Why statement win starts rewriting of England script

England needed to make a connection successful their World Cup opener against South Africa - and they delivered it tenfold.

Criticism swirled information nan squad aft their group-stage exit astatine nan T20 World Cup this clip past twelvemonth and nan 16-0 Ashes thrashing successful January.

In fact, ever since that 2024 wintertime of discontent, news conferences, articles and nan communicative of beautiful overmuch each crippled they person played has been dominated by what had gone truthful severely incorrect before.

Subsequent bid wins complete West Indies counted for small because of nan standard, while defeats by India reopened nan cracks.

Their book needed rewriting - and yes, location is simply a agelong measurement to spell from winning their first crippled of nan tourney - but nan emphatic quality of this 10-wicket triumph against South Africa was precisely what was needed.

"There's been a batch of talk astir this England broadside aft nan Ashes, and they've evidently moved connected from that," said World Cup victor Alex Hartley connected BBC Test Match Special.

"Don't get maine wrong, they'll person learned truthful galore lessons from Australia – but things couldn't person gone immoderate amended for them present to commencement to rewrite everything that has been said astir them."

Every facet of England's set-up had been questioned - from nan batters to nan bowlers, to their fittingness levels and fielding standards.

Even their action for this tourney lent itself to scrutiny, and nan truth that astir of nan players were portion of nan Ashes squad, but caller skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt and coach Charlotte Edwards were insistent things would beryllium different.

It did not materialise against India astatine home, and connected equilibrium that was to beryllium expected considering nan small clip Edwards had to instrumentality her ways, but 24 hours retired from this game, Sciver-Brunt gave a brave but assured reply that this broadside was "chalk and cheese" from nan versions which stepped retired previously.

Chalk and food it was, and while it would beryllium crackers to get carried distant knowing a agelong tourney is up of England, nan signs are promising.

Sciver-Brunt's demeanour astir nan property is relaxed but pinch a steely separator while Edwards has a quiet determination. This ruthless dismantling of South Africa was rooted successful specified qualities.

The triumph successful Guwahati was group up by left-arm spinner Linsey Smith, who only made her ODI debut against West Indies this twelvemonth aft a mates of stints successful and retired of nan T20 set-up.

An contiguous effect saw opposing skipper Laura Wolvaardt caught and bowled successful nan 2nd complete earlier Tazmin Brits and Marizanne Kapp were bowled by beautiful drifting deliveries - making Smith nan first subordinate to region nan powerful apical 3 successful nan format.

The 30-year-old recovered 2.2 degrees of drift connected average, nan astir of immoderate lucifer successful her England career, and was metronomic successful her pursuit of targeting nan stumps - which was besides nan lawsuit for nan bowlers generally. They bowled 38 balls which would person gone connected to deed nan stumps, took six wickets pinch them and conceded conscionable 4 runs.

When discussing what made Smith truthful unsocial and successful, chap slow left-armer Hartley said: "She's an in-swing bowler, really. She tin rotation it and she will rotation a few, but successful her action, she's sewage a really debased limb truthful nan trajectory of nan shot is perpetually pursuing you arsenic a right-hander.

"You spot her commencement wider, and nan shot swings into nan pads. We saw a mates of occasions pinch nan South Africa batters prodding guardant and nan shot going betwixt nan bat and pad truthful pinch personification for illustration Smith, nan wrong separator is nan threat alternatively than nan outside.

"She gets measurement much drift and activity done nan aerial than astir different spinners, it is nan dream arsenic a left-arm spinner. She is an incredibly reliable bowler to look because you don't person galore options - you can't expanse her either, because she's skiddy and that will situation nan lbw."

South Africa could person presented England pinch a difficult opener, 1 successful which they could not really spend to gaffe up.

But now, pinch Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka to come, they are successful a awesome position to caput into their games against favourites India and Australia unbeaten.

"Nothing went incorrect for England today, everything was successful their favour, but 1 point that everyone needs to do is enactment grounded and not get excessively up of ourselves astir wherever they're at," Hartley added.

"It's very easy to say, 'oh they'll spell connected and triumph nan World Cup if they support playing for illustration that' but nan reality is, not each crippled will beryllium for illustration that. Yes, bask nan infinitesimal and bask nan crippled and nan day, because you don't person galore days for illustration that, but nan back-end of nan tourney is very reliable for them."