charlie Dean to mid-on shortly after reaching an elegant half century – belatedly her first of the series.

Her demise was swiftly followed by Steyn's, missing a sweep to Dean and being trapped in front. Lara Goodall was next, plinking Wong to mid-on, before Sune Luus – South Africa's struggling stand-in captain – swept to Lauren Bell to give Dean her third.

Marizanne Kapp played a lone hand thereafter, taking on England's spinners admirably all over the ground. She passed fifty but was short on willing partners and was eventually caught and bowled by Sophie Ecclestone for 73.

Nadine de Klerk, who picked up Sciver and Heather Knight with the ball, fell without scoring, while Trisha Chetty went to the Dean-Wong combination that had earlier accounted for Wolvaardt and Ismail gave Bell a well-earned wicket.