Key events
So that is us. Thanks for your company through an excellent day of Test-match cricketTM; join us for more tomorrow, and check back soon for our report. But otherwise, peace out.
South Africa end day one on 17-0, replying to England’s 395-9 dec
6th over: South Africa 17-0 (Wolvaardt 8, Bosch 1) Two slips, short leg, silly mid-off and short leg … but Ecclestone’s loosener is poor, Bosch missing out on free runs when offered a drag-down. Naturally, the bowling improves thereafter, Bosch just about digging out a couple before playing forward to end a banger of a day. SA fought back superbly after tea and, though England will feel they’re still in control, they’re not in the dominant position that looked likely.
5th over: South Africa 17-0 (Wolvaardt 8, Bosch 6) Lovely from Bosch, on tippy-toes to flow Foiler’s first delivery through cover for four; SA are negotiating this period well but they’ll be well aware that Ecclestone is readying herself to close out the day. A single follows, Bosch turning to leg but opting not to take another run when MacDonald-Gay first botches her pick-up, then hurls to no one. SA are nearly there, but here comes Ecclestone…
4th over: South Africa 12-0 (Wolvaardt 8, Bosch 1) I wonder if Knight is tempted to give Ecclestone a go before the close; on the one hand, her quicks look menacing, on the other, the best bowler in the world with a new nut seems like a decent ruse. And as I type, Bell overpitches, allowing Wolvaardt to drive through cover, then she jams down the bat to dig out a yorker, the ball squirting away for for more. Bell then flings another down leg side, Filer doing brilliantly on the fine leg fence to save two as they run two, and I think that may be her final over, this one yielding 10.
3rd over: South Africa 2-0 (Wolvaardt 0, Bosch 1) Three slips for Filer as she charges in again; after a dot and a leg-side-wide bouncer, she finds her line and length, almost inducing the edge when Bosch looks to drive. Bowling fuller now, she tucks the batter up, then tries a bouncer … but it’s too high. Much better over, and she’ll get one more go at forcing a breakthrough before the close.
2nd over: South Africa 1-0 (Wolvaardt 0, Bosch 1) Bell needs two deliveries to find her groove, forcing Bosch back before a twizzle around the corner sets her and her team away. Both bowlers look threatening.
1st over: South Africa 0-0 (Wolvaardt 0, Bosch 0) Miserable loosener from Filer, a full toss outside off, so Wolvaardt ignores; second ball, she’s forced to defend. Filer is into this now, finding decent line with some helpful bounce before a wide one completes her maiden.
Righto, off we go again!
England batted beautifully up front, but won’t have expected to lose so many wickets post-tea; SA bowled with guts, enterprise and skill, especially towards the end of the day. The match looked likely to get away from them, but they’re still right in it – theoretically, at least.
England declare at 395-9!
That makes sense. There probably weren’t many more runs out there for them, so Heather Knight decides it makes more sense to get six overs at the South African openers tonight.
92nd over: England 395-9 (Filer 0, Bell 0) I guess we can say this is a decent track, offering plenty to both spinners and quicks, but with plenty there to excite the batters too.
WICKET! Ecclestone b Hlubi 21 (England 395-9)
This has been a terrific fightback from South Africa and Hlubi goes wide of the crease, jags one in, and Ecclestone, backing away, can’t get bat on it, the ball careering into middle, two-thirds of the way up.
92nd over: England 395-8 (Ecclestone 21, Filer 0) It’s Hlubi taking the new ball for the other end and her loosener is not good, Ecclestone tickling four to fine leg.
91st over: England 391-8 (Ecclestone 201, Filer 0) A nasty outswinger is too good for Filer. Brilliant over from Kapp.
WICKET! MacDonald-Gay b Kapp 2 (England 391-8)
It was coming. After working over the batter with swing and seam, a straight one goes straight through McDonald-Gay and that wicket is no more than Kapp deserves.
91st over: England 391-7 (Ecclestone 20, MacDonald-Gay 1) Eeesh, as Kapp prepares to bowl with the new meteorite, the umpires take a light reading, and are they going off? The batters look headed to the dressing room but they’re just getting a drink off and a chat with Sophia Dunkley. Ten overs remain in the day as Kapp springs in, hitting the seam and spiriting one away, beating MacDonald-Gay outside off. And have a look! Again, she hits a length and moves the ball away, the batter unable to respond, then she plays and misses at an in-ducker; this is lovely bowling.
90th over: England 391-7 (Ecclestone 20, MacDonald-Gay 1) Luus has put in a phenomenal shift today and she sends down four dots, then MacDonald-Gay takes a single to midwicket and Ecclestone one to deep backward square. And finally, the new ball arrives….
89th over: England 390-7 (Ecclestone 20, MacDonald-Gay 1) Mlaba delivers a drag-down half-tracker and Ecclestone doesn’t miss out, humping through cover for four, then offering width, she again goes to the fence, this time at point via cut. A single then follows, and surely Mlaba will now get a rest?
88th over: England 381-7 (Ecclestone 11, MacDonald-Gay 1) MacDonald-Gay scores her first Test run, twizzling around the corner for one, and I wonder if Heather Knight is toying with the idea of a declaration, getting her quicks a dart at SA before the close. Meantime, England add a single and a leg bye.
87th over: England 378-7 (Ecclestone 10, MacDonald-Gay 0) Mlaba strays short and wide, offering Ecclestone the release-boundary she needs, forced through cover-point. These are the only runs from the over, and surely SA will take the new ball at some point soon, going at the tail in the knowledge they can always return to their spinners if necessary.
86th over: England 374-7 (Ecclestone 6, MacDonald-Gay 0) Ecclestone takes two to long leg then one down the ground, the only runs from the over.
85th over: England 371-7 (Ecclestone 3, MacDonald-Gay 0) Further excellence from Mlaba, beating MacDonald-Gay with turn and bounce; the catch goes down but there was no edge.
Ah, and that’s drinks. Mlaba and Luus have earnt the arse out of theirs.
WICKET! Jones c Kapp b Mlaba 39 (England 371-7)
Jones looks to force the issue, hitting over the top … to be caught at mid-off. Four for Mlaba, who’s bowled with so much enterprise and aggression since tea.
85th over: England 371-6 (Jones 39, Ecclestone 3) Ecclestone gets away with a low edge past slip; SA put in another, only for Mlaba to bowl away from it, short and leg-side, Jones taking one to midwicket.
84th over: England 368-6 (Jones 39, Ecclestone 0) England do their best to replicate dismissals, Jones almost playing on, then Ecclestone almost run out when Luus gets fingertips on Jones’ drive; this time, though, the batter was in her ground. Maiden.
83rd over: England 368-6 (Jones 39, Ecclestone 0) Mlaba moves one away from Eccleestone, who won’t mind seeing that at all, least of all on day one. SA have come back really well in this session.
WICKET! Dean b Mlaba 8 (England 368-6)
Mlaba is enjoying this, extracting a touch more bounce that forces Dean backwards to play into the ground … and the ball leaps into the stumps!
82nd over: England 366-5 (Jones 39, Dean 6) Since tea, Mlaba has attracted all the attention and rightly so, but Luus has kept at it and kept the score down, this latest over – her 20th – yielding just two singles.
81st over: England 364-5 (Jones 38, Dean 5) SA continue with the old ball, but I’d be keen to see what dip and bounce Mlaba can get with a new one. In the meantime, though, she rushes through another tight one, a single to Jones the only scoring shot.
80th over: England 363-5 (Jones 37, Dean 5) The new ball is due after this over, but there’s no sign of South African quicks getting loose. Meantime, Dean gets off the mark with as single to leg then, after Jones responds with one of her own, she moves to leg and glances adroitly around the corner for four.
79th over: England 357-5 (Jones 36, Dean 0) SA are into the tail now, and if they could somehow rustle England out for around 400 that’ll constitute a massive win.