Righto, that’s us done for today – but join us again tomorrow from 10am BST, for England’s reply. It promises to be another ripper, but in the meantime check back for our report, which’ll be up shortly.
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Oh, and...
A bit of reading for you:
When all’s said and done – when this match is long forgotten - we’ll still be talking about Marizanne Kapp’s immense knock of 150 off 213 – to do that, from the position she was in, is extremely special. “Absolutely brilliant,” Kate Cross tells Sky, noting how well she manouevered the ball and how hard she and her mates had to work for their wickets. They’ve not used the duke’s ball for long, but have worked out that there’s always a good delivery in it, so there’s no need to search for it. She also mentions the weirdness of being out there without Shrubsole and Brunt, whose emotional speech before play got the team going.
And that, apparently, is stumps!
We were meant to have a hundred overs today, but maybe because it’s past 6pm, they’ve ended a brilliant first day right as we’re buzzing for the end of it. But worry not: tomorrow soon come.
WICKET! Mlaba b Cross 8 (South Africa 284 all out)
Full, straight, timber.
92nd over: South Africa 284-9 (Sekhukhune 9, Mlaba 8) Finally, Cross gets her go with the newish ball, and deploying a lesson she might’ve learnt from her captain, Mlaba frees arms to swipe a wide one, going hard enough so that he thick edge zooms over the cordon and to the fence for four.
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91st over: South Africa 280-9 (Sekhukhune 9, Mlaba 4) There’s not much happening off the pitch here, which I guess is good news for England given they’ll soon be batting on it. The sun and wind have helped, drying out the square and the outfield, but there might be rain this time tomorrow – let’s hope not. Anyhow, Sciver, who’s bowled well today, ploughs through another maiden, her sixth, and almost snags Sekhukhune with a fuller one, but an inside edge does just enough to prevent both bowled and lb.
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90th over: South Africa 280-9 (Sekhukhune 9, Mlaba 4) Bell finds some inswing, then Mlaba’s pad; there’s an appeal, but also an inside edge. So next, Bell tries for the corridor, only for Mlaba to greet her with an extra cover drive for four; that’s a lovely shot.
89th over: South Africa 276-9 (Sekhukhune 9, Mlaba 0) Sciver replaces Wong and is immediately into her groove before switching to around with two slips, a gully and a short leg. We then cut to Brunt in the crowd, hollering advice with another fresh pint in hand, while our commentators wonder if South Africa will fancy a go at England’s openers tonight; if so, they’ll have to lose this last wicket soon, because there are only 11 overs left in the day. Maiden.
88th over: South Africa 276-9 (Sekhukhune 9, Mlaba 0) My system crashed while I was describing that wicket, but Mlaba sees out a wicket maiden – though she survives an appeal for lb, the ball again going down.
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WICKET! Kapp c Beaumont b Bell 150 (South Africa 276-9)
WHAT A GRAB! Kapp drives, looking to go over the infield, but Beaumont leaps right to snaffle a screamer, two-handed an in mid-air. Kapp, though, is furious with her paltry total, offering instruction to Sekhukhune before stalking off playing the shot over the top for four that she intended. That was an astounding innings, and it took an astounding catch to finish it.
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87th over: South Africa 276-8 (Kapp 150, Sekhukhune 9) Kapp strokes the first ball to the cover sweeper, opting not to expose Sekhukhune to five balls of Wong by taking a single. But when she does similar, she raises her 150– oof madone, this is an innings – because there might be two on; there are not. We learn from our commentators that Mithali Raj was the last women to score a Test 150 against England, and that was in 2002, which tells you just what a ridiculous effort this is.
86th over: South Africa 275-8 (Kapp 149, Sekhukhune 9) That was a better over from Bell, and a maiden.
REVIEW! NOT OUT!
Missing the top of leg - you could see off stump on impact.
REVIEW!
I’d be shocked if this is out.
86th over: South Africa 275-8 (Kapp 149, Sekhukhune 9) Knight opted to bowl cross just before the new ball, meaning she’s schlepped through 17 overs today. However I don’t think it’ll be long before we see her again because this pair are ensconced and England haven’t looked especially like dismissing them. You can see by her increasingly animated gestures and leaves that Sekhukhune is enjoying herself, but when Bell goes around, she wears one on the pad. It looked like it was going well down to me, and the umpire rejects the eventuating appeal.
85th over: South Africa 275-8 (Kapp 149, Sekhukhune 9) Wong tries going fuller and finds a little bit of swing in the process, Kapp opting to leave alone one just outside off, then going at a wider one and missing before ignoring one you expect her to smash. But when one appears on her stumps, forcing her to play, she shimmies feet out of the road to drive four through mid off. Can Bell now make the most of an over at Sekhukhune?
84th over: South Africa 271-8 (Kapp 145, Sekhukhune 9) Kapp is looking to score, picking out fielders at the start of the over before getting just part of a straight drive; the ball drops safe, they run one, and are negotiating the new rambutan pretty well. England need something.
83rd over: South Africa 270-8 (Kapp 144, Sekhukhune 9) In all the rhapsodising of Kapp – believe, she’s earned it – I’ve not noted Sekhukhune’s solidity, which has been impressive. And have a lool! As I type that, Wong slings down another full toss that looks to have slipped out of the hand but was probably an attempted yorker – she’s got to stop that – Sekhukhune simply opens the face, using the pace to eases four through point. The partnership is now 43 off 53.
82nd over: South Africa 266-8 (Kapp 144, Sekhukhune 5) Lauren Bell takes the new ball from the other end, and after a decent start delivers one directly into the slot, Kapp hitting with the line over midwicket for four. Then, when Bell does similarly – it’s another half-volley, a bit straight but still eminently cartable, she smites four more over the same area.
81st over: South Africa 258-8 (Kapp 136, Sekhukhune 5) It’s Wong who gets the new ball, and that’s a nice, positive decision from Knight – she’s quick and on a debut buzz, augmented by the belting catch she just held, plus she’s also the kind of personality who makes things happen. And she starts with a jaffa, jagging away from Kapp’s forward push and only just clearing the stumps. Two more dots follow, then a single to square leg gives Sekhukhune two balls to survive; the first is leg-side so she goes to pull, missing but gloving four to finest leg – Jones should’ve stopped that, I think – then does really well to dig out a yorker. That had a bit of tail on it too, I think, and Kapp v Wong sounds like the duel we all need to schlep us through the end of our working days.
80th over: South Africa 253-8 (Kapp 135, Sekhukhune 1) What I’ve especially enjoyed about Kapp’s innings is how comfortable she looks hitting wherever the gap is. She prefers the off side, but when Ecclestone directs one towards her pads, she glances it away for four to deep backward square with minimum fuss and maximum prejudice. A single follows, Sekhukhune sees away two dots, and South Africa are cruising ... but here comes the new stone.
79th over: South Africa 248-8 (Kapp 130, Sekhukhune 1) Lamb flights one that Kapp drags to deep square; they run one. The new ball is due on one more over, and I’m sure England will take it.
78th over: South Africa 247-8 (Kapp 129, Sekhukhune 1) Ecclestone offers air, so Kapp drops into the offside and runs; this is great stuff, especially given South Africa were 84-4 at lunch. With Sekhukhune on strike, England put in a silly point, a short leg and a short midwicket, and she splices the first ball she faces in the over, but it misses short leg, then the final delivery is defended well enough/
77th over: South Africa 246-8 (Kapp 128, Sekhukhune 1) Lamb into the attack, and after Sekhukhune gets off the back with a square drive for one, she again zetzes down the ground, this time over the bowler’s head, for four. A single follows, and an acceptable total is slowly turning into a more than useful one.
76th over: South Africa 240-8 (Kapp 123, Sekhukhune 0) Ecclestone, who I thought would bowl until the new globule, returns; I wonder if she’ll try and tempt Kapp out. She was tossing them up in her previous spell and starts this doing the same, then she tries a drag down dart ... and Kapp goes at it, edging hard for four. So Ecclestone slights another ... and Kapp goes down on one knee to launch a brilliant slog-sweep towards wide long-on for a one-bounce four. What a knock this is – and it’s getting better!
75th over: South Africa 232-8 (Kapp 115, Sekhukhune 0) Oooh yeah, Kapp absolutely cleanses the first ball of Cross’ over through cover for four, a serious statement of superiority. A single to square leg follows, and whatever happens from here – the new ball is due in five overs – she’s taken her team from disaster to competitive.
“@DanielHarris: @GregHerbert @danbrettig Most of the best catches originate from classic misjudgment #heartinmouth boundary catches
— Matthew Hayden AM (@HaydosTweets) November 14, 2014
WICKET! Jafta c Wong b Cross 4 (South Africa 227-8)
So many of the best catches from misjudgements, and when Jafta goes to work Cross to leg, she instead imparts a leading edge that soars towards cover. Wong looks to have walked past it, but just as it seems that the chance is gone, she arches her back, hurls back a hand, and catches superbly.
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74th over: South Africa 227-7 (Kapp 110, Jafta 4) Cross offers width so Kapp flashes, edging just clear of Sciver in the gully. Kapp looks like she’ll take on anything outside a fifth-stump line and England’s field now reflects that, two slips, a gully, cover and mid off.
73rd over: South Africa 226-7 (Kapp 109, Jafta 4) Kapp turns around the corner for one, giving Jafta four balls to face – perhaps the solid and composed way she’s played since coming in has convinced her captain she can be trusted. And, shonuff, she sees out the over.
72nd over: South Africa 225-7 (Kapp 108, Jafta 4) Cross has two slips as she tears in at Jafta, then we cut to the great Katherine Brunt, chilling in the stands with her mates, pint in hand. It’s lovely to see – not many have done more to earn their retirement. I daresay she’d fancy a go at Jafta were she not otherwise engaged, but again, the batter plays out a maiden comfortably enough.
71st over: South Africa 225-7 (Kapp 108, Jafta 4) Davidson-Richards is bowling better now than she did this morning, cracking Jafta on the knee a second time. But when the appeal’s rejected, there’s no review because, like the overturned dismissal, the ball was going down. Jafta then drives nicely through the covers for three, and when Kapp defends a dot, prepares to face another over.
A maiden Test hundred for Marizanne Kapp!
70th over: South Africa 222-7 (Kapp 108, Jafta 1) This is such an innings, the captain rescuing her team from embarrassment with an absolutely sensational performance. She gets there from the first ball of the over, Cross replacing Ecclestone and offering width ... which sees hands thrown and ball flying over slip. Kapp raises her bat, salutes the dressing room and smiles as you might, then clatters four more through backward point by way of celebration ... then goes again, edging an attempted cut to the fence at third man! She’s played some lovely drives today, but this over, from which she scored 12, was all about backing your eye to go hard enough so that if you don’t middle it, it flies to the rope anyway.
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69th over: South Africa 210-7 (Kapp 96, Jafta 1) Misfield! And it takes Kapp to 95! She drives elegantly to cover, but straight to Lamb ... who allows it through her legs for four! Eeesh, I feel for you old mate, we’ve all been there. A single follows, then Jafta, squared up by Davidson-Richardcs, edges to second slip where Ecclestone either drops it or can’t get hand underneath it because it’s just shy of her. Her reaction tells us she thinks it was a drop, but looking at a replay, I think she did everything she could.
68th over: South Africa 205-7 (Kapp 91, Jafta 1) Jafta sees this over away pretty well, getting well down the track when she can as Ecclestone twirls through a second straight maiden; after a loose – for her – period after tea, she’s back on her game now.
67th over: South Africa 205-7 (Kapp 91, Jafta 1) I’m not sure Kapp thinks much of Jafta’s batting because she’s trying to force things now, chasing a wide one as per De Klerk, but missing. So she pulls to deep square, where Cross times her dive well to field – they run one – then we learn that Jafta rates herself more than does her captain, turning to the on side for the single that retains the strike.
66th over: South Africa 203-7 (Kapp 90, Jafta 0) Ecclestone gets a full over at Jafta, who’s not played for a while. She looks comfy enough, though, until the final ball of the over which is tossed up; it dips, Jafta misses, and wears it on the pad, but after a conference, there’s no review when the eventuating appeal is rejected. Maiden.
65th over: South Africa 203-7 (Kapp 90, Jafta 0) That’s a very good over, the ball moving both ways, and Davidson-Richards fully deserved her debut wicket, in the process justifying her captain’s decision to use her at so crucial a juncture. She’ll feel like a Test player now.
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Yup, it was going down leg, narrowly missing the top corner of the leg bail.
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The kneroll hit is a false friend, I think, because Jafta isn’t a tall woman, but was the ball going down?
WICKET! Jafta lbw b Davidson-Richards 0 (South Africa 202-8)
Two in two and a golden on Test debut for Jafta! She’s pinned in front, hit on the kneeroll, and eventually the finger goes up.
WICKET! De Klerk c Jones b Davidson-Richards 9 (South Africa 202-7)
Goodness me, it’s going to be a long night of the soul for Nadine de Klerk who, on debut, has ended a useful stay at the crease by chasing a wide one – if we’re being generous, there was a hint of away-swing – and edging behind.
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65th over: South Africa 202-6 (Kapp 90, De Klerk 9) Better from Davidson-Richards, who goes for stumps, finds pad ... but too high up.
64th over: South Africa 202-6 (Kapp 90, De Klerk 9) Kapp really is a serious player, and when Ecclestone overpitches – so many of South Africa’s runs today have come because of such infraction – she’s absolutely mullered through extra cover for four, moving into the 90s in the process.
63rd over: South Africa 198-6 (Kapp 86, De Klerk 9) It’s Davidson-Richards, who tries a bouncer that Kapp pulls. It’s not a great shot, but there’s no one underneath it so it drops safe at deep midwicket and they run one, then De Klerk hits to a similar area only this time they run two – that’s excellent from the new batter hauling her tired captain through.
62nd over: South Africa 195-6 (Kapp 85, De Klerk 7) This is a colossal session and England start it with their best bowler, but it’s an expensive one by Ecclestone’s august standards, three singles coming from it. But who will get the sphere at the other end?
Off we go again...
61st over: South Africa 192-6 (Kapp 83, De Klerk 6) Cross is chucking everything at this as England chase a seventh wicket before tea, but she overpitches an effort-ball so Kapp wallops it through the covers for four, then pulls over square leg for a single. Cross, though, responds well, a scrambled seamer inducing a fence from De Klerk, who misses and chastises her frivolity thereafter. Five off the over and that is tea, Kapp offering her mate some advice as they make their way off. See you again in 15.
60th over: South Africa 187-6 (Kapp 78, De Klerk 6) What’s especially excellent about this Ecclestone spell is that she’s now got a slip, a silly mid off and a silly mid on, meaning there are lots of spaces both in front of and behind the wicket, which the batters just can’t find. The fielders know it too, upping the energy and volume as Ecclestone completes her fourth consecutive maiden.
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59th over: South Africa 187-6 (Kapp 78, De Klerk 6) It’s Cross to continue, and when Kapp eases to to backward point for one, she adds a slip for De Klerk. But De Klerk has started with great composure, playing away a couple of dots before driving towards long off for another single. I didn’t see who was on the fence, but her dive saved a boundary.
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58th over: South Africa 185-6 (Kapp 77, De Klerk 5) Ecclestone is bowling beautifully here – I daresay she’s in for a long spell in the evening – and Kapp just can’t work out how to score off her currently. She hustles through another maiden, and if England can maintain pressure from the other end, you’d expect them to find more joy.
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57th over: South Africa 185-6 (Kapp 77, De Klerk 5) Unsurprisingly, Wong finds herself thanked and sent off for a graze, Cross replacing her; she looks pretty happy with life nonetheless, as one who’d just made their Test debut and taken their first Test wicket on the first morning might. She’d have fancied a full over at De Klerk though, who’s not had much strike since coming in ... but when Cross overpitches, she’s straight to the pitch and driving past mid on for four. A single follows, and the partnership is already 24.
56th over: South Africa 180-6 (Kapp 77, De Klerk 0) Kapp cuts to the fielder point and there was probably a single there, but she opts to retain strike, Ecclestone cramping her into defending through another maiden. This is an excellent spell, but if it could furnish itself with a wicket, England would be much happier approaching tea.
55th over: South Africa 180-6 (Kapp 77, De Klerk 0) After a bye, Wong sends down a bouncer that sits up and offers Kapp some width; she doesn’t need asking twice, cutting hard over point for four. And oh dear, two balls later comes a full toss that might’ve slipped out the top of the hand; again, Kapp deals with it summarily, whacking hard down the ground for four off the bowler’s finger. A single follows, and these first two overs of Wong’s spell have gone for 19.
54th over: South Africa 170-6 (Kapp 68, De Klerk 0) A spinner able to take first-innings wickets is such a boon, and Ecclestone has all the skills to become that – following another maiden, she’s now 8-3-12-1.
53rd over: South Africa 170-6 (Kapp 68, De Klerk 0) Wong returns and Kapp plays her down through mid off for two, then pulls a leg-side ball for two more; Bell, who tapped it back from boundary, divd awkwardly, but she’ll be fine, and when Wong sends down another loose one, full to the point of slot, it’s stroked to the fence at long off. A single follows, then a full toss flung past leg stump, making that a poor over with 10 from it – though Wong has been impressive on d’boo.
52nd over: South Africa 161-6 (Kapp 58, De Klerk 0) The partnership was 72, but South Africa needed more from it and England will now fancy themselves to polish this innings off forthwith.
WICKET! Bosch c Lamb b Ecclestone 30 (South Africa 161-6)
Nlljndlknalkjn! Is roughly what Anneke Bosch will be thinking because she’s played a cut to one that maybe bounces more than she expected, so ends up top-edging a dolly to point. All that hard work, for that.
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52nd over: South Africa 161-5 (Kapp 59, Bosch 30) Eccclestone has a short leg in now, but Kapp doesn’t seem bothered, carving a single to cover.
51st over: South Africa 160-5 (Kapp 58, Bosch 30) Kapp turns Sciver off the hips for two, then picks out midwicket next ball; no matter. She’s still looking to score, and when she get a wider one that’s in the slot, she thrashes it through cover for four. That’s a fine shot and a single follows to make it seven from the over.
50th over: South Africa 153-5 (Kapp 51, Bosch 30) Pressure is building as Ecclestone wheels in, and Bosch just can’t get her away, forced to defend when you feel her desire to keep it moving seeping through the screen. And as I write that, she throws hands at one that’s not far from her off peg, connecting well enough but picking out mid off. That’s three maidens in a row.
49th over: South Africa 153-5 (Kapp 51, Bosch 30) Sciver beats Kapp’s attempted drive and Jones whisks off the bails, but the batter was back. This is excellent stuff, maintaining pressure despite a settled partnership, and that’s another maiden.
48th over: South Africa 153-5 (Kapp 51, Bosch 30) Ecclestone completes her maiden, probing with loop and length. There’s not much turn in the track nor is there expected to be, but the tightness of her line and the bounce her height allows her to extract means she still looks a threat.
REVIEW! NOT OUT!
Bosch managed an inside edge onto the pad, and given I didn’t see it live on replay, that’s a terrific bit of umpiring.
48th over: South Africa 153-5 (Kapp 51, Bosch 30) Ecclestone finds some bounce, clips Bosch on the inside pad but a fairly high up, and when the umpire says no, Heather Knight says review!
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47th over: South Africa 153-5 (Kapp 51, Bosch 30) Sciver’s bowled well today, which is probably why she’s been allowed two slips and a short mid on, and this is another decent over. Bosch takes a single to backward square – the only run from the over – then Kapp is beaten , playing inside a length ball sent down the channel.
46th over: South Africa 152-5 (Kapp 51, Bosch 29) Thanks Daniel and afternoon everyone. I doubt I’m the only one celebrating what is, at the start of this over, a 59-run partnership – we all want to see a context, and these two batters are doing their best to give us one. For that reason, Heather Knight reintroduces Sophie Ecclestone into England’s attack and Kapp goes back to her second delivery, guiding four to the cover fence; that raises a tremendous 50, but there’s no big celebration because the job has only just started.
45th over: South Africa 148-5 (Kapp 47, Bosch 29) Sciver is also guilty of getting too straight and is easily picked off by Bosch who has looked in great touch. That’s her fifth boundary and means South Africa win that post-lunch hour.
That’s drinks and that’s me done for the day. Will leave you in the safe hands of my fellow Daniel who’ll see you to stumps.
Catch you tomorrow.
44th over: South Africa 143-5 (Kapp 47, Bosch 25) That’s a 50 run stand for this crucial sixth wicket. Davidson-Richard is being handled with comparative ease. Bosch takes a single before Kapp takes a couple. Kapp takes a single before Bosch hammers one through midwicket. All those runs were scored on the on-side. I get the wicket to wicket approach but something’s got to change.
43rd over: South Africa 135-5 (Kapp 44, Bosch 20) The fours keep coming. This ones’ edged though between slip and gulley by Kapp who is forced into a false stroke by the guile of Sciver. Nice areas there.
You OK Taunton?
Outfield here at Taunton is VERY slow. Ball keeps totally dying before it gets anywhere the boundary. #ENGvSA
— Raf Nicholson (@RafNicholson) June 27, 2022
42nd over: South Africa 131-5 (Kapp 40, Bosch 20) Bosched! Up and over a wide mid-on. Davidson-Richards is too short and Bosch helps herself. A safe shot as she’s fully in control and that’s a statement of intent. The Saffas aren’t going to go in a hole and nurdle their way through this.
41st over: South Africa 127-5 (Kapp 40, Bosch 16) Sciver replaces Cross. just a single from this stingy bowler who has been completely unwilling to spread the joy between the teams. Bosch goes for a flamboyant drive with some flashy hands but doesn’t time it and must settle for one wide of mid-off.
Some clarity on Issy Wong’s connection to the invention of the ‘slow-left-arm-wrist-spin’.
No. Achong was neither a wrist-spinner nor the cricketer responsible for the term 'chinaman' being used to describe a bowling action. Chinaman as a bowling action term predates Achong. https://t.co/Y7Dm8DZ4LI
— C. S Chiwanza (@CSChiwanza) June 27, 2022
40th over: South Africa 126-5 (Kapp 40, Bosch 15) Three from this Davidson-Richards set. A dinked single through cover point for Bosch and Kapp, whose beaten by a nibbler around the off peg, steers another one backward of square for two 37 between them. Keep batting!
Kapp on the drive is a joy. She’s ticking along here. SA need her to go big, bigly!
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39th over: South Africa 123-5 (Kapp 38, Bosch 14) Is that the shot of the day? It’s a belter. There’s a bit of width but it’s only just drivable. Kapp leans into it, unleashes her hands and times it to perfection. It skips across the practice wickets as shot from a cannon. Glorious.
Oh, it’s also one two three four five. Which is always nice, isn’t it?
38th over: South Africa 119-5 (Kapp 34, Bosch 14) Alice Davidson-Richards is welcomed to the attack by a crashing drive from Bosch. Delightful batting on the front foot as she slaps this past point. I’m almost reluctant to say it, given that I’ve jinxed two previous partnerships, but this one’s looking good.
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37th over: South Africa 114-5 (Kapp 33, Bosch 10) CRUNCH! That’s a beaut from Kapp. Cross bangs one in short. To be fair, it’s a half decent bumper and Kapp has to play it front of her nose. But oh boy, does she ever! She belts this in front of square and takes four.
She takes a single next ball (one for the ‘proper cricket’ fans) and Bosch then steers another boundary to deep third.
36th over: South Africa 104-5 (Kapp 28, Bosch 6) A sliced boundary off the back foot from Kapp brings up three figures for South Africa. That is an achievement given they were staring down the barrel at 45-4. It’s from the outside half of the bat so gets the cordon interested, but it was a loose ball and was rightly dispatched.
Bell over-pitches her next one and is punched down the ground for three. Seven more for Kapp who is South Africa’s best hope now.
35th over: South Africa 97-5 (Kapp 21, Bosch 6) Two runs are squirmed through the off side but Cross won’t mind as Bosch is driving on the up. She’s mostly in control of it. Mostly.
34th over: South Africa 95-5 (Kapp 21, Bosch 4) Bell is tall and hoops the ball, so it makes sense that she’s sometimes tempted to dig it in short or look for that miracle delivery that bends round corners. But when she keeps it simple she’s a delight. Nice tight lines on a probing lenght that brings the batters forward. That’s a quality over that offers nothing for Kapp. A maiden as the pressure builds once again.
33rd over: South Africa 95-5 (Kapp 21, Bosch 4) Is it just me or do the women get through their overs a lot quicker than the men? This one from Cross motors along and is over in no time. It helps that she gives nothing away, until the final ball when Bosch steers one beyond point fro a couple.
32nd over: South Africa 93-5 (Kapp 21, Bosch 2) A couple for Kapp who navigates an attempted bumper from Bell, but there’s not enough pace on it so the Saffa swivels and gets it between deep backward square and fine leg. Bell sees her folly and keeps it up for the rest of the set, extracting some decent carry from back of a length.
31st over: South Africa 91-5 (Kapp 19, Bosch 2) Cross gets the breakthrough with some delicious bowling. Luus might have negated the swing a little better, perhaps getting closer to the ball with her stride, but it’s late movement that does the trick and Sciver’s sharp grab only heightens the quality of the wicket.
New batter Anneke Bosch has only played 18 internationals but is listed as a batting all-rounder on her Cricinfo bio. So she’ll be expected to support Kapp and drag her team to somethething respectable. Though that’s a long way off. She does take two behind square to get off the mark and settle the nerves.
Wicket! Luus c Sciver b Cross 27 (South Africa 89-5)
Wonderful bowling from Cross. Full, drawing Luus forward before shaping it away from her, this takes a thick edge which flies low to Sciver’s left at third slip. Smart catch too.
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30th over: South Africa 89-4 (Luus 27, Kapp 19) That’s one way to start a session. Bell serves a wide one, but it’s hardly a half-volley. Kapp throws here hands at it and creams a gloriously flowing drive for four. Two more, one each for Kapp and Luus, gets things going nicely for the Saffas.
We’re back. Right then. South Africa 83-4. Luus and Kapp building after early wobbles. Tasty session coming up.
Lunch: South Africa 83-4 (Luus 26, Kapp 14)
South Africa will feel a little better about things than they did at 45-4, but this was still England’s morning.
A wicket each for Kate Cross (probing with the new ball), Lauren Bell (who hooped it round corners), Issy Wong (who got the big fish Laura Wolvaardt) and Nat Sciver (perhaps the pick of the bunch).
Skipper Sune Luus and veteran Marizanne Kapp are rebuilding but will need to kick on. One, or both, must go big if South Africa have any hope of a meaty total.
I’m off for a bite. Enjoy your nibbles. Let’s catch up after the break.
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29th over: South Africa 83-4 (Luus 26, Kapp 14) And that’s lunch. A 38 run partnership has somewhat evened the contest after the tourists werre faltering at 45-4, but England are still well on top.
They could have been further in front had Luus been caught off the first ball of this Wong over. The youngster found the edge but it flew through the cordon. Neither Cross nor Ecclestone fancied it on their respective weaker sides.
The rest of the over is uneventful but does end with a slower ball, a rare thing in red-ball cricket.
28th over: South Africa 79-4 (Luus 22, Kapp 14) The Saffas are playing Ecclestone well here. Nothing too troubling as we meander to lunch. Three taken from this one. Would like to see Ecclestone give it more air, perhaps. Just to draw the batters out and do something they don’t want to do.
27th over: South Africa 76-4 (Luus 21, Kapp 12) Get some of that! Kapp getting into her work now and she hammers a short(ish) ball from Wong off the back foot square of the wicket. Wong fights back and finds a tick edge that goes wide of the cordon for two. Handy partnership developing now.
South Africa will take all the help they can get right now.
presumably jesus will now guide marizanne kapp to 300 runs
— fan of unions (@iggigg) June 27, 2022
26th over: South Africa 70-4 (Luus 21, Kapp 6) Ecclestone is just a lovely bowler to watch. Uncomplicated, knows what she’s about, gives it a rip when necessary. There’s a reason why she’s number 1 in ODI and T20I cricket. A single to Kapp is all she allows, though can be thankful to some acrobatic fielding in the covers (from Bell, I believe) who saves three runs from Kapp’s firm drive.
25th over: South Africa 69-4 (Luus 21, Kapp 5) Change of ends for Wong. Which is nice for me as I get to watch her action from front on. Down on her earlier pace (at least to my eye) but a lot tighter. Good lengths throughout the set means Luus and Kapp can only take a single each to end the set.
24th over: South Africa 67-4 (Luus 20, Kapp 4) Time for some spin as Sophie Ecclestone enters the scene. She likes bowling to South Africans and will have strong memories of the 6-36 she collected in the World Cup semi-final in March.
He first twirl goes for three. All to Luus who clips a two and a single through the on-side.
23rd over South Africa 64-4 (Luus 17, Kapp 4) Phew, what a jaffa that was! Sciver cuts Luus in half with a back of a length nipper. It goes past everything, all the way for four byes.
Just to underline that this is a strange sport, Luus then unleashes the shot of the day, drilling her back foot punch for four through the covers.
A single to finish means nine runs are taken from the eventful over.
“I wound up following the CWC 2019 final on the OBO from the dancefloor of Circus, a small, grimy, very loud club in central Tokyo. I think Iglooghost was DJing, and the bemused Japanese clubbers around me couldn’t understand why I kept cheering during the wrong bits of all the songs he played. Was a vibe, though” - says Tom Banham. I was there at Lord’s and no one had any idea what was going on either.
Izzy Wong joins an illustrious list.
Today, 20 year old Issy Wong makes her England Test debut against South Africa. She joins a very short list of international cricketers of Mandarin (or Chinese) heritage. The most prominent was WI's Ellis Achong, whose bowling style gave us the term "chinaman" pic.twitter.com/UCAwyEfYWi
— Sreshth Shah (@sreshthx) June 27, 2022
22nd over: South Africa 55-4 (Luus 12, Kapp 4) That’s more like it. You can’t stand there and just take the pressure. When it’s loose, give it a whack and that’s what Kapp does to a rare short one from this Bell spell. Clattered backward of point to get off the mark.
21st over: South Africa 50-4 (Luus 11, Kapp 0) Another maiden from Sciver. Her third from five overs. That’s two in a row from England who have conceded just six runs from five overs, taking two wickets to boot. They call it a ‘Test’ for a reason. The Saffas are learning this the hard way.
20th over: South Africa 50-4 (Luus 11, Kapp 0). A maiden for Bell. A consequence of the scoreboard pressure as well as her improved radar since her return. Gone are the hooping loose ones down the leg side. She’s tight and straight at the stumps with just enough shape back in to keep the batters honest.
19th over: South Africa 50-4 (Luus 11, Kapp 0). Sciver’s most expensive over goes for five, all to Luus. One back-foot punch through the covers for two and bunt down the ground for three. Still, this is testing times for the Proteas. Their skipper is digging in and she’s got the veteran Kapp alongside her. If they can just get to lunch...
18th over: South Africa 45-4 (Luus 6, Kapp 0) It’s a wicket an over at the minute. Bell comes back into the attack with lessons clearly learned from her previous spell. It might also be swinging less which helps as she can start on a straighter line. She’s also aided by Lee’s transgression. Either way, England in the driver’s seat. One more and they might roll the Saffas for under 100.
Still think so, Raf? To be fair to our correspondent, this was tweeted when Steyn and Woolvaardt looked immovable. Funny how things change.
Been saying for about 10 years that you should always bat first in a four-day women's Test.
— Raf Nicholson (@RafNicholson) June 27, 2022
And every single time... 😂
Wicket! Lee lbw Bell 0 (South Africa 45-4)
They’re falling like dominoes now. Bell is back into the attack and she hoops one into Lee is in a poor position to navigate it. With her head falling over she has no choice but to play round her pads. The batter’s review is struck down and the on-field decision stays.
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17th over: South Africa 45-4 (Luus 5, Lee 0) England all over their guests here. Two bowled and one lbw shows the secret of their success. Lizelle Lee is a renowned basher against the white ball but she’ll have to dig deep to drag her team from the brink. Easier said than done with Sciver bowling like that. Another maiden. She’s 3-2-2-1 so far.
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Wicket! Goodall lbw Sciver 10 (South Africa 44-3)
Sciver deserves that. Her first ball of her third over is a nibbler on a good length on a tight line and it pings Goodall whose playign back to that. Umpire Sue Redfern says ‘not-out’ but the English are convinced. They review and wouldn’t you know it, it’s banging into the stumps. Godall’s gotta go.
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16th over: South Africa 44-2 (Goodall 10, Luus 5) Wong is full, then back of a length, then full, then slightly short. A little up and down. Goodall with one to start and Luus to end with two.
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15th over: South Africa 41-2 (Goodall 9, Luus 3) Sciver is just so accurate. She’s giving nothing away and would have had a second consecutive maiden but for a text-book punch through a vacant mid-off for two from Luus. England are keeping it full, as they should. Probing and challenging stuff.
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But were you there in spirit, Ewan? Take note from Mr McDonald. This is how you pack in a lot of narrative into a short space:
“Hi Daniel. Two of my fondest cricketing memories are Laxman’s 281 and Brian Lara’s great series against Australia in 1999. Of course, I didn’t see a ball of any of this and followed it all on Ceefax.”
Hope we can create some new memories together over here.
14th over: South Africa 39-2 (Goodall 9, Luus 1) That’s drinks. But not before Luus takes a single to get off the mark. Wong is wild across six balls that I’m not sure even she knew where they were going. It’s fast and fiery though and the skipper won’t mind. “Just run up and rip it,” will be the message.
Now, where’s that drink?
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13th over: South Africa 38-2 (Goodall 9, Luus 0) The Proteas need to rebuild after losing both openers. Nat Sciver comes in and doesn’t concede a run with her first over, making this game look so much easier than it actually is. Little movement too, back in to the lefty Goodall.
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12th over: South Africa 38-2 (Goodall 9, Luus 0) A massive moment for the young Wong, who picks up a memorable first wicket. South Africa were just starting to nudge in front with a parthership that looked rock solid. But Wong’s full delivery goes through Wolvaardt’s big drive. Skipper Sune Luus comes out with a job on her hands.
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Wicket! Wolvaardt b Wong 16 (South Africa 38-2)
That is the big fish! The prized scalp! The one they all wanted. And it’s gone to the 20-year-old on debut, Izzy Wong.
Having just been punched down the ground for a couple, Wong keeps it full and castles Laura Wolvaardt. Was there an inside edge? My colleague next to be doesn’t think so. Clean through the gate as Wolvaardt goes looking for a big drive. England on top now.
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11th over: South Africa 36-1 (Wolvaardt 14, Goodall 9) That’s a lovely shot back past the bowler from Goodall. Cross responds with a peach that squares the batter up, reminding her that she’s in a contest. A cracking little narrative is developing between these two. But that’s six on the bounce for Cross. She might need a breather soon.
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Why did I do that? You don’t need to read the report to know that Andrie Steyn was bowled leaving the ball. Just look at this picture. We’ve all been there, haven’t we?
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10th over: South Africa 32-1 (Wolvaardt 14, Goodall 5) Now then. Izzy Wong, the 20-year-old tearaway is into the attack. She starts with a howitzer wide of the off stump but it’s noticeably quicker than anything that’s come before.
There’s another loose one, this time down the leg side and Laura W tucks it for four. Still, a buzzing first foray for the youngster.
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Where is everyone? John wants to know: “Morning, Dan. It seems a bit odd to be starting a Test match on a Monday, when the weekend would be the better option for attendance. What is the crowd like at Taunton? Are there many there and are they joining in in some way? There’s probably no equivalent of the Barmy Army but I could be wrong.”
That is a great question. Not too sure to be honest. But there’s a handy smattering of folks around and a vocal group of kids away to my right. Hopefully more file in.
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9th over: South Africa 27-1 (Wolvaardt 10, Goodall 5) Cross is so tidy. Around that off stump line, bringing the batter forward. She misses out on a second maiden as Goodall check-drives down the ground for one off the final ball. But that’s a really good set from Cross.
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8th over: South Africa 26-1 (Wolvaardt 10, Goodall 4) Spanked through backward point. Phew, Wolvaardt is a joy to watch, isn’t she. She gives this loose one the treatment. Bell offering one hit-me ball an over currently.
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Key event
7th over: South Africa 21-1 (Wolvaardt 6, Goodall 3) Goodhall’s off the mark with a neat tuck off her hips. Cross is, well, cross with herself with three slips and a gully hovering. ring field elsewhere.
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6th over: South Africa 20-1 (Wolvaardt 6, Goodall 2) Wolvaardt’s drive – for my money the best in the game – is starting to unfurl. She pings one through mid-off for a couple and another into a gap through cover for another two.
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5th over: South Africa 16-1 (Wolvaardt 2, Goodall 2) First ball pelted for four through point off the back foot. Second ball closer to the stumps. Third ball crashes into the furniture with Steyn shouldering arms.
That’s the boom and bust nature of Test cricket. Success for Cross who now has a left-hander Lara Goodall to contend with. The new batter edges her first ball through the cordon. Funny what a wicket can do.
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Wicket! South Africa 14-1 (Steyn b Cross 8)
Steyn’s been cleaned up leaving one that she shouldn’t have. After getting belted through point having bowled a half-tracker, Cross pitches this one up and brings it in a touch. Bails go flying and that’s the first wicket of the summer for England.
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Take a quick walk down memory lane with Peter Hall:
“July 1965. I was a small boy in the back of a Morris 1000 going on holiday with my parents. No car radio, so my job was to keep a small primitive transistor radio tuned to the cricket commentary by varying its position as we motored to the West Country: not an easy task! Nevertheless we heard Truman take his 200th wicket against West Indies. One of my earliest and greatest cricket memories.”
That’s lovely, cheers Pete.
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4th over South Africa 10-0 (Steyn 4 , Wolvaardt 2) Bell’s struggling with her radar here. She’s got long levers, nicknamed “The Shard”, according to TMS. But it’s all over the show, conceding four byes down leg. Ooo, but when she gets it right she’s a handful, angling it bat into the right hander. She thuds Steyn’s front leg and a big appeal is turned down.
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3rd over: South Africa 4-0 (Steyn 3, Wolvaardt 1) A maiden from Cross. Lovely areas around the top of off. Steyn is watchful, as she should be with the ball moving ever so slightly away. Good stuff that.
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For those interested you can follow the live commentary on TMS over here.
2nd over: South Africa 4-0 (Steyn 3, Wolvaardt 1) It’s Lauren Bell from the Marcus Trescothick End and she’s a touch loose. Perhaps some jitters. her first is a floaty hal-volley that Wolvaardt drives - imperiously - to point and they squirt a single. The next is a spongy half tracker that is scrambled through gully for another one. Things get a little tideier and there’s a big shout for lbw, but it’s always rising over.
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1st over: South Africa 2-0 (Andrie Steyn 2, Laura Wolvaardt 0) Kate Cross begins from the River End and she’s on the money immediately. Starts on a good line around the off peg and also wraps Steyn on the pads. She gets a little straight and is clipped nicely through midwicket for a couple.
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Clouds are gathering. It looked like a tricky toss to win when the sun was out a few minutes earlier. It’s quickly morphed into what seems like a bowling paradise. England will fancy this. There is, however, a certain Laura Wolvaardt to contend with. She’s the big wicket, that’s for sure.
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Teams
Debutants aplenty for both teams.
For England, Lauren Bell, Alice Davidson-Richards, Emma Lamb and the exciting 20-year-old quick bowler Izzy Wong pull on the whites for the first time.
For the Saffas, Andrie Steyn, Laura Wolvaardt, Lara Goodall, Sune Luus, Anneke Bosch, Nadine de Klerk, Sinalo Jaffa, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nonkululeko Mlaba all play their first Test. Though that’s to be expected as the Proteas last took part in this grand old format back in 2014.
Toss: England win and have a bowl
Heather Knight has won the flip of the coin and decided. “Looks a good, hard pitch, but if we’re going to get anything out of it it will be this morning,” she says. Sune Luus, the South African skipper, is happy to bat and can’t wait to get stuck in: “It’s an amazing opportunity for South African women’s cricket. We’ve got nine debutants to excited to get going.”
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Everyone’s a newbie of sorts
John Price makes a great point: “I have read one or two comments that debutants ‘haven’t played much red ball cricket’. I think that is misleading – there is no women’s two innings cricket in the country outside Test level whatsoever. So debutants will have played precisely nil. I think that is the point about the problem with women’s Test match cricket. Tests are supposed to be the pinnacle of the first class game. If there is no first class game, it becomes something on an anomaly – skills, style of play etc are not developed to this format.”
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Preamble
Good morning, dumela, sawubona, goeie more, howzit!
Welcome to the start this one-off Test between South Africa and England. There’s cloud and gloom overhead here in Taunton but I can tell you that bright, illuminating anticipation blankets the County Ground. Days like don’t come round very often. The South Africans last played a Test back in 2014 and the English have only donned the whites on six occasions in that time. The inequities in the game are plain to see, but those battles are for another time. The next four days are for celebrating.
The Saffas are without a clutch of their golden generation. Speedster Shabnim Ismail, metronome Ayabonga Khaka and big hitter Chloe Tryon were ruled out yesterday. They join regular skipper Dane van Niekerk on the spectators list.
England embark on a new chapter themselves. They start a Test without either Anya Shrubsole or Katherine Brunt. That’s 421 international wickets, in case you were wondering.
Play starts at 11am BST, toss is at 10.30am. My name is Daniel (but you can call me Dan). I’m delighted to be making my OBO debut. Do drop me a line on Twitter @danielgallan or email me on daniel.gallan.freelance@theguardian.com. Catch you in a few.
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