Lamb hits maiden ton as England outclass SA in first ODI

Natalie Sciver continued her good form with a 36-ball 55 and 4-59 while young opener Emma Lamb starred with a maiden ODI hundred as England beat South Africa by five wickets in the first ODI on Monday.

South Africa captain Sune Luus won the toss and elected to bat at Northampton as Andrie Steyn was promoted up the order to open with Laura Woldvaardt. While Wolvaardt was fluent in her start to the innings, Steyn struggled with the movement from England pacers and was trapped leg before by Katherine Brunt in the seventh over.

South Africa lost quick wickets with Brunt sending back Lara Goodall (5), spinner Sophie Ecclestone castling Luus (7) and Sciver removing Test centurion Marizanne Kapp (12).

Chloe Tyron joined Wolvaardt in the middle and added 35 runs for the fifth wicket, before Wolvaardt fell short of a fifty. With their side struggling at 108/5 Tyron and Nadine de Klerk (38) settled in for the repair work by adding 97 runs in 15 overs.

Tyron, playing her 95th ODI, reached her eighth fifty in the process and fell short of a maiden hundred by 12 runs when she pulled Sciver's bouncer straight to Kate Cross.

Sciver sent back Trisha Chetty in the same over and then claimed De Klerk's wicket in the 47th over. England removed the final two wickets in the 48th over as the visitors were 218 all out in 47.4 overs.

Chasing a small total, England were jolted by the early wicket of Tammy Beaumont when Kapp ran through her gate in the third over. Lamb, playing her second ODI, looked imperious from the start with a flurry of boundaries as he added 78 runs for the second wicket with Sophie Dunkley (22).

Lamb found an able ally in Sciver as the pair added 89 runs in just 66 balls to bring England closer. Lamb, who was dismissed for a duck on her ODI debut against Australia, got to her hundred in 91 balls with a boundary off De Klerk.

With 44 runs to win, England lost three wickets as Sciver, Lamb and captain Heather Knight (20 off 21 balls) departed in quick succession. However, Danni Wyatt smashed three boundaries to bring up the win in 32.1 overs.

The second ODI between the sides will be played on July 15 at Bristol.