South Africa v England: women’s Test cricket international, day two – live
Key events
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
