The match was another glimpse into an exciting future for England. Two 17-year-olds, Alice Capsey and the debutant Freya Kemp, were especially impressive. Capsey, promoted to No3, hit four consecutive boundaries in a cameo of 25 from 17 deliveries, and then Kemp bowled nervelessly to take two for 18 from three overs.
Sophie Ecclestone was also terrific: she hammered 33 from 12 balls and picked up a couple of wickets. At the age of 23, she’s one of England’s senior players.
ENGLAND WIN BY 38 RUNS
WICKET! 20th over: South Africa 138-6 (Tryon b Ecclestone 14) Sophie Ecclestone bowls Chloe Tryon with the last ball of the match, and indeed the series. It completes another impressive performance from this vibrant England side, who have beaten South Africa 14-2 in the multiformat series.
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19th over: South Africa 129-5 (Tryon 7, Tucker 5) An attempted slower ball from Wong flies down the leg side for four wides, and then Tryon crashes a one-bounce four through midwicket. Wong her spell ends with slightly unjust figures of 4-0-40-1; it’s all part of the learning curve.
18th over: South Africa 116-5 (Tryon 1, Tucker 4) A misfield at extra cover gives Tucker a boundary off Kemp’s last ball. Even so, her figures are the stuff of dreams on debut: 3-0-18-2.
WICKET! South Africa 111-5 (Brits c Ecclestone b Kemp 59)
A second wicket for Freya Kemp! Brits chipped a slower ball towards long on, where Ecclestone took an accomplished running catch. Kemp’s composure and confidence, especially in her use of the slower ball, have been so impressive.
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17th over: South Africa 109-4 (Brits 57, Tryon 0) The new batter Chloe Tryon is a brilliant hitter, but 68 from 18 balls is beyond even her.
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WICKET! South Africa 109-4 (du Preez c Capsey b Glenn 15)
A wicket for Sarah Glenn. Mignon du Preez, who’d clipped the previous ball nicely for four, slapped a short one straight to Alice Capsey on the edge of the circle.
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16th over: South Africa 102-3 (Brits 56, du Preez 9) The match and the series are petering out. Brits pulls Sciver through Glenn at short third for a couple, though it was more a nasty bounce than a misfield. It’s another boundaryless over, and South Africa need 75 from 24 balls.
15th over: South Africa 98-3 (Brits 52, du Preez 8) Brits drive Wong for a single to reach a good half-century from 48 balls, and then du Preez belts a boundary past mid-on.
Wong is so exciting to watch but there will always be days when pace bowlers are expensive. This is one of them: despite bowling pretty well, she has figures of 3-0-28-1.
14th over: South Africa 88-3 (Brits 49, du Preez 2)
WICKET! South Africa 84-3 (Wolvaardt LBW b Ecclestone 13)
A classic left-arm spinner’s dismissal. Wolvaardt misses a sweep at a ball from Ecclestone that straightens to hit her in front of middle stump. She reviewed the decision but it looked plumb, and replays confirmed as much.
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13th over: South Africa 84-2 (Brits 47, Wolvaardt 13)
12th over: South Africa 75-2 (Brits 46, Wolvaardt 5) One 17-year-old replaces another, with Alice Capsey coming on for Kemp. It’s another good over, yielding only four singles for South Africa. They need snookers, aka 102 from 48 balls.
11th over: South Africa 71-2 (Brits 44, Wolvaardt 3) Glenn almost skids one through Brits, who just manages to underedge a sweep for a single. Four from the over. The required rate is getting out of control for South Africa, who have only managed one boundary since the Powerplay.
10th over: South Africa 67-2 (Brits 42, Wolvaardt 1) Nat Sciver brings herself into the attack, and she almost gets a wicket when Brits’ leading edge falls just short of Dunkley, charging in from the cover boundary. The ball bounces through her and away for four.
That’s drinks. South Africa need 110 from 60 balls. With that, good luck.
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9th over: South Africa 57-2 (Brits 35, Wolvaardt 0) Freya Kemp is barely 17 years old, and she already has her first wicket in international cricket. What were you doing at that age?
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WICKET! South Africa 57-2 (Bosch st Jones b Kemp 17)
Freya Kemp gets her first wicket for England! She has Amy Jones to thank for a quite brilliant stumping when Anneke Bosch was beaten by a short ball angled across her. But it was also a terrific over from Kemp, full of variations in pace, trajectory and angle.
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8th over: South Africa 54-1 (Bosch 16, Brits 33) After another boundaryless over, this time from Ecclestone, the required rate is indeed above 10. England’s bowlers are doing an efficient job here.
7th over: South Africa 48-1 (Bosch 15, Brits 29) The legspinner Sarah Glenn comes into the attack. Her first ball goes straight through Brits and bounces right over the top of middle stump. No wicket, but a really good first over - only four from it, and the required rate is about to go above 10.
6th over: South Africa 44-1 (Bosch 13, Brits 28) Brits continues to pepper the boundary, chipping Brunt confidently over mid-on. It’s the start of an eventful over that includes a big LBW appeal (outside the line) and a bouncer that beats Brits’ hook and is beautifully taken by Jones, who is standing up to the stumps.
5th over: South Africa 39-1 (Bosch 13, Brits 23) Brits is beaten for pace by consecutive deliveries from Wong. The first takes a thick edge and races away for four; the second goes past the bat and through to Jones.
Brits drives a low full toss whence it came for four and then top edges a pull that goes through the hands of the diving Kemp at deep backward square. The ball runs to the boundary, which makes it an expensive over - 14 from it. That’s harsh on Wong, who induced at least three false strokes.
4th over: South Africa 25-1 (Bosch 13, Brits 10) Sophie Ecclestone, who belted 33 not out from only 12 balls, is into the attack. Brits comes down the track to drive stylishly over mid-on for a one-bounce four.
The over ends with a run-out review, but Brits was safely home.
3rd over: South Africa 19-1 (Bosch 12, Brits 5) The 17-year-old debutant Freya Kemp, a talented left-arm seamer and lower-order hitter, comes into the attack. Imagine her internal monologue right now. I suppose in the year 2046 it will be available on the red button.
Bosch drags a boundary over midwicket, though it wasn’t a bad delivery and there are no signs of any first-over nerves. And Kemp almost takes her first wicket when Brits mistimes a drive that just evades Brunt running back from mid-off.
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2nd over: South Africa 11-1 (Bosch 7, Brits 2) Katherine Brunt, who made her England debut when Issy Wong was two years old, shares the new ball. Bosch and Brits both steer singles to third, and then Bosch back cuts the first boundary of the innings. Nicely done.
1st over: South Africa 5-1 (Bosch 2, Brits 1) We are going to have all sorts of fun watching Issy Wong over the next decade. She almost gets a second wicket when Bosch edges wide of slip for a single.
WICKET! South Africa 3-1 (Goodall b Wong 2)
What a jaffa from Issy Wong! She has cleaned up the dangerous Lara Goodall with the fourth ball of the innings. It was a full-length inswinger that beat Goodall all ends up and pegged back the middle stump.
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Innings break
South Africa need 177 to win after another punishing batting display from England. It would be a record chase for them, and the third highest in WT2oI history.
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20th over: England 176-6 (Brunt 8, Ecclestone 33) Sophie Ecclestone has smashed 26 off the final over! It was a nightmare for Masabata Klaas, starting with a wide full toss that was sliced over cover for four. The next ball slithered under short fine leg for another boundary, and then Ecclestone smacked a huge six over midwicket.
Ecclestone square drove the penultimate ball for four, and finished the innings in style with a monstrous pick up over square leg. Six more, and she finishes with 33 off just 12 balls. Poor Klaas has X-rated figures of 4-0-62-1.
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19th over: England 150-6 (Brunt 8, Ecclestone 7) The captain Tryon saves two runs with a spectacular swooping stop at long-off. There’s nothing anyone can do when Ecclestone launches the next ball, a slower one, over midwicket for four.
18th over: England 141-6 (Brunt 8, Ecclestone 0) Brunt scrunches a cover drive for four to complete an expensive over, even with the wicket. Thirteen from it, and Klaas hoofs the turf in disgust.
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WICKET! England 137-6 (Jones c Brits b Klaas 28)
Jones hammers Klaas for two boundaries in three balls but falls looking for another. She pulled straight to deep square leg, where Tazmin Brits took a comfortable catch. That was an excellent, hard-hitting cameo from Jones: 28 from 18 balls.
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17th over: England 128-5 (Jones 20, Brunt 3) Jones swings Tucker to long-on for four, with the ball bouncing over Khaka on the boundary. She gets four more down the ground off the final delivery, this time with the aid of a misfield from Khaka.
16th over: England 115-5 (Jones 10, Brunt 1) Replays show that Khaka has been denied a wicket, because the ball did come off Bouchier’s bat before it was caught by Jafta. I suppose Bouchier knew she was out, which is why she was so slow in grounding her bat.
WICKET! England 114-5 (Bouchier run out 18)
Khaka’s first ball is pinged sweetly over midwicket for four by Bouchier. That made a lovely sound off the bat.
Alas, she is run out in strange circumstances later in the over. She came down the track to Khaka, with the looping into the hands of the keeper Sinalo Jafta. Bouchier was so transfixed by the appeal for caught behind - which was given not out - that she forgot to ground her bat. By the time she remembered, it was too late: Jafta whipped off the bails and Bouchier was out for 18 from 17 balls.
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15th over: England 108-4 (Jones 10, Bouchier 12) Bouchier, who has started perkily, sweeps Mlaba past short fine leg for her first boundary. Eight from Mlaba’s final over, and she finishes with admirable figures of 4-0-22-3.
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14th over: England 100-4 (Jones 8, Bouchier 6) Jones gets her first boundary, reverse-sweeping Tryon over short third man for four. A handful of singles make it a much better over for England.
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13th over: England 92-4 (Jones 3, Bouchier 3) Jones and Bouchier are taking a few minutes to regroup. Just four singles from Tucker’s over, which means the last 13 deliveries have brought six runs and two wickets.
13th over: England 92-4 (Jones 3, Bouchier 3) Jones and Bouchier are taking a few minutes to regroup. Just four singles from Tucker’s over, which means the last 13 deliveries have brought six runs and two wickets.
12th over: England 88-4 (Jones 1, Bouchier 1) Amy Jones and Maia Bouchier are the new batters.
WICKET! England 86-4 (Wyatt b Tryon 30)
Two wickets in two balls! Wyatt has yorked herself, trying to hit Chloe Tryon inside out through the off side, and South Africa are right back in the game.
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11th over: England 86-3 (Wyatt 30, Jones 0) Mlaba is having a day out in Derby: 3-0-14-0.
WICKET! England 86-3 (Sciver b Mlaba 24)
Three wickets for Nonkululeko Mlaba! Nat Sciver misses a pull at a delivery that skids on to hit middle stump, and she’s out for a run-a-ball 24.
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10th over: England 80-2 (Wyatt 28, Sciver 22) A short ball from Tryon is smashed to cow corner by Sciver for the 12th boundary of the innings. England are on course for an imposing total. That’s drinks.
9th over: England 75-2 (Wyatt 28, Sciver 17) Sciver hammers Tucker for four, and then Wyatt is dropped. She hammered a sweep towards deep midwicket, where Klaas put down a sharp two-handed chance to her right.
8th over: England 68-2 (Wyatt 27, Sciver 11) Danni Wyatt has been starved of the strike but she is still rattling along. She times Klass past short third man for four, a classy shot that is followed by a hearty cut for two. Wyatt has 28 from 18 balls, Sciver 11 from 12.
7th over: England 61-2 (Wyatt 21, Sciver 10) Wyatt clouts Delmi Tucker’s second ball back over her head for six, though the fielder (Bosch I think) almost took a sensational running catch. She got a touch on the ball as she stretched to her left but could only push it onto the sponge.
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6th over: England 53-2 (Wyatt 14, Sciver 9) Another bowling change, the fifth of the innings, with Khaka returning to the attack. She’s getting her usual inswing, and Sciver works a couple behind square to bring up the England fifty.
5th over: England 47-2 (Wyatt 12, Sciver 5) Excellent stuff from Mlaba, who has figures of 2-0-10-2. The rest have combined figures of 3-0-34-0.
Sciver is not out! It was just missing leg, and Sciver survives.
WICKET? Sciver LBW b Mlaba 4 The stand-in captain Nat Sciver sweeps her first ball for four with the minimum of fuss - but then she’s given out after missing a pull! I thought that was missing leg stump, and Sciver has reviewed.
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WICKET! England 41-2 (Capsey c Tryon c Mlaba 25)
Alice Capsey’s charming cameo is over. She charged the new bowler Mlaba and mistimed a drive towards mid-off, where Chloe Tryon took a good catch. Capsey goes for an eye-catching 17-ball 25, and Mlaba has struck with the first ball of both spells.
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4th over: England 41-1 (Wyatt 12, Capsey 25) Chloe Tryon brings herself into the attack, and ruins an otherwise good over with a rank long hop that Wyatt launches over extra cover for four.
3rd over: England 34-1 (Wyatt 7, Capsey 23) An inswinger from the new bowler Ayabonga Khaka is tucked fine for four by Capsey, who has charged to 23 from 12 balls. This is her first innings for England, at the age of 17, and she’s batting like this. The phrase “I don’t understand the youth of today” doesn’t have to be a lament. Capsey’s batting is charming, infections and entirely alien.
Wyatt, who bats like this all the time, slaps another boundary over the covers. England are off to a flyer.
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2nd over: England 20-1 (Wyatt 2, Capsey 17) Masabata Klaas shares the new ball - and Alice Capsey hits her for four consecutive boundaries! This is sheer delightful batting from a 17-year-old whose fearlessness made her one of the stars of last year’s Hundred.
The boundaries were all round the ground, too: over mid-on, over backward point, a drive between extra cover and mid off and then a pull over short fine leg. Wonderful stuff.
1st over: England 4-1 (Wyatt 2, Capsey 1) The 17-year-old Alice Capsey has been promoted to No3. She didn’t bat on her debut at Worcester on Saturday, and she gets her first run in international cricket with a sweep.
Danni Wyatt then charges Mlaba and edges through the vacant slip region for a couple.
WICKET! England 0-1 (Dunkley c Wolvaardt b Mlaba 0)
Sophia Dunkley has gone first ball! She sliced a flighted delivery from the left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba towards backward point, where Laura Wolvaardt took a good low catch. There was a little bit of extra bounce, and I think that’s what did for Dunkley.
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The players are out. There was a bit of a rain earlier in Derby but it looks a pleasant, if blustery, evening. Let’s play!
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It’s just not cricket
Tomorrow night, there is an extremely important association football match at Bramall Lane. Here’s Louise Taylor’s preview.
Team news
The left-arm seamer Freya Kemp, who only turned 17 in April, will make her England debut. Issy Wong also returns to the side, with Bryony Smith and Freya Davies dropping out.
South Africa are without Sune Luus and Shabnim Ismail; their replacements are Tazmin Brits and Nonkululeko Mlaba.
England Dunkley, Wyatt, Sciver (c), Jones (wk), Bouchier, Capsey, Brunt, Ecclestone, Kemp, Wong, Glenn.
South Africa Brits, Goodall, Bosch, Wolvaardt, du Preez, Tryon (c), Tucker, Jafta (wk), Klass, Khaka, Mlaba.
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England win the toss and bat
The England captain Nat Sciver has won the toss. South Africa also have a stand-in captain, with Chloe Tryon covering for the unwell Sune Luus.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the last game of a surprisingly one-sided series, and a chance for England to complete a white-ball whitewash. They’ve won five out of five so far, most of them at a canter. With last month’s one-off Test match ending in a draw, the score in this multiformat series is England 12-2 South Africa.
It’s not just the victories that have made this such a feelgood series for England. A number of young players have emerged or excelled: Alice Davidson-Richards*, Emma Lamb, Issy Wong, Charlie Dean, Alice Capsey, Lauren Bell and the increasingly brilliant Sophia Dunkley.
Parting is such sweet sorrow for cricket fans, especially when it involves the slow break-up of a legendary team like the 2017 World Cup winners. But all of a sudden England’s future - and their prospects in the upcoming Commonwealth Games - look pretty bright.
England will be without Heather Knight tonight - she has a hip problem - so Nat Sciver will captain the side. We’ll have the rest of the team news, and the toss, at 6pm.
* Yes, yes, I know she’s 28, so not that young in cricketing terms, but she scored a century on Test debut FFS! Objection overruled.
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