South Africa v England: women’s Test cricket international, day three

Key events

43rd over: England 131-3 (Knight 51, Wyatt-Hodge 15) Ayanda Hlubi can be spotted doing some stretches with the physio on the boundary edge, South Africa could really do with her shaking off her groin strain and getting back out there some time very soon.

42nd over: England 129-3 (Knight 50, Wyatt-Hodge 14) Sekhukhune has a slip in place and tightens things up with a maiden. England’s lead up to 243 runs, a couple more runs and South Africa will need to rack up the highest fourth innings total in women’s Test history. Don’t just take my word for it.

41st over: England 129-3 (Knight 50, Wyatt-Hodge 14) Heather Knight brings up her fifth Test fifty with a glide to backward point. It comes off 99 balls, she’s been watchful this morning but has rotated the strike and put the bad balls away. Textbook Test match batting… if such a thing exists these days.

40th over: England 128-3 (Knight 49, Wyatt-Hodge 14) A juicy and almost snow capped full toss is served up by Sekhukhune first ball, Wyatt-Hodge throws the bat at it and gets a meaty edge away to the deep third boundary.

39th over: England 122-3 (Knight 48, Wyatt-Hodge 9) Three taken off Mlaba, England not being put under enough pressure, release balls easy to come by. The visitors are effectively 236-3 with half an hour until lunch. Sekhukhune is being summoned, which I think is a good move. South Africa need to keep taking wickets.

38th over: England 119-3 (Knight 48, Wyatt-Hodge 8) Tryon leaks seven runs from her latest over, a low full toss is a gift to Wyatt-Hodge, who’s eyes light up as she sweeps it away for four.

37th over: England 112-3 (Knight 47, Wyatt-Hodge 3) Danni Wyatt-Hodge is the new batter, she can take this game well out of South Africa’s reach in double quick time if she gets going. She picks up two singles with a flick to leg and cut to deep point.

WICKET! Nat Sciver-Brunt b Mlaba 37 (England 109-3)

Chopped on! Sciver-Brunt goes back to cut and the ball keeps a little low, the under edge onto the stumps emitting the death-rattle. She was dropped on 19 and eventually departs for a well made 37.

36th over: England 109-2 (Knight 46, Sciver-Brunt 37) Fairy soft hands from Knight as she opens the face and glides for four through the vacant slip region. It looked slightly edgy on the replay but I’m giving her the benefit of the doubt that it was deliberate.

35th over: England 103-2 (Knight 41, Sciver-Brunt 36) Sciver-Brunt picks up four with a fine sweep. England notch up the 100 and are beginning to accelerate the run rate.

34th over: England 99-2 (Knight 41, Sciver-Brunt 32) Chloe Tryon is bowling at least one boundary ball per over and looking a lot less threatening than the rest of the bowlers on show this morning. If this doesn’t get her a wicket then I don’t know what will… Knight sweeps fine for four down to the fine leg fence.

33rd over: England 93-2 (Knight 36, Sciver-Brunt 31) A massive drop behind the stumps! Mlaba gets the edge off Nat Sciver-Brunt’s forward poke but Jafta spills it! It popped in and out, huge groans in the field. Salt, meet Wound. NSB shrugs off the drop by plundering three boundaries off the rest of the over – a beautiful back foot drive through the covers the pick of them. Heads droop a little on the home side as the lead goes above 200.

32nd over: England 81-2 (Knight 36, Sciver-Brunt 19) Tryon releases the pressure once again, spearing a ball down the leg side that rolls away for four byes and following up with a wide ball outside off stump that is crunched to the off side by Knight, the boundary rider managing to swoop round and keep it to a single. England’s lead up to 195 runs, South Africa need to break this partnership.

31st over: England 75-2 (Knight 35, Sciver-Brunt 18) A tidy Mlaba maiden takes us to drinks.

30th over: England 75-2 (Knight 35, Sciver-Brunt 18) Chloe Tryon is coming on, another important change, the left-arm spinner wasn’t at her best in the first innings and she drops short with her first over. Sciver-Brunt pulls a half-tracker to the midwicket fence.

29th over: England 68-2 (Knight 34, Sciver-Brunt 12) Two singles off a tidy over from Mlaba. Fifteen overs in the first hour, one wicket to South Africa and 37 runs to England. Good Test criggit.

28th over: England 66-2 (Knight 33, Sciver-Brunt 11) Dercksen has really tightened up and sends down a maiden, finding some pace and movement to keep NSB honest.

27th over: England 66-2 (Knight 33, Sciver-Brunt 11) Mlaba starts well, flight and dip drawing Sciver-Brunt into a drive and the edge squirts wide of slip and away for four.

26th over: England 60-2 (Knight 32, Sciver-Brunt 6) Dercksen tightens up after that loosey-goosey first over. Just a single to Knight. de Klerk is going to have a breather and we’ll have some spin in the form of Nonkululeko Mlaba. An important spell coming up for her, she’ll have quite a bit of graft to get through over the coming hours.

25th over: England 59-2 (Knight 31, Sciver-Brunt 6) de Klerk into her sixth over of the morning. She’s been impressive and accurate, just a single off it. How many more can she reel off in this heat though?

24th over: England 58-2 (Knight 30, Sciver-Brunt 6) Annerie Dercksen enters the attack and immediately the pressure lifts as she can’t find her line and length. A wide down the leg side is followed by a stylish cut for four by Knight. Gah! A leg side wide evades the keeper and trickles away for another boundary. Ten off the over.

23rd over: England 48-2 (Knight 25, Sciver-Brunt 5) Close! Sciver-Brunt is lucky to survive the over! A leading edge falls agonisingly short of the fielder at mid-on and then de Klerk has head in hands once again the next ball – she moves Chloe Tryon close in catching on the leg side and Sciver-Brunt nearly obliges straightaway, hitting the ball on the bounce to Chloe Tryon in the very same position. A couple of steps closer and that was a catchable. Pressure building in Bloemfontein.

22nd over: England 47-2 (Knight 25, Sciver-Brunt 4) Three off the over as Knight and NSB work into the leg side. Plenty of chirp from the fielders and behind the stumps, South Africa know this is the partnership they need to break before it gains any real momentum.

21st over: England 44-2 (Knight 24, Sciver-Brunt 2) Just a single off de Klerk’s latest. The seamers keeping it tight for South Africa, the real challenge will come if England keep them out there into their second and third spells. It looks a scorcher.

20th over: England 43-2 (Knight 24, Sciver-Brunt 1) Nat Sciver-Brunt, fresh off a first innings century, joins her captain in the middle. If she goes early then the home side will really begin to believe. A flick off the toes to midwicket get’s NSB underway.

WICKET! Beaumont lbw b Sekhukhune 12 (England 42-2)

Gone! Beaumont is undone by a nip-backing inswinger, the ball thudding into her pad in front of all three stumps giving the umpire no reason to doubt and duly raise the finger. A reward for fine bowling so far this morning from South Africa.

19th over: England 40-1 (Knight 24, Beaumont 12) The pressure cooker just begins to hiss in Bloemfontein as a third maiden in a row is reeled off. Knight is solid in defence, de Klerk is finding a bit of swing through the air.

18th over: England 40-1 (Knight 24, Beaumont 12) Consecutive maidens, Sekhukhune lands it on a handkerchief and South Africa keep things tight.

17th over: England 40-1 (Knight 24, Beaumont 12) de Klerk stitches together a maiden for the Proteas. Knight climbs into a delivery wide of off stump but her powerful drive is straight to the fielder at point. The hands are stung and no run taken. England’s lead is 154 runs, 100 more added to that and they’ll be clear favourites to take the game.

16th over: England 40-1 (Knight 24, Beaumont 12) There are a few injury niggles in South Africa’s bowling line up, Marizanne Kapp is struggling by all accounts. She’s wearing her long sleeve top in the field whereas she normally has the short sleeves on, it could jsut be sun shade but it might also be a sign that she isn’t planning on bowling many overs today. Tumi Sekhukhune has the second over of the day and it’s a decent one, just two singles taken off it.

15th over: England 38-1 (Knight 23, Beaumont 11) Beaumont tickles the first ball off her toes to open proceedings. De Klerk is full and looking for some movement with this ball only fourteen overs old. Shot! Heather Knight is too good to let a floaty half volley go by unpunished and she leans into a cover drive and threads the gap skilfully to get the first boundary of the day. Conditions look very good for batting.

The players take the field, an intriguing first session in prospect. Laura Wolvaardt’s South Africa need a couple of quick wickets to put the pressure on and make sure that England don’t get too far in front. A light breeze billows the shirts and flagpoles, Nadine de Klerk is going to bowl the first over. Tammy Beaumont on strike, let’s play!

Righto, my tv is now beaming in pictures of a bright and sunny Bloemfontein into my rather murky front room in South London. Heather Knight is doing some shadow batting and the South African team are in a huddle on the boundary edge.

And here’s Ali’s report of the men’s side going down in the final Test of the series in New Zealand, to dip into your Burford Browns:

Here’s Raf’s report from Day two to dig into with your cornflakes:

Preamble

James Wallace

Hello and welcome to day three of South Africa v England in Bloemfontein. After classy centuries from Maia Bouchier and Nat Sciver Brunt in their first innings and with Lauren Bell heading up an impressive all-round team bowling performance with four wickets, Heather Knight’s side are in a commanding position and will be looking to set up victory over the next day or so.

The captain and experienced hand Tammy Beaumont are at the crease with a lead of 145 and nine more wickets in which to stretch it to a match winning position. South Africa need quick wickets to keep their fourth innings chase to a manageable one. It promises to be a corker.

The action gets away in a little over half an hour, I’ll be here to take you through the first half of the day before throwing to Daniel Harris for the second. Let us know your thoughts, theories and festive musings at the email on the left hand side of this page.

It’s the most crickety time of the year.