Linsey Smith shines on ODI World Cup debut: “I’m not your traditional spinner”

Linsey Smith ODI World Cup debut turned into a dream outing for the England left-arm spinner, who delivered a match-winning performance against South Africa. Having made her ODI debut at the age of 30 with a five-wicket haul, Smith once again showed her class on the big stage.

Opening the bowling, Smith struck early and dismissed two of the most prolific openers in women’s cricket today—Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits—within her first two overs. Her precision and drift made scoring nearly impossible, finishing with stunning figures of 4-2-7-3 as South Africa crumbled to just 69 runs.

England chased the target with ease, sealing a dominant 10-wicket win in their opening World Cup clash. Speaking after the match, Smith expressed her delight at contributing to the team’s success. “It means massively to me. I always want to contribute as much as I can to team wins. Obviously, it’s still early days in my ODI career, which I’ve really strived towards,” she said.

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Smith on her unique bowling style

Reflecting on the pitch, Smith revealed her simple game plan: “We didn’t know what it was going to play like, but for me, it was just about keeping the stumps in play, which I try and do more often than not.”

She also highlighted her distinctive approach compared to fellow spinner Sophie Ecclestone: “I am not your most traditional spinner. I am not going to get the turn and bounce that necessarily Sophie gets, which is why I think we work well together in the team.”

With her impactful start to the tournament, Linsey Smith has quickly underlined why she could be a key weapon for England in their World Cup campaign.