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England beaten by South Africa in first ODI after being bowled out for 186 and then dropping Laura Wolvaardt twice

England rolled for 186 on tricky pitch in first ODI, with No 8 Charlie Dean (47 off 57) top-scoring; South Africa reach target with 70 balls to spare; Laura Wolvaardt dropped on five and 27 and goes on to score 33rd ODI fifty; Nadine de Klerk slams unbeaten 48 from 28 balls at the death

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Watch highlights from the first ODI in Kimberley as England slumped to a six-wicket defeat to South Africa.

England slumped with the bat and then dropped Laura Wolvaardt twice as they slipped to a six-wicket loss to South Africa in the first one-day international at Kimberley.

England laboured to 186 all out on a sticky pitch after electing to bat, with No 8 Charlie Dean (47no off 57) top-scoring after South Africa all-rounder Marizanne Kapp - who had been rested for the T20 series that the hosts lost 3-0 - shredded the top order.

Kapp nicked off Sophia Dunkley (4) in the first over before removing Tammy Beaumont (11) and Nat Sciver-Brunt (0) in the seventh.

Score summary - South Africa beat England by six wickets

England 186 all out in 38.4 overs: Charlie Dean (47no off 57), Heather Knight (40 off 63); Annerie Dercksen (3-16), Marizanne Kapp (3-24)

South Africa 189-4 from 38.2 overs: Laura Wolvaardt (59no off 114), Nadine de Klerk (48no off 28); Lauren Bell (1-30), Nat Sciver-Brunt (1-34)

Heather Knight, England, ODI cricket (PA Images)
Image: Heather Knight was out for 40 as England were dismissed for 186 in 38.4 overs

Captain Heather Knight - who would have been caught behind for eight had South Africa reviewed - scored 40 before England were indebted to Dean, who put on 67 from 64 balls with fellow spinner Sophie Ecclestone (17) from 106-7 at Diamond Oval.

Proteas captain Wolvaardt (59no off 114) was grassed on five and 27, by wicketkeeper Amy Jones and Dunkley at deep square leg respectively, and anchored the innings as the hosts reached their target with a whopping 70 balls to spare.

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Watch the best of Nadine de Klerk's 48 not out from 28 balls against England in Kimberley

Nadine de Klerk (48no off 28) played a swashbuckling cameo at the death, hitting 11 boundaries and smoking all but five of the runs in a stand of 53 from 39 balls with Wolvaardt, including the winning four off Dean two balls into the 39th over.

South Africa will look to wrap up a series win with victory in Sunday's second game in Durban (8am UK) before the final ODI in Potchefstroom next Wednesday (12pm UK), both live on Sky Sports.

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Marizanne Kapp shredded England's top order, removing Sophia Dunkley, Tammy Beaumont and Nat Sciver-Brunt in Kimberley

Kapp rips through England as South Africa go 1-0 up

Kapp had Beaumont dropped on nought in the opening over by wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta but Jafta atoned moments later to snaffle Dunkley as Kapp found the edge again.

Kapp was a constant threat in the powerplay and struck twice in four balls in the seventh over, uprooting Beaumont's off stump and then pinning Sciver-Brunt lbw on the back foot as the England vice-captain suffered just a fourth duck in 97 ODI innings.

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England's Amy Jones was well caught by a diving Chloe Tryon at deep square leg

Knight led a rebuild of sorts, after the hosts failed to detect an edge off Kapp in the fifth over, but England lost regular wickets at the other end, with Danni Wyatt-Hodge (11) burning the tourists' second review as she fell lbw and Jones (21) hauling to deep square leg.

The captain eventually departed at the start of the 26th over, lbw to spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba (2-47), four overs after Alice Capsey (8) had been trapped by the same bowler in the same fashion.

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Lauren Bell was run out for a duck after a mix-up with Charlie Dean at Diamond Oval

South Africa then lost their discipline in sapping heat, including with a series of wides, helping Dean and Ecclestone stitch a half-century stand before two Annerie Dercksen (3-16) wickets and the comedy run out of Lauren Bell (0) ended the innings.

Tazmin Brits (13) and Sune Luus (7) were out lbw in the chase, with their reviews scuppered by ball-tracking not working at that point; Luus' dismissal off Dean looked fair enough but Bell's ball to remove Brits - after the batter had struck three fours in an over off Lauren Filer - may have slid on past leg stump.

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Laura Wolvaardt scored 59 not out for South Africa after being dropped on five and 27

Filer and Bell were a little wayward with the new ball before Dean, Sciver-Brunt and Ecclestone dragged things back, but Wolvaardt punished the tourists for dropping her twice, scoring her 33rd ODI fifty, from 92 balls.

The dismissal of Dercksen (27), caught by Beaumont on the deep square leg boundary off the expensive Filer (1-45 from six overs) after putting on 59 with Wolvaardt for the third wicket, did not derail the Proteas, with Player of the Match Kapp (22 off 22) playing a punchy innings and De Klerk then dazzling at the end.

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Tazmin Brits and Sune Luus were unable to review their lbw dismissals with ball-tracking not working

The England view - 'Positives to be taken'

England captain Heather Knight:

"I'm obviously disappointed, but I think there were some positives. That partnership with Charlie [Dean] and Sophie [Ecclestone] gave us a chance of being in the game, but unfortunately we didn't quite have enough.

"We thought we were in the game. We probably searched for wickets a little bit too much because we felt we needed to bowl them out having only got 186 on the board ourselves.

"It felt really close, it felt like we were really in the game. A couple of wickets and we'd have been right in with a chance. Nadine [de Klerk] played a brilliant innings and they were able to take the game away at the back end."

The South Africa view - 'Kapp was exceptional'

South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt:

Laura Wolvaardt, South Africa Women, ODI cricket (Getty Images)
Image: South Africa skipper Wolvaardt is the leading run-scorer in women's ODIs in 2024

"The way we started was awesome. [Marizanne] Kapp was exceptional as always. It's nice to have her back, you can see what a difference she makes to our side.

"We were a little disappointed [England scored 186], but the seam just started dying out a little bit and it was tough for the bowlers in the heat.

"There was always going to be some fightback from England, they have a good line-up and bat deep, but I'm happy we held on and kept them under 200."

Marizanne Kapp, South Africa Women, ODI cricket (Getty Images)
Image: Kapp starred for South Africa after being rested for the T20 series

England in South Africa - full schedule

All times UK and Ireland; all games live on Sky Sports

T20 series

ODI series

  • First ODI (Kimberley): South Africa won by eight wickets
  • Second ODI: Sunday December 8 (8am, Durban)
  • Third ODI: Wednesday December 11 (12pm, Potchefstroom)

Test match

  • One-off Test: December 15 -18 (8am, Bloemfontein)