We’ll have a report from Adam Collins on the site shortly. That’s it for today’s blog. Thanks for your company, do join us for the second ODI on Tuesday – and/or for the men’s ODI between Scotland and England tomorrow. Goodnight!
Here’s the South African captain Dane van Niekerk “What can I say? It was close to a perfect performance. I couldn’t ask for better than that opening spell of bowling. We were a bit down after Katherine’s knock but I felt the wicket got a lot quicker. I felt I had to play my natural game with the bat and we had a lot of fun out there. England are a very good team and we know they’ll come back at us on Tuesday.”
The England captain Heather Knight speaks! “I think it was a 50/50 call at the toss. They bowled very well but we had a few soft dismissals. We were short with the bat. Katherine was outstanding; she’s a genuine all-rounder now. Hopefully we’re still developing as a team. We haven’t had a great day today but we have the chance to put it right on Tuesday.”
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England will reflect on a loose batting performance, particularly in the first 15 overs, which left them chasing the game. They had a sniff after a couple of early wickets but Lizelle Lee and Dane van Niekerk batted supremely.
SOUTH AFRICA WIN BY SEVEN WICKETS WITH 27 BALLS TO SPARE!
45.3 overs: South Africa 193-3 (Lee 92, du Preez 36) That’s it! Lee slog-sweeps Marsh for six to complete a thumping win for South Africa. They outplayed England completely and would have won by an even greater margin but for the defiant batting of Katherine Brunt.
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45th over: South Africa 187-3 (Lee 86, du Preez 36) A wide slower ball from Gunn is blazed over extra cover for four by Lee. She has struck the ball so cleanly throughout the innings. South Africa need three to win.
44th over: South Africa 180-3 (Lee 80, du Preez 35) Ten to win.
43rd over: South Africa 177-3 (Lee 78, du Preez 34) A fine shot from du Preez, who pulls Brunt smoothly for four to bring up the fifty partnership. A dragged pull brings four more, and the last ball of the over is driven beautifully down the ground for two. Brunt ends with figures of 10-2-31-1.
42nd over: South Africa 167-3 (Lee 78, du Preez 24) Lee has an almighty heave at Marsh, dragging the ball back onto her body. England went up for LBW but there was a clear inside edge. Just one run from a good over.
41st over: South Africa 166-3 (Lee 78, du Preez 23) Brunt, who has two overs remaining, returns to the attack. A loose stroke from du Preez flies over backward point for one, another moment of frustration for England. This match is over.
40th over: South Africa 163-3 (Lee 77, du Preez 21) Sarah Taylor misses a stumping chance! I’ve seen it all now. du Preez charged Marsh and missed, but the partially unsighted Taylor could not take the ball cleanly.
“How definite is ‘definite’ (34th over)?” says Smylers. “CricketHer, at the ground, is claiming the catch was good, despite how it looked on TV.”
(The catch was good tho - I'll go to my grave on that - TV replay was misleading - she held it.)
— CRICKETher 🏏 (@crickether) June 9, 2018
39th over: South Africa 155-3 (Lee 76, du Preez 15) Gunn strays onto leg stump and is dragged around the corner for four by the superb Lee. She could still make her second ODI hundred: she needs 24, with 35 points remaining on the table.
38th over: South Africa 151-3 (Lee 72, du Preez 14) Laura Marsh returns to the attack. An entirely forgettable over yields two runs. South Africa need 39 from 72 balls.
37th over: South Africa 149-3 (Lee 71, du Preez 13) Jenny Gunn replaces Sophie Ecclestone (10-0-32-0), and du Preez cuffs her down the ground for four more. It wasn’t the cleanest strike but once it cleared mid-on it raced away.
36th over: South Africa 144-3 (Lee 70, du Preez 9) du Preez gets her first boundary, crashing Shrubsole through the covers. Shrubsole ends a good spell of bowling with figures of 10-0-36-2. It looks like there will be no miracle today.
35th over: South Africa 137-3 (Lee 70, du Preez 3) The wicket of Lee would have given England a chance of slowly asphyxiating South Africa’s lower middle order. While she is at the crease, it’s hard to see South Africa losing this game.
34th over: South Africa 136-3 (Lee 69, du Preez 2) It would be presumptuous to say Brunt cheated by claiming that catch. It’s possible she knew the ball had grazed the floor, though that’s far from certain as it did end up cleanly in her hands. It certainly wasn’t as bad as, say, Steve Waugh against Brian Lara in 1994-95.
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NOT OUT! South Africa 136-3 (Lee not out 68)
Yes, the ball definitely touched the ground and Lee is returning to the middle.
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Is Lee about to be reprieved? There’s a bit of controversy here, because replays suggested Brunt may have grassed that catch and South Africa have told Lee to stay on the field. The umpires have now decided to go upstairs.
WICKET! South Africa 135-4 (Lee c Brunt b Shrubsole 68)
England need a wicket now, ideally Lee, so there’s no point holding Shrubsole back. And she’s got the key wicket! Lee drove high to long off, where Brunt dived forward to take a superb catch!
33rd over: South Africa 135-3 (Lee 68, du Preez 2) Good stuff from Ecclestone, who beats du Preez in the flight to end another thrifty over – two from it. South Africa need 55 from 17 overs. Should.
32nd over: South Africa 133-3 (Lee 67, du Preez 1) Shrubsole, who has bowled excellently in this second spell, seams another beauty past du Preez’s outside edge. du Preez eventually gets off the mark from her 13th delivery.
31st over: South Africa 131-3 (Lee 66, du Preez 0) Lee swipes Ecclestone for a sweet straight six! That’s another belting stroke from Lee, who looks good for a second ODI hundred.
30th over: South Africa 124-3 (Lee 59, du Preez 0) Shrubsole, who is not familiar with the concept of the lost cause, is making a lot of noise in an attempt to gee England up. She beats Lee outside off stump with a clever cutter; Lee responds with a glorious chip over mid-off for four. Shot! While she is at the crease, South Africa will feel comfortable.
29th over: South Africa 119-3 (Lee 54, du Preez 0) Ecclestone returns and bowls a good over, just one from it. England will try to squeeze the new batter du Preez and see what happens. South Africa need 71 from 21 overs.
28th over: South Africa 118-3 (Lee 53, du Preez 0) Since you asked, India were 191 for three chasing 229 in the World Cup final, so England have a pretty powerful precedent to use as inspiration.
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WICKET! South Africa 118-3 (van Niekerk b Shrubsole 58)
Shrubsole gives England a bit of hope, bowling van Niekerk with a lovely slower delivery. She tried to glide it to third man but was beaten for lack of pace. It ends a high-class innings: 58 from 79 balls with 10 fours and one six.
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27th over: South Africa 114-2 (Lee 53, van Niekerk 54) Lee waves Brunt through backward point for four to bring up a calm, controlled half-century, her 16th in ODIs. This will be a huge win for South Africa, who have lost 19 of their last 20 completed ODIs against England. They have improved so much in the last few years.
26th over: South Africa 109-2 (Lee 49, van Niekerk 53) Anya Shrubsole is back in the attack. There’s no point England saving their best bowlers for the death overs, as there probably won’t be any. A good over goes for just a single. In other news, Ultra-Edge suggests there was a slight inside-edge from Lee before that LBW appeal in the previous over.
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25th over: South Africa 108-2 (Lee 49, van Niekerk 52) Brunt has a desperate LBW shout against Lee turned down by Tim Robinson. I’m pretty sure there was an inside edge. There was certainly a noise, though it may have been bat on pad, and it would have been very close if Lee didn’t hit it.
24th over: South Africa 106-2 (Lee 48, van Niekerk 50) van Niekerk hammers Marsh for consecutive boundaries to reach a very accomplished fifty from just 61 balls. She has played some beautiful strokes, particularly through the covers and backward point.
23rd over: South Africa 96-2 (Lee 47, van Niekerk 42) Brunt returns to the attack, with England in urgent need of a wicket. No sign of that, but she does restore a bit of order with some accurate wicket-to-wicket bowling.
22nd over: South Africa 95-2 (Lee 47, van Niekerk 41) Lee lifts Marsh high over mid-off for four, a superb stroke that takes South Africa halfway to their target of 190. They are cruising to victory.
21st over: South Africa 87-2 (Lee 39, van Niekerk 41) In isolation this has been a fine spell from Ecclestone (6-0-20-0), but in the context of the match it probably isn’t enough for England. There’s a lot to like about her though, particular the variations in flight.
20th over: South Africa 86-2 (Lee 38, van Niekerk 41) Laura Marsh replaces Nat Sciver and almost strikes when van Niekerk mishits a reverse sweep onto the knee of Sarah Taylor. I don’t know whether that goes down as a dropped catch; it probably does for somebody as good as Taylor.
19th over: South Africa 80-2 (Lee 37, van Niekerk 37) Lee, beaten in the flight by Eccelstone, drags the ball this far wide of leg stump. That was a lovely bit of bowling from the impressive Ecclestone.
18th over: South Africa 77-2 (Lee 35, van Niekerk 36) Another blistering cut from van Niekerk brings four more off Sciver. England are starting to look resigned to defeat. In fairness, van Niekerk in particular has played beautifully.
17th over: South Africa 71-2 (Lee 34, van Niekerk 31)
16th over: South Africa 69-2 (Lee 33, van Niekerk 30) Nat Sciver replaces Jenny Gunn. After a good start, she slips one wide to van Niekerk, who back cuts beautifully for four. South Africa are getting a boundary almost every over at the moment, which is eating into the target.
15th over: South Africa 64-2 (Lee 32, van Niekerk 26) Too wide from Ecclestone and Lee hammers a cut for four. South Africa are batting with a lot of authority at the moment and have control of the match. Mind you, I suppose we said the same about India in last year’s World Cup final.
14th over: South Africa 59-2 (Lee 27, van Niekerk 26) A quiet over from Gunn. England really need a wicket, and I’d be tempted to go back to Shrubsole for a couple of overs.
13th over: South Africa 56-2 (Lee 25, van Niekerk 25) van Niekerk drags Ecclestone just over wide mid-on for four, a slightly risky stroke. South Africa are rattling along now, and a single brings up a fine fifty partnership. They need 134 from 37 overs.
12th over: South Africa 50-2 (Lee 24, van Niekerk 20) Gunn’s second over is milked for four, a relief after her first disappeared for 15.
11th over: South Africa 46-2 (Lee 21, van Niekerk 19) The left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone comes into the attack. She’s only 19 but looks a class act, and her first over here is a good one – three from it.
10th over: South Africa 43-2 (Lee 19, van Niekerk 18) Jenny Gunn replaces Anya Shrubsole - and van Niekerk carts her fourth ball over midwicket for a huge six! As if that wasn’t enough, she blasts the next two through extra cover for four! That’s majestic batting.
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9th over: South Africa 28-2 (Lee 19, van Niekerk 4) Brunt continues to bowl very straight to Lee, giving her no room to free her arms. One delivery takes a thick inside edge onto the pad, the highlight of a terrific maiden.
8th over: South Africa 28-2 (Lee 19, van Niekerk 4) A bit of width from Shrubsole allows Lee to clatter four through the covers, and a snick through the vacant slip area makes it eight from two balls.
7th over: South Africa 19-2 (Lee 10, van Niekerk 4) South Africa are starting to settle after that difficult start. Sciver saves a couple of runs with a diving stop at midwicket.
“Watching on a lazy Saturday afternoon here in Derby between the rugby,” says Alex Stackhouse. “Love watching Taylor stand up to the stumps and work that magic. Always dangerous with either the bat or the gloves. I’m glad that, as the audience for women’s cricket grows, more people will get to appreciate a great English talent.”
Agreed. I overuse the word ‘genius’ but I’m not sure there’s any other way to describe her wicketkeeping. Our old friend Gary Naylor called it as long ago as 2009.
6th over: South Africa 18-2 (Lee 9, van Niekerk 4) van Niekerk tries to drive a huge inswinger from Shrubsole and is lucky to get an inside edge. That probably saved her from being out LBW. The drive is a risky stroke against the inswinger but she nails it two balls later with a classic boundary through extra cover.
“I’m a Kiwi coming in to gloat about 490...” says Rhys Muir. “At least I was until I saw Brunt today! I’m calling it for England.”
5th over: South Africa 14-2 (Lee 9, van Niekerk 0) Lee gets her first boundary, drilling Brunt through the covers, and then back cuts another to third man. Brunt is unhappy with the footholes I think.
Tip to anyone playing against Sarah Taylor.. do not, I repeat DO NOT lose your balance, leave your crease, miss anything down leg. Just ask Sune Luus. Stunning stumping to have SA 5-2. #EngWvSAW
— Mel 'MJ' Jones (@meljones_33) June 9, 2018
4th over: South Africa 6-2 (Lee 1, van Niekerk 0) Shrubsole is getting some really sharp inswing to the right-handers. These are dangerous times for South Africa, who need to dig in and see off this new-ball spell. The required rate will not be an issue for a long while yet, but the number of wickets might be.
WICKET! South Africa 5-2 (Luus st Taylor b Shrubsole 0)
A moment of spine-tingling genius from Sarah Taylor, who has stumped Luus off a leg-side wide! We’ve seen it before but it never gets old. Luus overbalanced and Taylor, having gone a fair way to her left to collect the ball, swung his left arm round in one movement to dislodge the bails. That is sheer delightful wicketkeeping.
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3rd over: South Africa 4-1 (Lee 1, Luus 0) Brunt and Shrubsole have started superbly, bowling a really tight line to the right-handers.
WICKET! South Africa 3-1 (Wolvaardt b Brunt 2)
This is turning into Katherine Brunt’s match. She has struck in her second over, bowling Wolvaardt via the inside edge. The line was excellent and Wolvaardt, trying to drive, dragged the ball back onto the stumps.
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2nd over: South Africa 2-0 (Lee 0, Wolvaardt 2) Anya Shrubsole will share the new ball as usual. Laura Wolfvaardt, a serious young talent at the top of the order, gets off the mark with a steer to third man for two.
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Anyone out there? Eh?
1st over: South Africa 0-0 (Lee 0, Wolfvaardt 0) Katherine Brunt opens the bowling for England. The new ball swung prodigiously for South Africa and there’s some encouraging early movement for Brunt. The dangerous Lizelle Lee survives an LBW shout from the fourth ball; I think it was sliding down. An excellent maiden to start the innings.
Thanks Adam, hello everyone. The question could be rhetorical or interrogative: how good was that innings from Katherine Brunt? Her career-best 72 not out, a smart, skilful and defiant innings, has given England a chance of a famous victory. They were 97 for eight before Brunt dragged them to a total of 189 for nine. South Africa are favourites but England have something to work with.
Let’s recap. England were absolutely gone at 61-5 when Brunt walked in. Then 64-6 then 80-7 then 97-8. But the all-rounder - and that’s what she is these days - has orchestrated a wonderful escape for the hosts. 72 not out from 98 balls does not at all do it justice. She had to dig in and survive for the better part of an hour before playing a shot in anger. But boy, when she did, it was superb. A career best in every way.
Right, that’s it from me. I’ll leave you with Rob Smyth to tell you more about the Barnsley Express and reflect on England’s chances of pulling off a remarkable victory.
England make 189-9 (Brunt 72, Ecclesone 12)
Brunt doesn’t mind giving the strike to Ecclestone, who pulls a couple to midwicket. The single from the fourth balls leaves the veteran two swings. Instead of that, she laps! And laps wonderfully! Class from Katherine! Kapp as under the pump as any of the bowlers at the death. Last ball, she lands her yorker. What a comeback! TMS tells me thjey equalled England’s highest tenth wicket stand in ODIs, putting on an unbeaten 41.
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49th over: England 182-9 (Brunt 68, Ecclestone 9) Two over cover to begin for Brunt, who is doing this perfectly with the number 11. But when Ecclestone gets her turn she does it well too, galloping to the danger end for a quick single. Brunt’s turn bringing the shot of the day! Khaka didn’t do much wrong there but Brunt nails the drive down the ground beating the two fielders trying to cut it off. Have that! Ecclestone has a go as well! Khaka gives her width and the 19-year-old slays a punishing cut shot to the rope. 13 more added! Khaka finishes with 3/42 from her ten, but this game has changed significantly over the last few overs.
Brunt brings up her half-century!
48th over: England 169-9 (Brunt 61, Ecclestone 5) Ecclestone again does her bit, getting off strike first ball. So it is Brunt vs Kapp. The former goes over mid-on where the field is up, racing down to the rope to raise her second ODI half-century! What a wonderful effort in the circumstances. 86 balls to get there but the first ten overs or so you could count them on one hand such was the scrap. Then four more through cover! Wonderful cricket. And again lifting Kapp’s next ball over square leg! Outstanding batting from the Barnsley Express. A single to cover gives her the strike again as well. 13 from the set, the best of the innings for England. Game on? Two overs left.
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47th over: England 155-9 (Brunt 48, Ecclestone 4) Brunt on the advance at Ismail but she drops the length back to cramp her, only a single on offer. Ecclestone does her bit too, taking one from the first ball to midwicket to give the all-rounder another chance. Again, only a single is available. The teenager takes a bit swing from the final ball and luckily doesn’t go to hand, landing at fly slip. They decide to run, meaning she will stay on strike. Ismail finishes with 10-2-25-3. Excellent.
46th over: England 151-9 (Brunt 46, Ecclestone 2) van Niekerk at Ecclestone, trying to cut off this England innings before it reaches 150. That doesn’t happen though, the number 11 nabbing a single off the inside edge. Brunt sweeps another behind square to keep the strike. Good batting. This next over could be fun.
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45th over: England 149-9 (Brunt 45, Ecclestone 1) The number 11, if memory serves me correctly, got off the mark in Ashes cricket with a six last year. Doesn’t get the chance to open up immediately here but does keep the strike with a hoick to midwicket.
WICKET! Marsh b Ismail 15 (England 148-9)
Through her with a slower ball! Just after the 50 partnership is applauded by the crowd Marsh is walking off, sorted out by an excellent piece of death bowling.
44th over: England 146-8 (Brunt 44, Marsh 14) van Niekerk backing herself in at the Cathedral End. It is a suitable set, only three singles taken from it. Marsh keeps the strike, which the South Africans won’t be as concerned about with Brunt building into blitz mode.
43rd over: England 143-8 (Brunt 43, Marsh 12) Brunt walking at Tryon to break her concentration, which works when the short ball comes outside the off-stump, allowing a couple to be cut. Well struck. The next ball was to, a straight drive, but unfortunately for her it cracks into the stumps, so no run. She beats the field next time though, crashing into the point rope. It prompts a wide, reinforcing that Brunt is well on top. And goes again to finish, lifting four over backward square leg. 11 from the over, which is the best for England all day. Would have been 14 if not for the stumps at the non-strikers’ end getting in the way. All of a sudden, the partnership is into the 40s and Brunt is too.
42nd over: England 132-8 (Brunt 33, Marsh 12) van Niekerk brings herself back on. A wide to begin before she finds her radar, beating the batsman and the ‘keeper with one that really goes. Next up, she is past the edge. Third time lucky, Marsh makes solid contact behind point and takes a couple. Continues with a controlled sweep that advances the score by one once more. “I think they are into defendable territory,” says Ebony Rainford-Brent on TMS. Seven from that over. Maybe? Eight overs left.
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41st over: England 125-8 (Brunt 32, Marsh 9) Leading edge! Doesn’t carry. Brunt tries to whip Tryon through midwicket but survives. She has to dive to avoid getting herself run out next ball as well, sent back by Marsh when looking for a single that was never there behind point. A wide helps the cause of the hosts. 19 extras so far, making the column the second highest scorer. Brunt keeps it ticking over with a nice steer to the sweeper before Marsh keeps the strike with another run in that direction as well.
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40th over: England 119-8 (Brunt 31, Marsh 7) Khaka swung around to the Cathedral End for the first time today. In a sign of what might come in the final ten overs, Brunt advances to slap the seamer through point for a couple. No risk there, she’s seeing it well. She does it again later in the over to smack a lovely boundary through the gap at cover; on the up after using her feet before the ball was bowled. She moves into the 30s with the stroke. A wide follows with Brunt again moving around in the crease, perhaps putting off the bowler in her delivery stride. Ten (count them!) ten from the over.
Interesting that Robbo's selection of Marsh over Hazell today may have been partly informed by her better form with the bat of late. I'm guessing he wasn't quite expecting this though. #EngvSA
— Raf Nicholson (@RafNicholson) June 9, 2018
39th over: England 110-8 (Brunt 22, Marsh 7) Tryon replaces Ismail with her left-arm medium pacers. Marsh gets down the other end first ball, but Brunt isn’t yet prepared to do anything daft. She knows the drill, bat out the overs and give yourselves a vague chance later on.
38th over: England 108-8 (Brunt 21, Marsh 6) Kapp in for her eighth as well. Dropped catch? van Niekerk looks to have put down a sharp chance at gully off Marsh. Hard to tell if it carried, to be fair. Marsh driving again, hard behind point, but this time du Preez stops a certain boundary with a great dive in front of our position in the press box. They still take three, but that effort is emblematic of the committed South African performance in the field so far today.
37th over: England 104-8 (Brunt 21, Marsh 3) Ismail to start her eighth over. She got the party started earlier today with the wickets of Jones then Taylor, can she finish it off? “She’s absolutely not shy,” Charlotte Edwards notes the Proteas quick. Brunt can’t make a dent in this over, nor Marsh who picks out cover twice with nice drives. They won’t be making a commemorative DVD of this match.
36th over: England 102-8 (Brunt 21, Marsh 2) We are entering Power Play 2. That means for the next five overs, South Africa can only have three fielders outside of the circle. In turn, van Niekerk brings back the experience of Kapp at the bowling crease. Two singles from the fiest two balls brings up England’s 100 (so they avoid this). Marsh guided it to third man with control. She’s batted up the order quite often for England but has to ride shotgun for another hour with Brunt here to give them any chance when they bowl after lunch. Not an easy task from this position.
35th over: England 98-8 (Brunt 19, Marsh 0) Bumper! Ismail bowls a short ball at Brunt and hits her in the shoulder! She tried to pull it but missed. The visiting quick goes down for a quick word, which we’re enjoying in the press box. Brunt responds by swinging harder, but it flies off an edge to third man. That single makes her England’s equal top scorer.
WICKET! Shrubsole run out (Tryon) 7 (England 97-8)
How unfortunate. Shrubsole takes on Tryon at mid-on, but the left-armer has a fantastic arm and nails the non-striker stumps with a direct hit. The third umpire confirms that she’s gone by at least a foot. “That’s such a waste,” says Charlotte Edwards on radio. “Anya will be kicking herself. That was a major opportunity for her.”
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IS SHRUBSOLE RUN OUT? Direct hit. We’re going upstairs.
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34th over: England 97-7 (Brunt 18, Shrubsole 7) Right, van Niekerk is now over the wicket. When she gets on strike, Brunt plays a solid sweep behind square, collected by the sweeper after a couple are added. She tries it again but doens’t beat the fielder on the circle at the 45. The veteran right-hander done the tough yards, now 48 balls into her innings, but has to take full advantage now and bat for the majority of the remaining overs.
33rd over: England 93-7 (Brunt 16, Shrubsole 6) Khaka’s back with three England wickets on the shelf, so notionally there is a 6fa sitting there for her. Not this over, though. “A lot of teams can get from 90-7 to 170,” observes Charlotte Edwards. “This is where you have to be ruthless as a fielding captain.” As she says that, Shrubsole clips a lovely shot through midwicket for three. Would have been four if not for an excellent dive from Tryon. “It’s a good sign for England,” Lottie continues. “If they can get to 160 they are definitely in this game.” Interesting.
32nd over: England 88-7 (Brunt 16, Shrubsole 2) Well, it won’t be Luus it will be van Niekerk. Fair enough, given that she is the number one spinner in this game. Indeed, according to the Top 20, she is the best legspinner in the world. She was certainly the in both last year’s World Cup and Women’s Big Bash. Round the wicket she comes, which seems a bit odd. Singles for both into the deep. Nothing wrong with the over but I am surprised she isn’t going all-out aggression to drive the hosts into the ground with a sub-100 final tally.
31st over: England 85-7 (Brunt 15, Shrubsole 1) Buzzers! Two of them. They’ll take them, the overthrows coming after van Niekerk misses with her ping at the bowler’s end. Shrubsole would have been gone had she hit, so it was worth the throw. Brunt called her through from a tuck into the legside. Anya is off the mark to the sweeper at backward square leg. Four (four!) from from the Tryon set.
30th over: England 81-7 (Brunt 12, Shrubsole 0) There is a baby crying, aggressively, in front of us. Something, something... England’s performance with the bat! Brunt takes a single but that’s their lot from the final Ntozakhe over. The spinner finishes with the very tidy analysis of 10-1-0-21. Do we get to see Sune Luus now? Hope so.
29th over: England 80-7 (Brunt 11, Shrubsole 0) Brunt and Shrubsole are known for what they do together with the ball. Now, they have to salvage something from this with the bat. As I noted in the preamble (a long time ago), Shrubsole’s last innings against the Proteas only lasted one ball, a cover drive to the boundary to win the semi-final of the World Cup with a delivery to spare. She’s happy in defence to see out the second half of this successful Tryon over.
WICKET! Gunn c Lackay b Tryon 4 (England 80-7)
Cut, gone! Caught at point. No power in the stroke off the left-arm seamer. Her 41-ball innings comes to an end. Nicely taken by Lackay on debut.
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28th over: England 79-6 (Brunt 10, Gunn 4) A boundary! The spinner Ntozakhe at last gives Brunt the chance to whack a long-hop and she doesn’t miss out, sweeping powerfully to the rope. The first four since the tenth over, to repeat that stat. She then drives one to mid-off to retain the strike. Into double figures! Hurrah! The top scorer, Amy Jones (19), is suddenly in her sights.
27th over: England 74-6 (Brunt 5, Gunn 4) They have put on seven from 57 balls, Long adds. Chloe Tryon the new bowler, making a third change in three overs from our media end (not sure what it is formally called). Brunt frees the arms this time but doesn’t quite get it to the rope. Ooh, make that nearly run out! Third man runs around to prevent the boundary and keep it to a single. There were at least two on offer there. Gunn drives to the sweeper at cover then Brunt takes another behind point when dropping her hands to deflect. The left-arm seamer concedes three from the over. Positively rapid in the context of the last ten, which have gone at about one an over.
26th over: England 71-6 (Brunt 3, Gunn 3) Ntozakhe just bowling to her plan. Runs to her mark, drops it on her spot from around the wicket, goes back to do it again. Brunt has the ability to clear the rope with regularity, but she is struggling to get it outside of the fielding circle at this stage. She does when going down the ground with a drive, taking one to long-off. That’s the only run from another frugal over. The last boundary, Phil Long reveals on TMS, was in the tenth over when Sciver hit two in a row. Hard to score and hard to watch.
25th over: England 70-6 (Brunt 2, Gunn 3) Ismail back on after one Kapp over, van Niekerk rotating her frontline quicks to prevent the England pair from settling in at the crease. “There isn’t as much pace in the wicket as I thought it would be,” says Charlotte Edwards on TMS. Gunn tries to use what pace there is to beat backward point, but she can’t beat the fielder on the circle. It’s much the same when she’s on the front foot, picking out cover. Gunn has three from 34 balls and Brunt two from 18. Not their fault, of course.
24th over: England 70-6 (Brunt 2, Gunn 3) Rinse and repeat. Ntozakhe sticks around the wicket to Gunn, who plays with a straight bat throughout before grabbing a single down the ground to keep the strike. Just the 14 runs taken from her seven overs.
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23rd over: England 69-6 (Brunt 2, Gunn 2) Time for the attack-leader, Kapp brought back. She’s able to beat the inside edge of Brunt, just missing the woodwork. Another chance to finish! They take a couple of leg byes, the second would have sent Gunn packing had a direct hit been achieved. Given the clinical way South Africa have gone about it today, I’m surprised it didn’t happen.
England well on course here...
— Raf Nicholson (@RafNicholson) June 9, 2018
...to break their lowest ODI total against South Africa. 143 back in 2000. #EngvSAhttps://t.co/xlqCtuOAkG
22nd over: England 67-6 (Brunt 2, Gunn 2) This has been a lovely little spell from Ntozakhe, dropping it on a length after giving it plenty of air and racing back to her mark to go again. The key is that she is making the batsman make the pace; never easy when there has been so much mayhem. And we’re yet to see either of the leggies. Just the single for Brunt for the over.
21st over: England 66-6 (Brunt 1, Gunn 2) Khaka bowls, nothing on offer. Gunn defends, which is probably the best option for now. Another maiden. It’s always a risk to think about your match report before a ball has been bowled. I had this whole thing prepared in my head about Love Island but will have to wait for a brighter day. A more serious interrogation awaits tonight.
This is now England's worst total for the first 6 wickets in a home ODI since they were reduced to 53/6 v NZ at Durham in 2002. https://t.co/GiUNO4xu9c
— hypocaust (@_hypocaust) June 9, 2018
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20th over: England 66-6 (Brunt 1, Gunn 2) Ntozkhe giving it ample air from around the wicket to Gunn but she is able to break the string of dots with a single to long-on. Warm applause - ironic perhaps? - from the crowd. Brunt tries to find a run to the same place on the ground but the fielder has been moved straighter so she can’t. One from it. Squeeeeeze.
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19th over: England 65-6 (Brunt 1, Gunn 1) Amusingly, five of the 13 runs that Khaka has conceded so far have been wides. No judgement: reminds me of many of my own returns over the years when the ball was hooping. She’s right on the money to Brunt, attacking her stumps to secure back to back maidens for the visitors.
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18th over: England 65-6 (Brunt 1, Gunn 1) “Bloody hell,” emails Rob Smyth, who is taking over from me. He might not have a lot of work to do the way this is going. In the time I take checking my inbox, the off-spinner Ntozakhe has raced through a 60-second maiden. Good game awareness, as they say. Don’t give them a moment to breathe.
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17th over: England 65-6 (Brunt 1, Gunn 1) Well, if you are going to rebuild, Jenny Gunn isn’t a bad player to walk out. An incredibly optimistic take, I grant you. She’s off the mark with a relatively controlled edge. Brunt got off the mark herself in between the two wicket-taking deliveries of the set. All coming just when Sciver and Wyatt looked to be getting on top of things a touch. Career best bowling figures for Khaka so far, 3/13 from her four so far. Thanks to Phil Long from TMS.
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WICKET! Wyatt c Luus b Khaka 7 (England 64-6)
Khaka has a third! Her second wicket of another terrible over for England. That’s a poorly executed shot from Danni Wyatt, walking down the track and slapping a wide delivery straight to point. Luus does the rest. Blimey. What a mess.
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WICKET! Sciver c van Niekerk b Khaka 16 (England 61-5)
Oh dear, I’ve burned another. Sciver has spooned the easiest catch after walking at the the bowler before she let it go. Tried to work it to leg, but didn’t find the middle, the ball directed straight to midwicket. Great bowling, Khaka pulling back her length when she saw Nat coming. “England are almost lucky to have 61 on the board,” observes Ebony Rainford-Brent on TMS. Grim scenes for the world champs.
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16th over: England 61-4 (Sciver 16, Wyatt 7) More singles from the spin, Sciver coming down to use her feet to punch down the ground. Looking forward to seeing how the all-rounder handles this situation. Everyone remembers her pair of blistering World Cup tons, but the 50 she made in the final - England’s top score - was a different innings altogether. She had to graft then and will again here.
15th over: England 57-4 (Sciver 14, Wyatt 6) Khaka starts with a couple of dots to Sciver before she can get down the other end with a single to fine leg. But the medium pacer is keeping both players in their defensive postures more often than not. The church bells are ringing from the Worcester Cathedral at the other side of the ground, it being midday and all. Just the single and a leg bye from it.
14th over: England 55-4 (Sciver 12, Wyatt 6) Well, England’s 50 is up, courtesy of a single to Wyatt to begin. They add a couple more off Ntozakhe down the ground to long-off. Then another to point. Better approach. That’s the way to rebuild an innings.
13th over: England 49-4 (Sciver 9, Wyatt 3) Wyatt nearly holes out! She’s lucky, her lofted drive bouncing before Tryon at mid-on. That would have been an ugly way to depart in the circumstances. In saying that, taking on the attack is what she does. A leg bye the only other run in the over. Sheesh.
South Africa are a bowling side. This was always a possibility. Makes total sense that van Niekerk would have chosen to bowl first. As it is, England's decision to bat first looking a bit silly. #EngvSA
— Raf Nicholson (@RafNicholson) June 9, 2018
12th over: England 44-4 (Sciver 9, Wyatt 1) Raisibe Ntozakhe on to replace Kapp, the first we have seen of spin today. The 21-year-old offbreaker is up where she should be to begin, conceding just a couple of singles in her first set before beating Wyatt’s edge to conclude when trying to glide behind point. They’re squeezing the hosts.
11th over: England 42-4 (Sciver 8, Wyatt 0) Plenty of scrutiny on the decision of Heather Knight to bat first at the toss in conditions so favourable for seamers. In keeping with that theme, Khaka is getting plenty of shape back into the new player to the crease, Danni Wyatt. Then nearly runs herself out before scoring! Thankfully, after nearly shaking hands, she and Wyatt return to where they started. Some wides down the legside keeps the board (just) moving. Khaka beats Sciver outside the off-stump to finish! Not far away at all. Played for movement, but held its line. Classy bowling.
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WICKET! Beaumont b Khaka 6 (England 39-4)
First ball! Ayabonga Khaka into the attack and straight into the book, through Beaumont’s gate and into her middle stump. I reckon there was an inside edge along the way, but either way, it’s right on the money and the opener’s unconvincing 24-ball stay comes to an end. The world champions are in big trouble here.
10th over: England 39-3 (Beaumont 6, Sciver 8) Righto, let’s welcome Natalie Sciver to the crease. She’s lifting Kapp around the corner for four then inside edging her fine for another boundary. Never dull, is she? Nat’s mother is sitting below us, who I know is a reader of the OBO. Give me a wave if you’ve got it open today?
9th over: England 31-3 (Beaumont 6, Sciver 0) Ismail in for her fifth over, understandably so given her last couple have brought wickets. This England pair both made the team of the World Cup last year with Beaumont the player of that tournament and have to set up the innings here now. Beaumont picks up a couple through midwicket, taking her to six from 23 balls. She tries to cut a further four but picks out point. What did you think about her missing our Top 20? That was the biggest surprise for me.
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WICKET! Knight lbw b Kapp (England 29-3)
Knight gone too! Kapp has trapped her leg before, misjudging the line of a straight delivery. The captain was off the mark with a beautiful cover drive, but her day has lasted just the three deliveries. She is shaking her head as she walks back into the dressing room, but the first replay looks fairly conclusive. South Africa up and about.
8th over: England 29-3 (Beaumont 4, Sciver 0)
WICKET! Taylor lbw b Ismail 2 (England 24-2)
Ismail strikes again! Taylor tried to whip a fullish delivery through midwicket but doesn’t make contact. No hesitation from the umpire to pop the finger up. Yep, that’s very out. England in some early strife after winning the toss.
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6th over: England 23-1 (Beaumont 2, Taylor 2) “This is quite a defensive field,” says Lottie Edwards on radio. “I would like to see them have a slip in for Kapp. They are setting the field for the previous batter.” Tammy’s turn. The last time she played an international at this ground she made her maiden ton. I was sitting in the same seat that day as she went inside-out over cover time and time again. Batting conservatively at the moment, she keeps the strike with a quick single to midwicket. Nice running.
5th over: England 21-1 (Beaumont 1, Taylor 1) Master statistician hypocaust is immediately at me on twitter, (quite rightly) declaring the Jones dismissal as my fault for my boast moments before. Taylor is off the mark the same way that Beaumont was, via an inside edge to fine leg. She retains the strike.
WICKET! Jones b Ismail 19 (England 20-1)
Sorry Amy - scrap that! She’s bowled, chopping on pulling when trying to reach the boundary for a fifth time. It didn’t quite get up and instead hit her off stump on the deflection. Urgh! The ball before, she hit another cover drive to the rope, helped by a du Preez misfield. Fun while it lasted.
4th over: England 16-0 (Jones 15, Beaumont 1) Kapp beats Jones outside the off-stump early in the over. That’s where Kapp does her best work. Reading some CricViz analysis during the week, Kapp bowls fewer balls on the stumps than any of her seam-up contemporaries, living in the fourth stump channel, yet goes for the fewest runs in the game. Go figure. Back to the action, Jones is on the advance and bisecting the gap at extra cover to pick up three more. I am willing to declare it already: she is on one here.
3rd over: England 13-0 (Jones 12, Beaumont 1) Much better from Ismail this time around, keeping Beaumont on the front foot, who picks out gully a couple of times trying to steer singles to third man. Very good set. Maiden. Phil Long on TMS observes that was Ismail’s 100th maiden in ODIs. She’s the first South African to reach that, um, milestone? Still, I love it. Phil is very good at his job.
2nd over: England 13-0 (Jones 12, Beaumont 1) Inside edge! Beaumont lucky not to chop Marizanne Kapp on, but instead gets a single to fine leg. It’s Amy Jones show here though, striking her third boundary in the space of a handful of deliveries, timed superbly through point. “That’s the best of the lot!” roars Charlotte Edwards in approval. “It wasn’t even that short. She’s so elegant.”
1st over: England 8-0 (Jones 8, Beaumont 0) A swing and a miss to begin, but from the third ball of the game Jones absolutely nails a back foot cover drive to the rope. What a graceful way to get off the mark. “If there is anywhere you can’t bowl to Amy Jones it is short,” says Charlotte Edwards, her former captain, on the TMS commentary. The right-hander proves that point a second time with an equally elegant pull shot to end the over, smashing it with perfect technique along the carpet. Shot.
No national anthems today. Just straight out there to their positions. van Niekerk leads out the visitors before Beaumont and Jones join them. The latter will be facing first up. Ismail has the new ball for South Africa. She’s the fastest woman in the game and doesn’t mind telling the world about it. This should be fun. PLAY!
Not strictly cricket. But a brilliant reference to our game in Marina Hyde’s smashing column this morning that I have to share with you before we begin in a few minutes.
He was back on the theatrics on Wednesday over this backstop business. Are you on top of the “backstop”, which the EU has predictably rejected? It feels apt that the UK has chosen to invoke the not-even-a-sport of rounders. There’s a reason why rounders is what people play on their office awaydays – it’s because you don’t have to be any good at it, or know the rules, or even know what’s going on. Unfortunately, these are not the criteria for handling complex negotiations with the EU. For them, the UK twatting around with backstops is just not cricket. They don’t really deal in backstops. What they really need to hear is that the UK is going to have four slips and a gully, and a forward short leg. Or, given our increasingly defensive needs, everyone on the boundary, including a third man and a deep fine leg.
Also... England’s players have been given a pay rise after last year’s World Cup win. The pot increased by 40 per cent on 1 February. Make no mistake, there is still some way to go with Australia the clubhouse leaders when it comes to women central contracts. But this is very good news.
Before we begin. A big day for The Guardian’s coverage of women’s cricket with the announcement of the inaugural Top 20 players in the world. A lot of effort went into compiling this list, with a fantastic panel of judges. The spread in the paper (across three pages) is spot on as well. And check out the interactive while you’re there.
Here are those team sheets. Surprised but very pleased to see that Amy Jones decision. With Sarah Taylor returning to the wicketkeeping gig, I was worried she would again be watching from the bench. Instead, she gets a gig as a specialist bat (as she has from time to time alongside Taylor, to be fair). Good stuff.
England: Beaumont, Jones, Taylor, Wyatt, Sciver, Knight, Brunt, Marsh, Gunn, Shrubsole, Ecclestone.
South Africa: van Niekerk, Tryon, Kapp, Lee, Wolvaardt, du Preez, Ismail, Khaka, Ntozakhe, Luus, Lackay (debut).
South Africa as expected, by the looks. Shabnim Ismail is just about my favourite cricketer in the world. Certainly the most fun to interview. Has an almighty crack.
Here are the two teams for England Women vs South Africa in Worcester.
— Test Match Special (@bbctms) June 9, 2018
Join us from 10.45!#bbccricket pic.twitter.com/1jo92Y6lsH
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Heather Knight wins the toss; England to bat
“We don’t think conditions will change too much,” the England skipper says when explaining her decision. Of the squad that England named during the week, spinner Danielle Hazell, opener Lauren Winfield and all-rounder Georgia Elwiss are the three to miss out. That means Amy Jones is given the chance to open the innings. Fair enough too, she top scored with 94 the last time England played in April.
South Africa’s Dane van Niekerk says that they would have bowled her she won the toss, so everyone is happy. I’ll be back shortly with the full teams as named.
It remains gloomy (per this pic), but the rain is staying away. For now.
Warm ups in full swing at New Road. It’s gloomy but no rain. Toss in ten. #ENGvSA pic.twitter.com/uktjDNEZaa
— Adam Collins (@collinsadam) June 9, 2018
Welcome to England vs South Africa at New Road!
It is the start of a new summer for England’s women, hosting the first of three ODIs against the side that came so close to knocking them off in the World Cup semi-final the last time they met. Of course, as we know, Anya Shrubsole made sure of the result lashing the penultimate ball of the game to the rope and they all lived happily ever after.
It was the game of the tournament, the Proteas proving in the process that they are a legitimate force in the women’s game after making up the numbers for so many years. The image of their skipper, Dane van Niekerk, in tears at the side of the pitch when the winning runs were scored sticks in the memory. They are a serious cricket team.
From the XI that won the final a few days later in the famous Lord’s triumph, spinner Alex Hartley and middle-order accumulator Fran Wilson have made way. In the case of the tweaker, she’s a victim of a very strong spin division inside the team. As Mark Robinson said when I asked him during the week, the left-armer lost confidence and form after her brilliant 2017. Wilson has been replaced by Lauren Winfield, who is back after losing her spot for the India tour earlier this year.
On that trip - the last time Heather Knight’s side played - they were the beaten finalists in a T20 tri-series against India and Australia before losing a three-game ODI series 2-1 against the hosts. But that was without experienced matchwinners Katherine Brunt and Sarah Taylor, who were both rested. They are back today at Worcester.
Their opponents today were also beaten by India 2-1 this year in the 50-over format. Despite the fact that the World T20 is the main game for both sides in 2018, all of these ODIs are played for ICC Championship points. In short, that league decides the four automatic qualifiers for the next World Cup in 2021. Last time around, South Africa had to reach the main draw the hard way. It’s a good system, giving context to every ODI.
In their one official warm-up game, they were beaten by an England Academy side by four wickets. But the good news from that was that 20-year-old opener Laura Wolvaardt collected a half-century. As we learned during their World Cup campaign last year, her cover drive is something to behold. Plenty of those today, please.
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I can report from the press box that it is very cloudy and fairly gloomy at New Road but without a drop of rain, so the toss will go ahead in 10 minutes as planned. Let’s crack on in the usual way. I’m around on both the email (please note the new address if we’re talked before) and on the tweet.
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