England spinner Linsey Smith showed no nerves despite opening the bowling in ODIs for the first time during the Women’s World Cup match against South Africa. On Friday, October 3, at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati, Smith was named Player of the Match as England cruised to a 10-wicket win to begin their campaign in style.

Smith said that having opened the bowling in domestic and T20 cricket, she enjoys the role as it suits her game. She added that she relishes the competition and the challenges that come with it.

“I found out yesterday, which was nice — a bit of a heads up. I’ve done it before for my regional team back home, so it wasn’t too surprising. I think it suits my bowling well, and I do it a lot in T20s too, so I’m not a stranger to it. I enjoy the competition and the toughness of it, and I’m glad it came off today,” Smith said in the post-match press conference.

‘Kept it pretty simple’

Smith claimed the first two wickets, dismissing Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits, before taking the crucial wicket of Marizanne Kapp to finish with impressive figures of 4-2-7-3. Her spell helped England restrict the Proteas to just 69, with England chasing down the target in 14.1 overs. Smith said that attacking the stumps was key in building pressure on the South African batters.

“We knew that winning the toss and fielding first could help us, with the pitch likely to get better under lights. We kept it pretty simple today since we didn’t know how it would play. For me, it was just about keeping the stumps in play, which I always try to do. I think that paid off well today,” Smith added.

England will look to build on their momentum when they face Nigar Sultana Joty’s Bangladesh on October 7 in Guwahati itself.

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