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A much-improved batting performance saw England seal a seven-wicket win over South Africa at the Women's T20 World Cup.
On a more batter-friendly surface than the previous encounters at Sharjah, Danni Wyatt-Hodge's 43 and Nat Sciver-Brunt's unbeaten 48 helped England reach their target of 125 with four balls to spare.
The pair rode their luck, with several chances falling short of fielders or into gaps, but were ultimately rewarded for taking calculated risks and smart running between the wickets - in stark contrast to the one-dimensional approach against Bangladesh.
Opener Maia Bouchier struggled as South Africa dominated the powerplay, before Alice Capsey - who was dropped on nought - added a dynamic 19 to take the sting out of the Proteas' attack, before the experienced duo's match-winning partnership of 64.
South Africa, who knocked England out of the previous T20 World Cup in 2023, were restricted to 124-6 after another stellar performance from England's spinners.
Proteas captain Laura Wolvaardt hit 42 but England squeezed the rest, with left-armer Sophie Ecclestone delivering an impeccable 2-15 and Linsey Smith, Charlie Dean and Sarah Glenn claiming a wicket each.
All-rounder Marizanne Kapp threatened to finish the innings explosively before she was bowled by Ecclestone for a 17-ball 26, but Annerie Dercksen's 20 from 11 balls secured a total over a run a ball, which have been hard to come by throughout this tournament.
England are in a promising position to finish top of Group B, and South Africa are still in contention for a semi-final spot as both teams take on winless Scotland next, with the Proteas playing on Wednesday and England on Saturday.
While the sluggish pitches and slow outfields at Sharjah have bamboozled many batters so far – including England's – they have certainly played into the hands of the enviable array of spinners that Heather Knight has at her disposal.
The opening match against Bangladesh was a rare wicketless day for Ecclestone but she responded with a sublime spell on a pitch that offered just enough to aid the extra bounce from her height.
But there are still areas of concern for England. The spinners salvaged an uncertain batting effort against Bangladesh and here they had to make up for a shabby fielding performance, with four dropped catches.
Brits was dropped twice and Wolvaardt was put down on 22 as the pair continued their fine form following unbeaten half-centuries against West Indies in their first outing.
South Africa reached 37-1 after the powerplay, a decent score considering the tournament's low-scoring trends, but England's quartet of spinners turned the screw, with only 17 runs added between overs seven to 10.
Anneke Bosch stuttered her way to 18 from 26 balls, while the explosive Kapp and Chloe Tryon waited in the dugout, which aided England's cause.
Ecclestone reaped the rewards, drawing a shot of frustration from Wolvaardt in the 16th over before Kapp, whose added impetus was vital but came too late, was bowled in a critical 19th over that included just four runs scored.
In a World Cup that is so far dominated by low scores and spinners, England are blessed and an in-form Ecclestone could prove to be the cheat code.
English (US)