England v South Africa: Hosts win first T20 to wrap up multi-format series

The first Twenty20 international between England and South Africa was won by six runs and the series is over.

England restricted South Africa to 111-9 from their 20 overs, with Brunt taking a career-best 4-15.

She equaled the record for most by an England women's player when she took her 100th T20 internationalwicket.

Laura Wolvaardt top-scored with 55, but, as has been the case throughout the white-ball leg of the tour, it was another below-par batting display from the tourists.

England lost two players in the powerplay, but 50-2 was a step in the right direction.

Dunkley, opening for the first time in international cricket, smashed a 59 off 39 balls to help break the back of the chase.

Knight then steered England home with a partnership of 29 with Amy Jones as the hosts won with 30 balls to spare.

The South African bowler was 3-13.

The win gave England an unassailable 10-2 lead in the multi-format series with T20s to come atWorcester and Derby on Monday.

Brunt leads disciplined bowling display

Brunt has retired from the Test format in order to prolong her white-ball career, with a particular focus on the Commonwealth Games this summer and the T20 World Cup in February.

England are fortunate to have her because she is as good as ever.

Brunt became the seventh woman to take 100 international T20 wickets when she took the first two overs of the match.

She came back later in the game and followed Delmi Tucker to catch Dunkley in the covers, before she got the prize prize of the set, Wolvaardt, in her final over.

Another abysmal batting display from South Africa, whose tactics of holding Wolvaardt back to four in the order were questioned by Test Match Special pundits, allowed England to bowl tight to the stumps and restrict scoring.

Issy Wong was impressive on her T20 debut, bowling 14 dot balls in her 0-19 from four overs, while left-arm spinnerSophie Ecclestone (2-27 from four overs) and off-spinner Sarah Glenn (1-18 from three overs) produced performances that were worthy of

Dunkley grabs chance to impress

Dunkley moved up to three and cracked a maiden ton in theODI series, which led to her being promoted.

The 24-year-old had recently smashed a 73-ball 123 at the top of the order in a T20 franchise tournament in Dubai and a maiden T20 half-century in her first innings there in international cricket suggests she has the potential to be a permanent feature at opener.

She hit sixes over long-off and long-on and then whipped through square leg for another.

She could have gone into her shell after the loss of Wyatt and Smith, but she continued to play the game that Knight and Keightley have challenged her to.

Knight ran after Dunkley and gave her a pat on the back after she left after top edging to deep square leg.

Dunkley showed that he is fearless because the captain asked for it and he did it in abundance.

South Africa missed Kapp, who is one of the best bowlers in the world, and they again lacked the leadership and experience with the bat and in the field of their captain, who is out with an ankle injury.