Amy Jones staked her claims for a place at the top of the England women batting order in Sunday’s opening one-day international with a brutal display of clean hitting in a comprehensive warm-up victory against a South Africa Women’s Emerging XI.
The 22-year-old Warwickshire batter, who missed Tuesday’s friendly with bruised knuckles, made an unbeaten 44 from 35 balls as England made light work of chasing 63, winning by nine wickets with 39.5 overs to spare.
Earlier Katherine Brunt and Anya Shrubsole again demonstrated why they are one of the most feared new-ball pairings in women’s cricket , before the rest of the wickets were shared around.
Sterner tests are likely to await new Head Coach Mark Robinson’s side when the ODI series begins in Benoni, but he will have been pleased by a ruthless dismantling of the opposition at Mamelodi CC – where last month the England men’s team delivered a coaching session for local youngsters.
How’s that?! @KBrunt26 & @Anya_shrubsole amongst the wkts again for #EngWomen https://t.co/HUSVRw2L9x
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) February 4, 2016
Brunt took 1-6 from four overs and Shrubsole finished with 2-15 from six as the Emerging XI were immediately put under the cosh.
Dani Wyatt ripped through the middle-order as she took 3-7 with her off-breaks, whilst there were also wickets for Jenny Gunn, Heather Knight, Becky Grundy and Georgia Elwiss as the hosts were bundled out for 62 in 28.2 overs.
Robinson elected to test a new opening pair of Jones and Lauren Winfield, and although the latter fell for five, Jones was soon up and running with a couple of early boundaries.
She hammered eight fours in total as England raced to victory, with skipper Charlotte Edwards adding an unbeaten 13.
Source: ECB