Marizanne Kapp's first ODI five-for headlined a strong South African effort in the field to keep England in check on a slow Bay Oval surface. Kapp's double-strike upfront and late run-out bookended Tammy Beaumont and Amy Jones' 107-run stand before she returned for a strangling death-overs' spell that could prove decisive in whether England put their first points on the board at this tournament.

Kapp bowled a consistent line outside the offstump and took pace off the ball, which made her difficult to get away and dangerous to attack. She was backed by a disciplined effort from the rest of the attack - who were without Shabnim Ismail from the 20th over after she injured her left big toe - and sharp fielding. After two ordinary efforts in their first two games, South Africa did not drop any catches or miss any run-out chances to squeeze England's line-up. Beaumont and Jones scored half-centuries, but no other batter made more than 26.

Laura Wolvaardt produced the first moment of magic at the end of the second over. Danni Wyatt slashed at a full Kapp delivery and sent it rocketing towards Wolvaardt at point. She juggled it three times before eventually holding on to it to end England's new-look opening stand with only four runs on the board. After scores of 8 and 2, Laura Winfield-Hill was replaced by Wyatt but the move did not give them an improved start.

Things got worse four overs later when Heather Knight could not decide whether to play at or leave a delivery that angled in towards her from the fifth stump. While caught in two-minds, the ball took the inside edge and Knight was bowled. England were 19 for 2 after six overs. Kapp thought she had a third when Beaumont pushed at a delivery outside off that seemed to miss the edge but convinced Sune Luus to review. UltraEdge confirmed Beaumont was beaten.

Nat Sciver started England's rebuilding process with attacking shots off the backfoot and found the boundary three times to finish the powerplay on 38 for 2, but her innings was short-lived. She top-edged a pull off Masabata Klaas, and Lizelle Lee, at slip, completed the catch.

South Africa piled on the pressure after Sciver's dismissal, and five boundary-less overs followed before Beaumont broke the shackles with two flicks through the legside. Luus brought Ismail on at the other end, with a slip, but Jones punished the full and short ball with back-to-back fours to lift England's run rate.

Ismail only bowled one over in her second spell and had to leave the field with an injury to her big toe, which could have left South Africa short on resources, but the spinners stepped up. Luus and Tryon conceded 17 runs in five overs - and Luus was lucky that her opening over, laced with full tosses, only cost five runs - before Jones decided to target Chloe Tryon, who was immediately replaced by Ayabonga Khaka. Luus rotated her bowlers well in that period and England were unable to get going as quickly as they may have liked.

Beaumont's fifty came off 84 balls, and the century-stand with Jones soon followed with the pair looking ready to change gears. Beaumont flashed hard at a Klaas delivery that went wide of Trisha Chetty behind the stumps for four but was given out lbw in the same over and opted not to review.

Things quietened down for England again after that, though Jones' fifty came up off 71 balls. With no boundaries in four overs after Beaumont's dismissal and strike rotation proving tough, England had to force singles. They erred when they tried to take a quick single off Tryon, but Jones could not beat Kapp's throw and was run-out for 53.

England entered the last 10 overs on 171 for 5 and scored 30 runs off the first five overs before Kapp was brought back for a final burst. She had Katherine Brunt caught at cover and Sophia Dunkley caught behind in three deliveries to dent England's lower order and then bagged her first five-for when Kate Cross skied a slower ball to third man. England lost four wickets for 34 runs in the last five overs to finish short of 250, a score considered par on this ground.