ENG-W vs SA-W | 2nd ODI | Preview, Prediction, Probable XI | SPOTLIGHT: Katherine Brunt

With over 300 International wickets to her name, Katherine Brunt has cemented her legacy of being one of the finest bowlers in women’s cricket. She has been a part of three World Cup winning campaigns for England, which includes two 50-over triumphs and one in the T20I format. 

Katherine Brunt has been named as the ECB Cricketer of the Year on three occasions, in 2006, 2010 and 2012-13. Although she has announced her retirement from Test cricket in June 2022, the fast bowler is still going pretty strong in the limited overs format.

Katherine Brunt started off her cricket career, representing Yorkshire till the age of 17. Due to fitness issues, she decided to take some time off cricket, and focus on her higher education. The pacer returned back to the fold, when she was handed her Test debut against New Zealand in 2004.

Brunt played a huge role in helping England claim their maiden T20I World Cup title in 2009, as she took three wickets in the final at Lord’s. The veteran bowler was also a part of the squad that lifted the 50-over World Cup on home soil in 2017.

Katherine Brunt has 51, 170 and 98 wickets in Test, ODI and T20I Cricket respectively. 

How Brunt fared in the series opener

The 37-year-old pacer stood out with her performance in the first of the three-match ODI series against South Africa. Brunt picked up three wickets in her nine-over spell, conceding just 18 runs.

The hosts comfortably chased down a score of 219 runs, courtesy of a brilliant ton from Emma Lamb. The 24-year-old batter scored 102 runs, which earned her the Player of the Match Award.

England have claimed a 1-0 lead in the bilateral series, and will look to finish the job when the two sides clash again on Friday, July 15. The second ODI will be played at the County Ground in Bristol.

Match Details:

Match: England Women vs South Africa Women, 2nd ODI

Venue: County Ground, Bristol

Date & Time: July 15, 6:30 PM IST

Live Streaming: Sony Liv and ECB website.

Pitch Report: The pitch is expected to favour the batters. However, bowlers could exploit the overcast conditions on offer in the early parts of the fixture. The team winning the toss would prefer chasing down the total.

Probable Playing XI:

England Women: Emma Lamb, Tammy Beaumont, Sophia Dunkley, Natalie Sciver, Heather Knight (C), Danielle Wyatt, Amy Jones (Wk), Sophie Ecclestone, Katherine Brunt, Charlotte Dean, Kate Cross

South Africa Women: Andrie Steyn, Laura Wolvaardt, Lara Goodall, Sune Luus (C), Marizanne Kapp, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Trisha Chetty (Wk), Tumi Sekhukhune, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba