Key events
66th over: England 307-4 (Sciver-Brunt 108, Jones 6) Sciver-Brunt nurdles behind and they take a single to the keeper; no, in fact it’s a leg-bye. Jones then drives for one, but really these Luus overs are just setting up the next from Mlaba.
65th over: England 305-4 (Sciver-Brunt 108, Jones 5) Again, Mlaba finds dip and bounce, beating Jones, who retorts with a whack down the ground, the bowler just unable to pull off a spectacular c&b. England’s spinners will fancy the turn this track is offering now.
64th over: England 301-4 (Sciver-Brunt 108, Jones 1) Sciver-Brunt taps to cover, raising England’s 300 in the process, and a further single follows, Jones off the mark to deep midwicket, then Mlaba dives to cut off one that looks set to provide more runs; she’s the main character out there, for now at least.
63rd over: England 299-4 (Sciver-Brunt 107, Jones 0) Has Mlaba found something? She sends down another beauty first up to Jones, landing on a length and ripping across Jones, whose soft-handed edge drops just short of slip.
WICKET! Wyatt-Hodge c Jafta b Mlaba 14 (England 299-4)
It’s a procession! And this is a delectable delivery, dipping, gripping and bouncing across Wyatt-Hodge, who edges … and Jafta has to sort out her footwork at the same time as hanging on, just.
62nd over: England 299-3 (Sciver-Brunt 107, Wyatt-Hodge 14) Luus continues, her front-on style looking eminently hittable. But this isn’t a bad over, Wyatt-Hodge’s push to cover the only run from it.
61st over: England 298-3 (Sciver-Brunt 107, Wyatt-Hodge 13) Mlaba to continue after tea and Sciver-Brunt shoves her second delivery to cover for one. Wyatt-Hodge then adds one more, before NSB turns around the corner for four. Four balls, six runs, and this is not the start SA will have planned; ultimately, they don’t have the players to back up their intentions.
We go again…
We’ll be back in 15 or so, so to tide you over until then, given we’re in South Africa, here’s my pick of the year’s Afrobeats and amapiano.
60th over: England 292-3 (Sciver-Brunt 102, Wyatt-Hodge 12) Luus will bowl the final over before the interval and it’s relatively tidy, a single and a leg bye completing a session in which England scored 189 off 33 overs; rrrridiculous. Already, this match looks set.
59th over: England 290-3 (Sciver-Brunt 102, Wyatt-Hodge 11) A single to Sciver-Brunt and two to Wyatt-Hodge, then Mlaba drops short, giving Wyatt-Hodge all the time she needs to thread through cover for four, the minor pressure England were under released. A two and a one, both to Wyatt-Hodge, follow; that’s 10 off the over, and we’ll have one more before tea.
58th over: England 280-3 (Sciver-Brunt 101, Wyatt-Hodge 2) SA have, for the first time in a while, put a bit of a break on the scoring; this latest Luus over yields just one, Sciver-Brunt to midwicket yet again.
57th over: England 279-3 (Sciver-Brunt 100, Wyatt-Hodge 2) Five dots from Mlaba, then Wyatt-Hodge gets off the mark with a sweep around the corner for two.
WICKET! Bouchier c Luus b Mlaba 126 (England 277-3)
Mlaba tosses one up, Bouchier throws hands, and Luus leaps to hold a decent snaffle over her head. SA needed that as much as anyone has ever needed anything, but what a knock that was.
55th over: England 277-2 (Bouchier 126, Sciver-Brunt 100) On the hoardings around the ground, there’s an advert for Woza Nawe, which of course puts to mind the absolute banger below. A single to each batter keeps England motoring, then Sciver-Brunt has time to go backwards, forwards then backwards again, turning Luus around the corner and that’s her century! Off 97 balls! She’s the first woman ever to hit 100 Test runs off fewer than 100 balls.
55th over: England 272-2 (Bouchier 124, Sciver-Brunt 97) Mlaba, who’s been off getting treatment on a groin issue, returns having taken some tap in her first spell. England will, you imagine want to put her under further pressure – it’s not beyond the realms they score 500 today – and shonuff, as I type Bouchier lofts over mid-off for four. This is almost painful to watch.
54th over: England 266-2 (Bouchier 119, Sciver-Brunt 96) A single to Sciver-Brunt, then three dots before Bouchier chases one down leg, making sure to get a piece of it and adding yet another four through fine leg. That was not the best delivery Luus has bowled.
53rd over: England 261-2 (Bouchier 115, Sciver-Brunt 95) A single to Sciver-Brunt, then Bouchier chases a bouncer, the ball dropping just short of Tryon at deep square. And it’s been a while – in context – so after a dot, she again flows four through midwicket because she can, then adds another one. A Test-match ton is almost hers.
52nd over: England 254-2 (Bouchier 114, Sciver-Brunt 89) Eeesh, Sciver-Brunt sweeps Luus’ first ball to the fence at deep backward square, where Sekhukhune should cut off but cannot, England’s last 100 runs have come seven an over, and when they add two further singles, they raise their 150 partnership; it’s come off 148 deliveries. Another single, this time to Sciver-Brunt, completes the over, and this is almost cruel now.
51st over: England 247-2 (Bouchier 113, Sciver-Brunt 83) When it’s against you, it’s against you. Another good ball from De Klerk, fourth-stump line, and Sciver-Brunt edges, missing her own leg-stump by fibres … and adding four. It’s really windy out there now, which I guess suggests rain might be coming, and after a single, Bouchier flogs just past the dive of mid off for four. A wide follows, and that’s 10 off the over already; I say already because, as I type, England’s centurion has time to wait for one that sits up and she pulls to the fence at long leg, where the fielding is unawesome. Thirteen off the over.
50th over: England 233-2 (Bouchier 105, Sciver-Brunt 78) Bouchier is content to let Sciver-Brunt take the initiative which makes sense – she’s been out there in the heat a good few hours now. She takes a single to mid off, Sciver-Brunt does likewise to long off, they then add one more each, and Luus just doesn’t seem to have anything to trouble these. England are in total control.
49th over: England 229-2 (Bouchier 103, Sciver-Brunt 76) SA turn to pace, De Klerk returning and soon finding herself turned towards the midwicket fence, because Sciver-Brunt has again pulled to it. De Klerk, though, responds with a nut, moving off the seam away from the bat; that’s the first time a delivery has been so good in a fair while. Some potential comfort, though: there’s an 80%, 90% and 70% chance of precipitation over the next three hours.
48th over: England 225-2 (Bouchier 103, Sciver-Brunt 72) Another quieter over, just the five singles from it, which tells you all you need to know about the kind of day SA are enduring.
47th over: England 220-2 (Bouchier 101, Sciver-Brunt 69) A quieter over, Sciver-Brunt taking a single down the ground. SA will take any comfort they can.
46th over: England 219-2 (Bouchier 101, Sciver-Brunt 68) I don’t even know what to tell you: Sciver-Brunt ruthlessly thrashes Tryon, who’s having a trying day, through her favourite midwicket area for four, tales a single to cover … and Bouchier opens shoulders, disbursing a gorgeous late cut through third for four. That’s her debut ton and we see her dad on his feet and applauding. Admittedly I was in the discotheque last evening, but my eyeballs might be lightly sweating. What a moment! What a knock! Sky should depute someone to chat to him immediately.
45th over: England 210-2 (Bouchier 97, Sciver-Brunt 63) Sciver-Brunt flicks to midwicket and they race through for a brace, then add one more. SA badly need something, problem being they’ve already looked everywhere and found nowt.
44th over: England 207-2 (Bouchier 97, Sciver-Brunt 60) Tryon is getting tried on, Sciver-Brunt pulling a drag-down through midwicket for four. There’s then some chuckling as she gets the sightscreen where she wants it, before a dot and four more, this time wide of mid on. England are having their way with SA, and after a further single, Bouchier edges fo mo, her first runs in a few overs and she’s now within one hit of a ton in her first Test.
43rd over: England 194-2 (Bouchier 93, Sciver-Brunt 51) Luus comes into the attack post-drinks and this is a daunting challenge; Sciver-Brunt has a look at one, then takes a big step forward and hauls around the corner to the fence. That’s her 50, off 46 deliveries, and she looks impregnable out there. What a cricketer she is! She then twizzles the last ball of the over to mid on, so retains the strike.
Thanks Taha and good morning everyone. On the one hand, England are cutting loose and South Africa are in trouble; on the other, add two wickets to where we are now…
42nd over: England 189-2 (Bouchier 93, Sciver-Brunt 46) Tryon is loose, and Sciver-Brunt is happy to cash in. It’s seven off the over, with this partnership at 86 off just 87. And that’ll be all from me, with Daniel Harris stepping up.
41st over: England 182-2 (Bouchier 93, Sciver-Brunt 39) And the carnage resumes, with Bouchier moving to 93 with a pumping hit down the ground … for six!
40th over: England 171-2 (Bouchier 87, Sciver-Brunt 34) Nearly a chance as Bouchier advances against the spin of Chloe Tryon, but fails to clear mid-on. The ball bounces just short of the fielder, allowing the opener an escape.
39th over: England 169-2 (Bouchier 86, Sciver-Brunt 33) Some respite for South Africa, with just one conceded.
38th over: England 168-2 (Bouchier 85, Sciver-Brunt 33) Sciver-Brunt’s power is hurting Mlaba, who concedes two more boundaries, with England going at sixes across the last 10 overs. Dominant work from the visitors since losing Knight after the break.
37th over: England 156-2 (Bouchier 84, Sciver-Brunt 22) Bouchier is just having the greatest time out there. She punches and pulls away Dercksen for a couple more boundaries, but the best closes the over: a straight drive that nearly flattens the bowler.
36th over: England 144-2 (Bouchier 72, Sciver-Brunt 22) Spin enters the game, courtesy of Nonkululeko Mlaba’s left-arm tweak. Sciver-Brunt attacks early, driving through the off side for four before pulling a long hop to go to 20. There’s turn off the pitch with the next delivery, but Sciver-Brunt watches it closely to tidily dab it behind point.
35th over: England 134-2 (Bouchier 72, Sciver-Brunt 12) Dercksen has taken on Hlubi’s enforcer role, but her bouncer to Bouchier is swatted away for yet another boundary. An outside-edge from the final ball of the over doesn’t carry to the slip cordon.
34th over: England 127-2 (Bouchier 66, Sciver-Brunt 11) Sekhukhune is going stump-to-stump but that benefits Bouchier when she goes a touch too straight; for the gazillionth time today, the opener discards the ball off her pads to the ropes for four.
33rd over: England 123-2 (Bouchier 62, Sciver-Brunt 11) Dercksen returns to produce a maiden against Sciver-Brunt.
32nd over: England 123-2 (Bouchier 62, Sciver-Brunt 11) Bouchier swings wonderfully over extra cover for four … and is pinned on the pads next ball by Sekhukhune! It’s a huge appeal but the finger stays down. A very, very decent shout, though the ball could’ve been sliding down leg. Again, a reminder that there’s no DRS in this game.
31st over: England 118-2 (Bouchier 58, Sciver-Brunt 10) Hlubi is trying to bring some short-ball havoc to the contest, but Bouchier does brilliantly to ride the bounce with the final ball of the over, guiding behind point for four.
30th over: England 113-2 (Bouchier 54, Sciver-Brunt 9) South Africa seem to be getting a bit of a squeeze going … until Sciver-Brunt shows off her authority, as one of the best in the world, clipping through the leg side for four. She nearly offers point a catch with the next ball, but it drops short.
29th over: England 108-2 (Bouchier 54, Sciver-Brunt 4) The lively Hlubi takes up the action from the other end, conceding just one.
28th over: England 107-2 (Bouchier 54, Sciver-Brunt 4) Nat Sciver-Brunt is gifted a misfield off her first ball, a fumble at mid-on allowing the straight drive to run away for four. Sekhuhkhune is making things happen, though.
WICKET! Knight lbw Sekhukhune 20 (England 103-2)
And we’re back, with Tumi Sekhukhune bowling … and she strikes with the third ball after the break! She gets a bit of nip back into the right-hander and the front pad is struck, the decision pretty simple.
Such is the way of the modern world, the players in this Test match are currently being auctioned off for the Women’s Premier League in India. Bouchier and Knight have gone unsold, while Nadine de Klerk has joined Mumbai Indians for 30 lakh (£28,000).
Lunch
27th over: England 103-1 (Knight 20, Bouchier 54) Hlubi thunders in for the final over of the session, but the immaculate Bouchier is unfazed. It’s England’s morning, courtesy of the opener’s half-century.
