Day two summary
Lauren Bell took four wickets as England fought back on day two of their one-off Test match against South Africa and extended their lead to 145 runs in Bloemfontein.
Despite their solid start, a batting collapse saw the Proteas dismissed for 281 in response to the visitors’ opening-day 395 for nine declared. Captain Laura Wolvaardt put on a 92-run partnership with Annerie Dercksen, making 65 before being dismissed by Sophie Ecclestone.
Sune Luus and Marizanne Kapp proved a difficult duo to break as the pair added 99 in the afternoon, but debutant Ryana MacDonald-Gay found the breakthrough by bowling Kapp for her first Test wicket, then dismissed Nadine de Klerk for a duck after lightning caused a break in play.
Bell completed South Africa’s demise with three quick wickets, including two in two balls. The hosts claimed a valuable wicket by dismissing Maia Bouchier for a duck, but Tammy Beaumont and Heather Knight steered England to 31 for one at stumps. PA Media
Lauren Bell, who took four wickets, has had a chat with TMS. “It’s been a great day, we’d have taken that at the start, they had patches of good partnerships, we’re really happy. My job is to swing it and take new-ball wickets and Filer’s is to bowl fast. The pitch is giving us movement and the ball is wobbling.
England will be heading Down Under in January for the Women’s Ashes. “We’re playing in a country with similar conditions to Australia, so it’s really important,” Bell adds. “We’ve said at the start of the game how amazing a result is in Test cricket. Things can change very quickly but we’ll take it an hour at a time.”
Why not sign up for The Spin, our weekly cricket newsletter sent bouncing into your inbox every week?
Close of play
The South Africa captain, Laura Wolvaardt, has a quick word with the umpires – perhaps about that rain-free weather delay earlier, which threw off the hosts’ batting rhythm. Still, there was lightning.
So ends a day where England began on top, saw South Africa work their way towards parity, and then regained the momentum as the hosts’ tail failed entirely to wag. They lead by 145 runs, with plenty of time to build a lead and then get the wickets required to win.
14th over: England 31-1 (Knight 19, Beaumont 8) Knight takes a single to rotate the strike, leaving Beaumont to see out the rest of Sekhukhune’s over – the last of the day. There’s a nervy moment as the ball gets lost under her feet, before the final ball is crunched away, but well-fielded for a single. And that’s stumps.
13th over: England 29-1 (Knight 18, Beaumont 7) Beaumont is bamboozled by Mlaba, trying to sweep, missing and getting a lucky break as the ball squirms through the wicketkeeper’s legs. Four leg byes, followed up with a much cleaner sweep shot off her 30th ball faced that more than doubles her run tally.
12th over: England 21-1 (Knight 18, Beaumont 3) Sekhukune will get a chance before stumps – the fifth bowler to feature in the first 12 overs. She has Knight on the defensive with a series of accurate, testing deliveries in a maiden.
11th over: England 21-1 (Knight 18, Beaumont 3) Knight now faces the tricky Mlaba and gets beaten by a near-unplayable ball that just misses the edge. The next ball sits up, and Knight drives for a single. England’s lead creeps up to 135.
10th over: England 19-1 (Knight 17, Beaumont 3) Heather Knight is settling any English nerves here, striking another two well-timed boundaries off Dercksen, who is yet to find her rhythm.
Updated
9th over: England 11-1 (Knight 8, Beaumont 3) South Africa change it up with Mlaba’s spin as the shadows start to lengthen. She is egged on heartily by her teammates, and watched carefully by Beaumont. Another maiden.
Updated
8th over: England 11-1 (Knight 8, Beaumont 3) Annerie Dercksen comes in to the attack, but a poor first ball is flicked away by Heather Knight for four. Another short, wide effort is crashed through the covers by the England captain, who gets the scoreboard moving.
7th over: England 3-1 (Beamount 3, Knight 0) Beaumont goes on the hunt for a boundary, slicing at Kapp’s first ball but its fielded smartly by Dercksen at backward point.
6th over: England 3-1 (Beamount 3, Knight 0) Heather Knight comes in, England opting against night watch for now. Test debutant Bouchier scored 126 in the first innings, and zero in the second. Hlubi continues to look dangerous, a low grubber that Knight does well to leave alone.
WICKET! Bouchier c Jafta b Hlubi 0 (England 3-1)
Maia Bouchier has faced 18 balls without scoring … and now she’s out for a 19-ball duck! It’s a brilliant ball from Hlubi that jags in towards the off-stump and finds the outside edge. What a boost for the hosts!
5th over: England 3-0 (Beamount 3, Bouchier 0) We can play until 6.15pm local time (4.15pm GMT), as long as the light holds. Beaumount runs for two after flicking Kapp into the on-side. A chance to drive through covers off the final ball, but she can’t find the gap.
4th over: England 1-0 (Beamount 1, Bouchier 0) After 18 straight dot-balls, Beaumont nudges one into the covers. Hlubi appeals for lbw as a delivery skids into the pads, but it looked a touch wide. Then, a bouncer digs into the turf and whistles over Bouchier’s head, bouncing again before it reaches Jafta behind the stumps.
3rd over: England 0-0 (Beamount 0, Bouchier 0) Kapp to Maia Bouchier for a second maiden, and third in a row. There are 12 allotted overs left in the day, and presumably at some point, England will score a run.
2nd over: England 0-0 (Beamount 0, Bouchier 0) Ayanda Hlubi to Tammy Beaumont for an uneventful maiden over. TV coverage is saying play will end in 15 minutes, but it’s possible an extra half-hour could be taken if the allotted overs aren’t played out.
1st over: England 0-0 (Beamount 0, Bouchier 0) Marizanne Kapp, who had a long afternoon at the crease, will bowl the first over. She finds movement straight away to test Bouchier in a maiden. Not quite sure at this stage how much time England have to see out here – play is being extended due to the storm delay, but bad light may be a factor.
Updated
South Africa all out for 281, trailing by 114 runs
From 237-3, the hosts fell away either side of the storm delay, adding just 44 more runs. England will return to bat out the day with a ton-plus first-innings lead. Lauren Bell ends with figures of 4-49, while MacDonald-Gay took two key wickets on her Test debut.
Updated
WICKET! Hlubi lbw b Sciver-Brunt 1
Sciver-Brunt is hooked away by Sekhukhune for a single, which puts Hlubi on strike. The next ball swings away and as Hlubi shuffles to her left, she’s caught lbw to end South Africa’s innings.
88th over: South Africa 280-9 (Sekhukhune 6, Hlubi 1) No hatty for Bell as an attempted yorker goes wide of leg. The last woman in, Ayanda Hlubi, is beaten by a swinging final ball, but South Africa cling on.
WICKET! Mlaba b Bell 0 (South Africa 278-9)
Nonkululeko Mlaba is out at No 9; 90 minutes ago, the chances of her having to bat today looked remote. It’s a very brief cameo, though: a swing and a miss, Bell uproots her middle stump, and the bowler is on a hat-trick …
Updated
WICKET! Jafta b Bell 8 (South Africa 278-8)
Lauren Bell gets her third wicket, the ball cutting back in and finding a big old gap, clacking into the off-stump as Jafta fails to sort her feet out. The variety dished up by England’s bowlers got her in a muddle, and South Africa’s collapse continues. Time for drinks.
88th over: South Africa 278-7 (Jafta 8, Sekhukhune 5) From 113-1 and 237-3, falling short of 300 would be a big disappointment for the hosts. Jafta is surviving, not thriving, having hardly settled …
Updated
87th over: South Africa 278-7 (Jafta 8, Sekhukhune 5) Filer steps back after another three-over burst, replaced by Nat Sciver-Brunt. We have another delay to cover up a glitching LED screen. Jafta is beaten on the outside by a floating ball that misses the edge.
Updated
86th over: South Africa 275-7 (Jafta 7, Sekhukhune 4) Tumi Sekhukhune walks out to face Lauren Bell, her side teetering on the brink … and the lefty smashes her first ball through the covers for four! Shot. They’ll need a few more of those from the tail-enders.
WICKET! Tryon c Beaumont b Bell 20 (SA 271-7)
Chloe Tryon shakes her head after a sorry looking shot, badly mistimed and wafted to Tammy Beaumont at mid-on. A promising start snuffed out, and England are well on top now.
86th over: South Africa 271-6 (Tryon 20, Jafta 7) The inky black clouds are receding, and it’s looking sunny and serene in Bloemfontein. Tryon attempts to drive Lauren Bell back down the ground, but sends the ball crashing into the stumps at the non-striker’s end …
85th over: South Africa 271-6 (Tryon 20, Jafta 7) Sinalo Jafta gets in on the act, dispatching a full Filer delivery through square leg for four. There’s another pause as Jafta asks for the white curtain to be pulled back over an LED screen. Another bouncing ball smacks Tryon on her right glove; she’s suffering for her craft out there.
84th over: South Africa 265-6 (Tryon 19, Jafta 2) Because of the break in play earlier, they’ll take an extra half-hour and play on until 5.30pm local (3.30pm GMT). A tough spell for South Africa, trying to hold steady but keep adding runs when they can. After a Bell delivery just misses her outside edge, Tryon picks her moment with a fierce cover drive.
83rd over: South Africa 261-6 (Tryon 15, Jafta 2) Sinalo Jafta comes to the crease, and tries to duck beneath a bouncer that clips her on the helmet. She is checked over by the medics before carrying on. A big appeal as Filer gets more movement and strikes Jafta’s thigh pad, but the umpire declines.
WICKET! Luus c Jones b Filer 56 (South Africa 259-6)
Filer strikes with the new ball, which moves away and catches the very bottom corner of Luus’ bat, sailing through to Jones. Another big wicket, the batter’s gritty 56 off 148 finally brought to an end.
Updated
82nd over: South Africa 259-5 (Luus 56, Tryon 15) Lauren Bell replaces RMG as England seek to bully their way into South Africa’s tail. The hosts will be aiming to reach 300 – and get within 100 runs of England’s total – without taking on too much damage. Just one that over, taken by Luus off the final ball.
81st over: South Africa 258-5 (Luus 55, Tryon 15) Filer is handed the new ball, and her first delivery rears up onto Tryon’s wrists. The batter responds by lifting a wider ball square through the off-side.
80th over: South Africa 252-5 (Luus 54, Tryon 10) MacDonald-Gay continues as sunlight falls on the pitch again – but with the skies over the city a troubling slate-grey colour. A couple of quick singles are the only change South Africa get out of that over, and the new ball is now available to their opponents.
79th over: South Africa 250-5 (Luus 53, Tryon 9) Ecclestone’s economy is a skinny 1.65 runs per over – she’s giving very little away, and delivers another maiden here, her ninth of the match.
78th over: South Africa 250-5 (Luus 53, Tryon 9) England were past 350 by this point before a flurry of late wickets; South Africa may need to start moving the scoreboard. Chloe Tryon understands the assignment, showing off her white-ball skills with two straight drives to the rope, and another salvaged at midwicket.
77th over: South Africa 238-5 (Luus 50, Tryon 0) Ecclestone – who has now bowled 10 more overs than any of her teammates – tests Tryon’s nerves with a tricky maiden over. The new ball is available in three overs’ time, and it feels like the pendulum has edged back in England’s favour.
Updated
76th over: South Africa 238-5 (Luus 50, Tryon 0) Chloe Tryon comes to the crease and after a leg-bye, Luus holds firm for the rest of the over. Lightning didn’t strike twice, but Ryana MacDonald-Gay has.
WICKET! De Klerk c Jones b MacDonald-Gay 0 (SA 237-5)
Ryana MacDonald-Gay took a big wicket just before the break … and she gets another with her second ball. It’s a belting delivery that catches De Klerk’s edge and is snaffled by Amy Jones behind the stumps.
75th over: South Africa 237-4 (Luus 50, De Klerk 0) So, we’re back – and Luus sees off the final ball of Ecclestone’s over, halted earlier by a crack of thunder. Things looking brighter out there now, for what could be a pivotal spell in this four-day Test.
Play to restart shortly
The covers went on but the rain never actually arrived – and with half an hour having passed with no more lightning, we’re going to restart play at 4.05pm local, 2.05pm GMT.
While we wait, here’s Simon Burnton with his guide to the year’s most outrageous sporting behaviour …
Both teams have headed back to the pavilion, Luus having taken her pads off. The covers are on now with rain arriving; with around 90 minutes left before close of play, it’s touch and go whether we’ll get any more action.
Lightning stops play
75th over: South Africa 237-4 (Luus 50, De Klerk 0) Nadine de Klerk is next to the crease, with the Luus-Kapp partnership ending agonisingly on 99. Ecclestone has the ball … but a thunder clap stops her in her tracks! “That was scary,” she mutters, and the umpires agree, calling the players off with one ball left in the over.
WICKET! Kapp 57 b MacDonald-Gay (South Africa 237-4)
Just as frustration was beginning to build for England, Ryana MacDonald-Gay pounces with her first Test wicket, changing the angle with her final ball to get through Kapp’s defences when she least expected it.
Updated
74th over: South Africa 237-3 (Kapp 57, Luus 50) Half-century for Sune Luus! Luus gets past the 50 mark, at a much gentler pace of 124 balls. It’s a third Test 50 in a row for her. Kapp follows it up as she cuts away a wider MacDonald-Gay delivery through that big gap in the off-side …
Updated
73rd over: South Africa 231-3 (Kapp 52, Luus 49) Kapp can’t find her way through the covers, a single setting up Sune Luus to try and claim her half-century. Ecclestone doesn’t give her a chance, though.
72nd over: South Africa 230-3 (Kapp 51, Luus 49) There’s a big gap in England’s field beyond the off-stump which will tempt both batters. Luus finds the gap, a fielder scrambling over from backward point as they run for a couple. This partnership is now at 92, level with Wolvaardt and Dercksen’s total from earlier in the innings.
Updated
71st over: South Africa 227-3 (Kapp 50, Luus 47) Kapp gets her fifty! Ecclestone is finding turn and bounce but Kapp times her moment to clip one away past short leg, and bring up her half-century, briskly put together off 64 balls.
Updated
70th over: South Africa 226-3 (Kapp 49, Luus 47) Test debutant Ryana MacDonald-Gay is handed the cherry, as lightning flashes in the distance. The last of the over gets beyond Luus’ defences, inside-edged into her midriff. The umpires again look up to the skies.
Updated
We’re back out for the evening session, with the floodlights on and the rain staying away, for now.
Tea: South Africa 225-3, trail by 170
Time for tea, which might dovetail nicely with this impending rain shower. That is South Africa’s session, with 112 runs scored for the loss of just one wicket – admittedly a costly one, Laura Woolvardt removed by Sophie Ecclestone.
69th over: South Africa 225-3 (Kapp 48, Luus 47) Sophie Ecclestone makes a quick return and asks for a check of the old ball, which still has 10 overs or so to run. This is the last over before tea and it’s a welcome maiden for England, with both batters poised just short of half-centuries.
68th over: South Africa 225-3 (Kapp 48, Luus 47) The first few drops of rain in the air as Charlie Dean seeks a breakthrough before tea. Luus chops a wider ball from outside off stump which trundles all the way to the rope.
67th over: South Africa 220-3 (Kapp 48, Luus 42) The floodlights flicker into life with tea approaching. Filer’s first ball gets the tiniest edge from Kapp and runs beyond the diving Jones and on to the boundary. A shorter ball is punished, sent crashing through a big gap at mid-on.
66th over: South Africa 212-3 (Luus 42, Kapp 40) The umpires – who are both officiating their first Test match – call for the light meter, and decide it’s fine to continue. Dean takes on her eighth over, and Kapp nudges the accelerator with back-to-back boundaries.
65th over: South Africa 203-3 (Luus 42, Kapp 31) Time for something different, thinks Heather Knight, and brings in Lauren Filer for Ecclestone. Filer took out Annerie Dercksen earlier in the innings but can’t trouble the batters, who look more perturbed by the dark clouds and brisker breeze.
64th over: South Africa 202-3 (Luus 42, Kapp 30) At short leg, a helmeted Tammy Beaumont tries to gee up her teammates. A single each is taken from an eclectic Charlie Dean over.
63rd over: South Africa 200-3 (Luus 41, Kapp 29) Two slips pay close attention as Ecclestone seeks Kapp’s outside edge. The hosts sail on, a couple of runs off the last ball bringing up 200. If these two can get to tea together, South Africa might feel they’re gaining an edge.
62nd over: South Africa 198-3 (Luus 41, Kapp 27) Foreboding clouds in the distance, but still no hint of rain over the Mangaung Oval. Dean continues, and her first ball is smacked away by Luus to bring the deficit below 200 runs.
61st over: South Africa 194-3 (Luus 37, Kapp 27) A costly misfield leaks four runs to take the shine off another probing over from Ecclestone, the last ball turning with intent.
60th over: South Africa 190-3 (Luus 37, Kapp 23) A maiden from Charlie Dean, who causes Luus some problems with a couple of squirming deliveries, one of which pops up off the batter’s leg and through the slips.
59th over: South Africa 190-3 (Luus 37, Kapp 23) We’re in a bit of a holding pattern here, with neither England’s pair of spinners nor South Africa’s batters quite ready to move up a gear. Marizanne Kapp picks her moment against Ecclestone, a clinical cover drive taking this partnership past 50.
Updated
There’s a break in play while Sune Luus gets treatment from the physio. She seems to have a problem with her left hamstring, hopefully nothing too serious.
58th over: South Africa 186-3 (Luus 37, Kapp 19) England continue with spin from both ends, although Dean can’t quite match Ecclestone’s efficiency (then again, few can). Luus pounces on a short one, then a wider delivery skids past Jones’ fingers for four byes.
57th over: South Africa 178-3 (Luus 33, Kapp 19) Ecclestone tries a floatier ball and offers a wry smile as Luus leaves it well alone. Luus nurdles a single off the final ball to deny the England bowler a maiden.
56th over: South Africa 177-3 (Luus 32, Kapp 19) Oof, a lovely shot from Luus, waiting patiently before sending a fuller Dean delivery whistling through the off side. Some darker clouds on the horizon now; the forecast suggests a shower may be on the way.
55th over: South Africa 172-3 (Luus 27, Kapp 19) Another tight over from Ecclestone, yielding just one run as both batters fail to pick out the gaps quite as efficiently.
Updated
54th over: South Africa 171-3 (Luus 26, Kapp 19) Hitting the middle of the day’s play and it’s finely poised. South Africa have kept up a steady run rate around 3.2 an over, which is bettered here as Kapp drills one through midwicket. Off Dean’s last of the over, she gets underneath it slightly but it drops short of the fielder at mid-on.
53rd over: South Africa 167-3 (Luus 26, Kapp 15) Knight has brought fielders in, with Kapp and Luus trying to pick the gaps carefully. Just one run off the over, via a Dean misfield. Time for drinks with the clouds drifting in, but temperatures still above 30 degrees in Bloemfontein.
52nd over: South Africa 166-3 (Luus 26, Kapp 14) Thanks, Tanya. Heather Knight wants to disrupt this promising partnership and turns to Charlie Dean. Sune Luus picks off one that strays off line and flicks it nonchalantly to the boundary.
51st over: South Africa 162-3 (Luus 22, Kapp 14) An unexpectedly expensive over from Ecclestone. Luus picks up four with an edge over the slips and Kapp adds to the bounty, flicking past Jones. And with that I will hand over to Niall, who will take you through to stumps. Thanks for the messages – bye!
Updated
50th over: South Africa 153-3 (Luus 17, Kapp 10) Kapp making merry, takes two fours off Bell’s first three balls. On on point through the covers, and another cut, with fire, over point.
49th over: South Africa 145-3 (Luus 17, Kapp 2) One from more immaculate Ecclestone.
48th over: South Africa 144-3 (Luus 17, Kapp 1) Bell lopes in, if you can lope with speed. Long long legs, big strides: Luus plays out another – no she doesn’t – whipping four off her ankles from the last ball.
Updated
47th over: South Africa 140-3 (Luus 13, Kapp 1) The camera pans back to show the field, mottled green and yellow. A couple of singles from Ecclestone’s over.
Updated
46th over: South Africa 138-3 (Luus 12, Kapp 0) Knight tightens the screw, bringing on Bell to replace RMG. Luus nearly falls as the ball jumps just short of gully. A maiden.
45th over: South Africa 138-3 (Luus 12, Kapp 0) England are cock-a-hoop! The South African coach states into his laptop.
Updated
WICKET! Wolvaardt lbw Ecclestone 65 (South Africa 138-3)
The big one! Ecclestone strikes, the pressure telling. Wolvaardt thinks she’s got an inside edge onto the pad and is not happy, not one bit. There is, of course, no DRS for this Test, despite the fact there is for the other white ball games of this series. Cost-cutting.
44th over: South Africa 137-2 (Wolvaardt 65, Luus 11) Brief relief from RMG, they pick up three. Clouds now visible to one side of the ground, presumably brought in with the wind.
Updated
43rd over: South Africa 134-2 (Wolvaardt 65, Luus 8) Filer is sent to pasture for a well-earned rest, but no rest for South Africa’s batters who now get Ecclestone from the same end. In huge sunglasses she wheels in. Absolutely cracking over, a maiden.
Updated
42nd over: South Africa 134-2 (Wolvaardt 65, Luus 8) A super ball from RMG draws Wolvaardt in, she edges awkwardly for a couple. The cameras spot a hairline crack outside the off stump. Wolvaardt thinks she’s picked up another boundary but a super bit of fielding by Bell at mid-on disappoints.
Updated
41st over: South Africa 131-2 (Wolvaardt 62, Luus 8) Filer, elbows akimbo in musical-hall style. Luus pounces on her last ball, slightly outside off stump, and cuts it for four. Filer shakes her head and mouthes a short sharp curse.
Updated
40th over: South Africa 127-2 (Wolvaardt 62, Luus 3) The wind, I’m told, is enhancing the in-swing from the end MacDonald-Gay is bowling from. Wolvaardt picks up her first runs since lunch, pulling four from a short one. Four byes fly past Amy Jones and down the leg side.
Updated
39th over: South Africa 118-2 (Wolvaardt 58, Luus 3) The umpires flatten down the pitch where Filer has been running in with something akin to Mrs Tiggy-Winkle’s iron on a stick. Filer continues, high energy, full throttle. Filer hits Wolvaardt somewhere – arm- guts, I can’t tell – as it rips in.
38th over: South Africa 117-2 (Wolvaardt 58, Luus 2) Ryana MacDonald-Gay takes the ball after lunch after that little pre-lunch spell from Dean. She is running into the wind which is now loud enough to crackle the microphone and ruffle the shirts and ponytails. A couple of leg byes off the over.
37th over: South Africa 115-2 (Wolvaardt 58, Luus 2) Luus is greeted fairly early with a short snifter but is off the mark with a couple after a misfield.
Afternoon session
The players are out, we’re expecting more short stuff from Filer as she prepares to complete her over that brought about a (fractionally) early lunch with the wicket of Dercksen.
Updated
A really excellent morning of hard cricket. Aggressive bowling from Filer in particular but utter concentration from South Africa, Wolvaardt brilliant and Dercksen working so hard despite being targeted. England got their reward in the last over before lunch, leaving it honours pretty much even. Time for me to grab some breakfast, back shortly.
WICKET! Dercksen c b Filer 41 (South Africa 113-2) LUNCH
What a shame for Dercksen! She’d done so well and was four balls away from her sandwiches. But Filer well deserved the wicket – another kicking bouncer which Dercksen shuffled away from and sent high towards the cordon. Knight can only parry it with her leap but Ecclestone collects.
36.2 overs: South Africa 113-2 (Wolvaardt 58)
35th over: South Africa 113-1 (Wolvaardt 58, Dercksen 41) I take it back, this is the penultimate over, Dean drops onto the legs and Dercksen says thanks very much and shifts it away for four.
34th over: South Africa 107-1 (Wolvaardt 57, Dercksen 36) Filer, with the penultimate over before for lunch. She’s such a tricky customer, a searing yorker, which Wolvaardt keeps out. It loops over Beaumont at short leg who leaps and lands awkwardly on the hard soil. She’ll learn, say the commentators. Dercksen runs one short in a race to come back for a second and Filer finishes an eventful over with an aggressive bouncer that tempts Dercksen – but she just pulls her bat away in time.
33rd over: South Africa 105-1 (Wolvaardt 56, Dercksen 35) Charlie Dean gets a go with ten minutes until lunch, one keeps low but with a dart of the bat Wolvaardt has it covered.
32nd over: South Africa 103-1 (Wolvaardt 55, Dercksen 34) Firey Filer is back and so nearly has a wicket. After serving up a snorter which Dercksen ducks, Dercksen then plays a nothing sort of tennis shot to the next ball and gets a top edge which flies invitingly to Bell running in from the rope. But Bell, like Bambi on a newly mopped floor, is all over the place, over runs, dives and appears to miss the ball completely. Filer turns on her heel; Knight looks unimpressed.
31st over: South Africa 102-1 (Wolvaardt 55, Dercksen 33) Ooof! Wolvaardt lucky to escape as she gets an inside edge onto a ball from NSB which zips merrily between her pads but evades the stumps. Ever zen, she then calmly takes advantage and shovels her last ball through the gap for four.
Illustrative stats on how South Africa’s scoring rate has been stifled: their first 50 took 14 overs, the second 50 18 overs.
31st over: South Africa 98-1 (Wolvaardt 51, Dercksen 33) A single from Ecclestone’s over.
Fifty for Wolvaardt!
30th over: South Africa 97-1 (Wolvaardt 50, Dercksen 33) A rogue run off NSB’s first ball disappoints the England fielders but she continues the wicket to wicket ploy to Wolvaardt. Gimlet eyed, Wolvaardt stares from beneath her green helmet, stranded for 13 balls on 49 - but here is the run! Turned off her hip for her second Test fifty. She unobtrusively raises her bat and gives her teammates a thumbs up.
29th over: South Africa 95-1 (Wolvaardt 49, Dercksen 32) Pressure building a little on South Africa as England tighten the screw – though I think Wolvaardt is able to exist in a little calm bubble of her own. Ecclestone whistles through another maiden.
28th over: South Africa 95-1 (Wolvaardt 49, Dercksen 32) A maiden from NSB.
27th over: South Africa 89-1 (Wolvaardt 49, Dercksen 32) Wolvaardt presses at an Ecclestone ripper and the ball sheets off the bat and just beats the chasing MacDonald Gay to the rope. Wolvaardt in touching distance of fifty.
26th over: South Africa 89-1 (Wolvaardt 43, Dercksen 32) NSB replaces RMG, coming in now from the Willows end. The television cameras obligingly show pockets of supporters watching from under the shade of some trees. Looks pretty blissful actually, though the flags are bristling in the wind which seems as if it has picked up a little. A handful of singles from the over.
25th over: South Africa 86-1 (Wolvaardt 41, Dercksen 31) A single from Ecclestone’s over.
Updated
24th over: South Africa 85-1 (Wolvaardt 40, Dercksen 31) Four off McDonald-Gay, but not entirely convincing, as Dercksen is hurried and gets an outside edge down to the rope. There aren’t huge numbers of people watching at Bloemfontein, unless they’re hiding somewhere I can’t see.
23rd over: South Africa 81-1 (Wolvaardt 40, Dercksen 27) After three successive maidens, Ecclestone finally concedes a run – Wolvaardt licking her lips as a short one bounces invitingly in front of her, she obligingly flies it through midwicket for four.
22nd over: South Africa 77-1 (Wolvaardt 36, Dercksen 27) A maiden from McDonald-Gay makes it two in a row for England.
21st over: South Africa 77-1 (Wolvaardt 36, Dercksen 27) Ecclestone, such an imposing figure, whistles down another maiden. The players take drinks and I’m running to put the kettle on.
20th over: South Africa 77-1 (Wolvaardt 36, Dercksen 27) A Wolvaardt pull behind square, easy does it with a flick of the wrists, brings up the fifty partnership. And a second four from Dercksen, through midwicket keeps up the momentum.
19th over: South Africa 67-1 (Wolvaardt 31, Dercksen 22) Ecclestone time! The hair that was loose in a pony tail has been tied up into a bun – this is where it gets serious. Wolvaardt and she are old foes. Wolvaardt meticulously watches and bats out the over. A maiden.
18th over: South Africa 67-1 (Wolvaardt 31, Dercksen 22) McDonald-Gay again, as the dog curls up next to me on the sofa after a brief forray for squirrel sniffing in the garden. Another impressive over of right-arm medium pace, she’s stemmed the run-rate where no-one else has.
Updated
17th over: South Africa 66-1 (Wolvaardt 30, Dercksen 22) Dercksen picks up four from Sciver-Brunt, but unconvincingly with an edge through the slips.
And a first message drops into the inbox. Good morning Peter Dudley!
”I’m trying hard to imagine an inswinger zigzagging and my mind well and truly boggles! Now there’s a delivery we’d all love to perfect!”
Hmmm, now you’ve put me on the spot maybe it was more of a zig…but it was definitely fabulous!
Updated
Summary
16th over: South Africa 62-1 (Wolvaardt 30, Dercksen 18) Knight rolls up her short sleeves, as here in Manchester the day slips into a gray dawn. A double change as 20 year old Ryana McDonald-Gay replaces Bell. She’s only 20 and this is just her fourth England game and her first Test. A neat and tidy maiden.
Updated
15th over: South Africa 62-1 (Woolvaardt 30, Dercksen 18) Heather Knight thinks it is time for a change, and switches Nat Sciver-Brunt into the attack to replace Filer. Into the grove immediately, as you’d expect from some sort of superwoman. And as I type that, she over-pitches and Dercksen thanks her with a off-drive for four – and another two balls later. She’s got impressive sang-froid this young woman.
Summary
14th over: South Africa 52-1 (Wolvaardt 29, Dercksen 10) Advantage Woolvaardt, who with text-book technique, twice drives Bell for four through the covers. And South Africa have notched up fifty in quick time.
Updated
13th over: South Africa 41-1 (Wolvaardt 19, Dercksen 10) Filer’s fourth over of the morning – I wish I could give you a mph calculation of how fast she’s bowling but I can’t see one on screen. Visibly intimidating though, rapid enough to make Dercksen back away, though she ripostes next ball by picking up four with a peachy cover drive.
Updated
12th over: South Africa 37-1 (Woolvaardt 18, Dercksen 6) Dercksen may not be used to the pace that Filer is delivering the other end but she has impressive poise. She drives Bell through the covers for four with aplomb.
Summary
11th over: South Africa 33-1 (Wolvaardt 18, Dercksen 2) Filer is finding her mojo – and delivers some spicy stuff to Dercksen. A searing bouncer to start – Derkcksen snaps back her neck to avoid being hit, her long blond hair following behind. She smiles. Another fierce bouncer follows, which Dercksen doesn’t play as well, loses sight of it, and is hit on the helmet as it flies down to the rope for four byes. Intriguing!
Updated
Summary
10th over: South Africa 28-1 (Wolvaardt 16, Dercksen 0) Bell springs in, a hop at the start of her run-up. Another smart, neat over.
Updated
9th over: South Africa 25-1 (Wolvaardt 16, Dercksen 0) Filer starts the over with a full toss which Woolvaardt drives for four, finishes with a snorting bouncer which heads for Woolvaardt’s throat and leaves her flat on her back.
Updated
8th over: South Africa 21-1 (Wolvaardt 12, Dercksen 0 ) Bosch looked all at sea for the three balls she faced, wildly wafting at the first, and nibbling obligingly to the third. An absolute beauty from Bell to finish the over, a HUGE inswinger which Dercksen left but which zig-zagged in and missed her off stump by a Christmas tree’s needle.
Updated
WICKET! Bosch c Jones b Bell 6 (South Africa 21-1)
Bosch pushes at a ball that she could have left a hundred times out of a hundred and nibbles behind.
Morning session
7th over: South Africa 21-0 (Wolvaardt 12, Bosch 6) Three slips and a gully stand and wait as Lauren Filer runs in with the first ball of the day, an inswinger on the money. From there Filer is a little wayward, drifting legside. Woolvaardt nudges one of them down to the rope.
Updated
The South Africans have a last gulp of water, and Heather Knight leads out her troops.
They’re prodding the pitch in Bloem – yesterday there was a strong wind down the ground, today it has dropped to just a little breeze. The surface still looks wonderful for bat and ball, but yesterday’s wind took most of the moisture out of the surface and there are now a few cracks.
While we wait for this Test to begin, you might (or might not) want to catch up on England’s exploits in Hamilton – a hundred for Williamson, a hamstring blow for Stokes, and another Matt-Henry snaffling for Crawley.
The pictures are now beaming in from Blomfontein where the light is bright and the sun is hot. Kaya Zondo and Nono Pongolo are singing Bouchier’s praises – her 126 was the third highest score on Test debut behind Australia’s Mel Jones and Michelle Goszko.
A lovely picture of Maia Bouchier and her dad Anthony, who was an investor in Wisden.com in the early days of the internet back in the early noughties.
Maia Bouchier’s father, Anthony, was an early investor in Wisden Online, which bought Cricinfo in 2003.
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) December 15, 2024
It was a proud moment for the pair today, as Maia scored a century on Test debut 🙌 pic.twitter.com/8DnbcsRs84
This is worth a listen from Raf and Syd on both England women’s contracts and the ECB’s new salary announcement on the Hundred where there are huge increases in pay for the top tier men, not so much for anyone else.
Updated
This was Raf’s take on day one:
Preamble
Good morning! As schoolchildren porridge-up on the last Monday before Christmas, the Manchester sky still a long way from dawn, England and South Africa prepare for day two of the one-off Test in sunny Bloemfontein.
England’s women had the best of yesterday, racking up 395 at quite the lick, with a debut Test hundred for the impressive Maia Bouchier and the quickest Test century in women’s history for Nat Sciver Brunt.
South Africa fought back in the late afternoon, snipping this way and that through the late middle order and tail, and England were unable to make a breakthrough in the six overs after Heather Knight’s declaration.
Action starts at 8am, in this first women’s Test in South Africa since 2002. Do join me, coffee in hand.
Updated
