Charlotte Edwards: Strong display

England achieved their highest one-day total for six years to set up a convincing win in the opening game of the three-match series.

Vice-captain Charlotte Edwards and Claire Taylor made half centuries as the tourists were set a daunting target.

And the game was effectively over when they lost their first four wickets with only 33 on the board in reply.

Daleen Terblanche dug in for a determined 51 but Shandre Fritz, who had earlier taken 4-36, was the only other South African to reach double figures as they were bowled out with more than 15 overs of their innings remaining.

Debutant Rosalie Birch was the most successful English bowler, returning figures of 3-21 with her leg-spin, after earlier giving their innings a final flourish with 30 not out.

Having won the toss, skipper Clare Connor chose not to gamble on batting second under lights in the the first women's day-night international to be played on English soil.

Laura Newton was first to go for the home side for 27, but Edwards and Taylor collected 17 boundaries between them as they added 91 for the second wicket.

Edwards reached 64 before being dismissed by Nolabalu Ndzundzu, and Taylor followed soon after, having made 51 off 47 balls, when she gave a return catch to off-spinner Claire Terblanche.

Fritz worked her way through the middle order, but apart from Birch, there were useful contributions by Connor and Helen Wardlaw (both 29).

England went past 270 for the first time since scoring 324-3 against Ireland in a World Cup match in December 1997.

South Africa were soon in trouble in reply with both openers back in the pavilion before the total had reached double figures and they could ill afford the run out of captain Alison Hodgkinson for four.

Terblanche and Fritz produced the only partnership of note, adding 51 for the fifth wicket before Fritz was caught by Edwards off Birch for 16.

Connor rotated her bowlers intelligently and struck the vital blow herself when Terblanche was eighth out, caught by Newton, after hitting six fours in a 105-ball knck.