Charlotte Edwards says England job ‘not a quick fix’ after World Cup exit

To look purely at the scorecard, England were thumped by South Africa.

They were made to rue electing to bowl, with the Proteas, led by Laura Wolvaardt’s superb 169, piling on 319-7.

It left England requiring their highest successful women’s ODI chase – and the second highest in World Cup history after Australia’s 331 against India – to reach the final.

Instead, they collapsed to 1-3 inside seven balls and were bowled out for 194 with 45 balls to spare.

However, former England spinner and 2017 World Cup winner Alex Hartley said Edwards’ side did not do much wrong in Guwahati.

They were simply “outplayed” by South Africa and punished for an expensive final 10 overs with the ball – during which the Proteas smashed 117 runs – before England’s top order collapsed.

“I’m not going to come out and slate the team. I don’t think England did get much wrong,” Hartley told BBC Test Match Special.

“When you compare the scores at the halfway stage of both innings, England were pretty much neck and neck, just England had lost more wickets.

“I don’t think they did much wrong. They didn’t drop loads of catches, they didn’t have loads of misfields, they didn’t bowl loads of wides or loads of slot balls.

“What they could have done is go to a wide plan a little bit earlier, especially to Laura Wolvaardt, and try to make her change her game, rather than bowl on leg stump [so] she was able to hit into the leg side.

“Being knocked out of a World Cup and being outplayed – sometimes you’ve got to hold your hands up and say we weren’t good enough.”