So there we go. Have a good evening - ta-ra.
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Sarah Taylor is the man of the match. She likes batting on her home ground and also with Tammy Beaumont - they hit in different areas and have fun together. The defeat in the first game was just a bad dat at the office, but she looked to play a bit straighter today. She also praises Sophie Ecclestone, who came back well.
Heather Knight says England started much better and notes that Beaumont and Taylor love batting together. Not much needed to be said after the kicking England took at Worcester, and the pitch wasn’t “an absolute belter”, but the batters picked their shots better. Knight still sees herself as a bowling option, but wasn’t required today.
Dane van Niekerk says it was like “a runaway train” when England got going, and they knew how good Beaumont and Taylor were. She believed her team could win for a bit, when Lee was hitting it miles, but they expected the world champions to come back fighting, which they did. She gives credit to England, and hopes to go better on Friday.
England might be slightly concerned by how long it took them to take a wicket, and how impotent their change bowlers looked. But it’s hard to whinge too much when you win so well, so the decider should be a belter.
It fizzled out at the end, but that was an excellent game of cricket, the first in the women’s game ever to feature three centuries. Lee’s in particular, was brilliant, but she couldn’t see it through or, more properly, didn’t get enough help.
So, it’s off to Canterbury on Friday; the winners there win the series.
England beat South Africa by 69 runs to level the three-match series!
49th over: South Africa 262-9 (Kapp 29, Ntozakhe 3) Target 332 Brunt is trying all her variations to get her third wicket, but has to make do with ceding two.
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49th over: South Africa 260-9 (Kapp 19, Ntozakhe 2) Target 332 And there she goes, cracking Marsh over the top and against the boundary advertising for six. Next, she deflects to mid on and looks for a two that isn’t on, but Brunt misses the stumps and Marsh isn’t in position to break them.
48th over: South Africa 251-9 (Kapp 19, Ntozakhe 2) Target 332 Brunt will not be wanting to hang around here, but she can’t force the breakthrough. A single from the over, and Kapp actually looks a pretty competent batter.
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47th over: South Africa 250-9 (Kapp 18, Ntozakhe 2) Target 332 Are the batters going to console themselves with a red-inker, or are they going to free their arms? Five singles from the over.
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46th over: South Africa 245-9 (Kapp 16, Ntozakhe 0) Target 332 Can England finish this off?
WICKET! Khaka c Sciver b Brunt 1 (South Africa 245-9)
Khaka tries to force the issue, mowing across the line only to pick out Sciver at short midwicket. Brunt enjoys herself, as is her wont; my money is still on England.
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46th over: South Africa 243-8 (Kapp 14, Khaka 0) Target 332 The required rate is now above 19; Katherine Brunt, just what you need.
45th over: South Africa 243-8 (Kapp 14, Khaka 0) Target 332 Kapp walks down the track and turns two over to the leg side - in the air, but safe.
WICKET! Ismail c & b Marsh 3 (South Africa 241-8)
Ismail gets down on one knee, takes an almighty swing, and the ball goes hectares up in the air. Marsh is alert, though, and moves to her right to claim the catch.
44th over: South Africa 240-7 (Kapp 12, Ismail 3) Target 332 Ecclestone continues and raps Kapp on the pad - they appeal on principle, but the umpire is having no such thing. The over yields but three singles, phut, sputter, etcetera.
43rd over: South Africa 238-7 (Kapp 11, Ismail 2) Target 332 13.95 is now the required rate. I think England might sneak this.
WICKET! Lackay c Knight b Marsh 0 (South Africa 237-7)
Lackay gets a lot of this, but hits it straight at extra cover, where Heather Knight gets down low and hangs on well. England have caught pretty well today.
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42nd over: South Africa 230-6 (Kapp 4, Lackay 0) Target 332 The required rate is now 12.75.
WICKET! Tryon c Wyatt b Ecclestone 44 (South Africa 229-6)
Tryon comes outside her crease, heaves, and sends the ball swirling into the sky. But at long on, Wyatt judges the flight, keeps the heid and takes the catch at chest-height. That was a really decent innings, but - Tryon can become a player.
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41st over: South Africa 226-5 (Tryon 43, Kapp 2) Target 332 Knight decides to keep Shrubsole on for her final over, but her first ball is on the pads so is feathered behind for four. A dot follows, then Tryon backs away and though she’s not set at the point of contact, still manages to belt six over cover! She’s got an eye, she has. But Shrubsole comes back well, her final three deliveries yielding just a single.
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40th over: South Africa 216-5 (Tryon 32, Kapp 2) Target 332 Kapp scoops a leading edge around the corner that gets her off the mark with two. The required rare is now 11.38.
Du Preez c Elwiss b Ecclestone 12 (South Africa 214-5)
Oh yes! Du Preez swipes over mid on but Elwiss is there and leaps with both hands above her head to take a belter that’s far trickier than the one she ruined last over.
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39th over: South Africa 212-4 (Du Preez 10, Tryon 32) Target 332 Shrubsole returns and Du Preez has a dart, skying a leading edge towards long on. Elwiss does everything right, running around to get under it, then spills it! Whoops! And Tryon rubs it in when sent down a full one, carting it over square leg with minimum effort and maximum prejudice.
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38th over: South Africa 202-4 (Du Preez 7, Tryon 25) Target 332 Du Preez takes one, and Tryon then drives four through fine mid on. But this time she can’t find a further boundary, just one more run coming from the next four deliveries.
37th over: South Africa 196-4 (Du Preez 6, Tryon 20) Target 332 Surely! Tryon comes down, makes room, and spanks Elwiss for six down the ground. That was a lovely hit, but can she follow it up? She tries, coming across her stumps to open up the leg side, Sarah Taylor-style, but can’t get enough of it ... but then she can! Forward, across, down on one knee and six over midwicket!
36th over: South Africa 182-4 (Du Preez 5, Tryon 7) Target 332 This is all very sedate now. Four singles is all South Africa can manage, amid an appeal for caught behind when Tryon may or may not have edged. Surely the batters will have a dart now.
35th over: South Africa 178-4 (Du Preez 3, Tryon 5) Target 332 Elwiss has been much tighter in her second spell, but Tryon drives four as Wyatt chases, bellyflops, and misses. There are two other singles from the over, which is to say these need to steam in.
34th over: South Africa 172-4 (Du Preez 2, Tryon 0) Target 332 The required rate is at a fat, round 10.00 at the end of the 34th, and the question now is whether England bowl South Africa out or not.
WICKET! Van Niekerk c Elwiss b Ecclestone 9 (South Africa 172-4)
There we go. Ecclestone, looking to cramp Van Niekerk, bowls straight and full, but Van Niekerk has no choice but to chuck hands at it anyway. She can’t get under the ball properly, it flies high into the air, and is caught comfortably at mid on.
33rd over: South Africa 171-3 (Van Niekerk 9, Du Preez 2) Target 332 Du Preez gerts off the mark with a Red Bull single; the required rate is now 9.60.
WICKET! Lee c Wyatt b Elwiss 117 (South Africa 170-3)
This is an excellent catch. Lee cuts hard and it flies to point, phizog-height; Wyatt does really well to get the hands up while taking half a step back, and that is probably that. What an innings, though!
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33rd over: South Africa 166-2 (Lee 116, Van Niekerk 7) Target 332 Back comes Elwiss, her field suggesting a full and straight line...
32nd over: South Africa 166-2 (Lee 116, Van Niekerk 7) Target 332 Ecclestone replaces Brunt; here we go. Or he we don’t go; both Lee and Van Nikerk look to free their arms, but three singles is all they manage and this is slipping away from South Africa now. Well bowled, Sophie Ecclestone.
31st over: South Africa 164-2 (Lee 115, Van Niekerk 5) Target 332 After three dots, Van Niekerk has a slash at Shrubsole, but the ball goes just pass Wyatt’s dive. But only a single more follows, and we’re at that point again: someone needs to do something.
30th over: South Africa 160-2 (Lee 114, Van Niekerk 2) Target 332 England will want to see the back of Lee before Shrubsole and Brunt come off again and the spinners have to come on, but in the meantime the required rate has climbed to 8.6 - not impossible to achieve, but for 20 overs, very difficult.
“By absolutely any standards it’s possible to imagine, that’s a sensational effort,” says Robert Wilson of Lizelle Lee. “A second fifty in 22 balls from an opener, just as the run-rate is starting to get a bit hairy. Talk about bending the game to your will. It’s less a sign of mental strength than a gross insult to probability. Wow.”
Yep, it’s been brilliant. And I think she can go again too - does Heather Knight keep her top bowlers out there and hope they get a wicket, or keep them back for another go at the end?
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29th over: South Africa 157-2 (Lee 113, Van Niekerk 1) Target 332 Lee hasn’t been able to attack England’s opening pair in the way she persecuted the rest of the attack, and two runs plus a wicket is a brilliant effort from Anya Shrubsole.
WICKET! Luus c Brunt b Shrubsole 2 (South Africa 155-2)
Yorker-length ball from Shrubsole and Luus gets hold of it nicely - it’s right in her slot - but picks out Brunt at deep square, who slides under it with no little expertise.
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28th over: South Africa 155-1 (Lee 112, Luus 2) Target 332 Brunt gets a proper shy at Luus, who manages a single around the corner from her fourth ball. Lee then can’t find the gap, yes she can, the final delivery of the over strays onto the pads and is duly twisted for four through deep backward square.
27th over: South Africa 150-1 (Lee 108, Luus 1) Target 332 Shrubsole returns, seeking to exploit the new batter, and Lee takes a single from her third ball; Luus can only manage the same from what’s left. The required rate is now 7.97.
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26th over: South Africa 148-1 (Lee 107, Luus 0) Target 332 The batters crossed, so it’s Lee on strike and she plays a late cut that defeats the short third man, there especially not to be defeated by that shot.
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WICKET! Wolvaardt c Jones b Brunt 32 (South Africa 142-1)
Wolvaardt’s hardly had a hit this last bit, and she looks to go over the leg side but doesn’t get enough of it and Jones takes a simple catch. I’m not sure if that’s a good change from Heather Knight, or one she should’ve made half an hour ago.
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25th over: South Africa 140-0 (Lee 101, Wolvaardt 31) Target 332 The highest successful run chase in women’s cricket came in 2012 when Australia made 289-6 to beat New Zealand, which is to say this would be the best and by a street. Anyway, Sciver replaces Ecclestone and Lee deflects one back of a length, which comes on perfectly when she gets in a big stride, over square leg for six! So Sciver goes fuller, and again Lee gets down the track and use the pace to add four through square leg! We are witnessing something very, very special! Yes we are! a controlled pull, that’s 15 from the over, a century for Lee, and what an innings this has been! Power, patience, skill and touch, it’s all there - her second 50 took just 22 balls. This is the first women’s match to feature three tons, and what tons they’ve been.
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24th over: South Africa 125-0 (Lee 87, Wolvaardt 30) Target 332 Lee has gone! She swivels on a leg side one from Marsh, caressing it around the corner for four, then cuts a wide one for four more - pressure now for England. As I’ve said all along, she’s martialing this chase perfectly. But the rest of the over yields just two singles, so achieving the run rate but without cashing in given what’s to come back.
23rd over: South Africa 117-0 (Lee 78, Wolvaardt 29) Target 332 South Africa are, though, finding gaps in the field more easily than before, and Lee brings up the hunnert with a deft turn around the corner for four. And look at that! She gets down on one knee to marmalise Ecclestone over wide mid on for six, then annihilates a full toss over square leg and onto the roof of a local accountant’s. she is such a clean and powerful hitter! Surely England will try and break this partnership now? Anyway, there’s a break while they seek the ball, but that’s 17 runs off the over.
22nd over: South Africa 96-0 (Lee 61, Wolvaardt 29) Target 332 England have not often looked, and do not really look, like getting a wicket. I wonder if England might soon bring back Brunt, Shrubsole or both, because they’ll be starting to wonder. But there’s a limit to how many overs can go by without even getting close to the required rate, and this here is another.
21st over: South Africa 92-0 (Lee 59, Wolvaardt 27) Target 332 Ecclestone and her SLA continue, and Lee absolutely mashes her over midwicket, over the fence and against the catering tent. “Shot!” she tells herself, and South Africa are starting to up the pace.
20th over: South Africa 79-0 (Lee 51, Wolvaardt 26) Target 332 Laura Marsh comes on and Lee cuts her hard, earning four through backward point. Lee then edges ... but it keeps low and goes between Taylor’s pads for four! The lights are on now, and the players are starting to dry the ball, but there it is covering itself in dew when Lee cuts again, this time squarer, and that’s her fifth fifty in six innings. She’ll have to convert this one, I shouldn’t wonder, and that’s drinks. 12 off the over, and the required rate is now 8.30.
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19th over: South Africa 70-0 (Lee 39, Wolvaardt 25) Target 332 England raised their hundred in the 19th over but South Africa seem content to nurdle - despite facing a new, young bowler in Ecclestone - like it’s the 1992 World Cup final. Except it isn’t, they don’t have Wasim Akram, and they’re batting second. This is actually quite strange now.
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18th over: South Africa 66-0 (Lee 36, Wolvaardt 24) Target 332 Five singles. Bats need swinging, now.
17th over: South Africa 61-0 (Lee 33, Wolvaardt 22) Target 332 Sciver tries a full, floaty one that whacks Wolvaardt on the pad, prompting a lusty appeal; it’s well outside leg, so the umpire quickly dismisses it. Wolvaardt then tries a drive over mid off, but it needed more power than she imparted and Ecclestone ought really to have taken the catch, backpeddling. But she was slow to work out her bearings, and dropped it; quickly, she is punished, when Wolvaardt swipes a one-bounce four. The required rate is now well over 8.
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16th over: South Africa 55-0 (Lee 32, Wolvaardt 17) Target 332 England’s bowlers have done a pretty good job of restricting width - both batters would love to chuck hands at anything wide, and when Elwiss tries a cutter, Lee does just that - Brunt does excellently to laif around the boundary and save two with a dive. Then, with the final ball, Lee is beaten but well outside the line when hit on the pad.
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15th over: South Africa 53-0 (Lee 30, Wolvaardt 17) Target 332 Wolvaardt brings up the fifty partnership with a single and Lee nabs one too, then an edge adds two more. It’s not enough, and I’m beginning to wonder what the South African gameplan is.
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14th over: South Africa 49-0 (Lee 29, Wolvaardt 14) Target 332 Here we go. Lee stands and delivers, picking length, settling into a solid base, and lashing Elwiss down the ground for six. But still only seven from the over, so it was a rescue-job rather than a building job.
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13th over: South Africa 42-0 (Lee 23, Wolvaardt 13) Target 332 Lee is not scared to go in the air, and a strong bottom hand allows her to whack Sciver over mid on for four; she takes two off the next ball too. These two both have starts now, and you’d expect that at least one of them will need to make something sub sub sub sub substantial if South Africa are going to get anywhere near winning this. Six from the over; the rate is now 7.84.
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12th over: South Africa 36-0 (Lee 17, Wolvaardt 11) Target 332 Wolvaardt drives through the covers and they run two while Brunt cuts it off, then a drive back past the bowler is very well cut off by Shrubsole, on the bounce. Wolvaardt needs to find a few more shots, by the look of things - she can drive when it’s in the slot, but most balls aren’t.
11th over: South Africa 33-0 (Lee 17, Wolvaardt 11) Target 332 England were 61-0 at this stage, which tells you just how far behind the game South Africa are. Anyway, Sciver is into the attack and keeping it tight – a nurdled single from Lee is the only run from a hustled-through over.
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10th over: South Africa 32-0 (Lee 15, Wolvaardt 11) Target 332 Elwiss, in for Gunn, replaces Brunt to bowl the final over of the powerplay; I wonder if the batters might have a go at her. Wolvaardt turns her to leg first up, and Brunt hurls at the striker’s, disappointed when Taylor can’t collect and break the stumps, but it was never a chance. Still, another good over for England - South Africa need to get a wriggle on.
9th over: South Africa 30-0 (Lee 14, Wolvaardt 10) Target 332 Interesting! Wolvaardt sees Shrubsole coming, takes a short stride down, and lamps a straight one over square leg for a one-bounce four. Three singles follow, and the required rate is now 7.36.
8th over: South Africa 23-0 (Lee 13, Wolvaardt 4) Target 332 And there we go! Brunt drops slightly short and straight, so Lee pivots on her back foot and lifts four over the leg side infield. This is more like it: back of a length delivery from Brunt, again too straight, so again Lee helps it over the leg side for four.
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7th over: South Africa 15-0 (Lee 5, Wolvaardt 4) Target 332 South Africa have started to nudge the singles but they’re not going to help much unless accompanied by boundaries. Shrubsole is finding decent inswing, but Wolvaardt is preoccupied with pretty drives whene leg-side swipes is where it’s at. a single from Lee is the only run from the over.
6th over: South Africa 14-0 (Lee 4, Wolvaardt 4) Target 332 The run rate is already above seven, and a wide from Brunt does not put to put much of a dent; is that a half-rhyme? I think it’s passable. Lee then absorbs one on the body before turning a single down to fine leg, so Brutn sends down a bouncer that Wolvaardt has no idea how to play; she ducks while playing an airy drive and the ball flies past. This is an excellent start from England.
5th over: South Africa 12-0 (Lee 3, Wolvaardt 4) Target 332 Wolvaardt is a lovely driver, but can’t stop picking out the fielders. Except when she does so driving at Shrubsole’s second ball, after she did so driving at Shrubsole’s first ball, Amy Jones contrives a dive over it at the cost of four. They’re the only runs of the over, but facing its final delivery, Wolvaardt tries to drive one too close to her body, and is relieved to see it sneak by.
4th over: South Africa 8-0 (Lee 3, Wolvaardt 0) Target 332 This is not yet a problem for South Africa, but this is also not a great start. Perhaps they’re looking to see off the openers and then wade in, but they’re also chasing 332, and doing so successfully generally requires a fast start, or at least a sauntering start. Lee glances two down towards the point fence, but they’re the only runs of the over.
3rd over: South Africa 6-0 (Lee 1, Wolvaardt 0) Target 332 Lee turns one into the leg side and they run one, bringing Wolvaardt onto strike. She’s trying to unfurl that delectable cover drive, but so far can’t find the gaps.
2nd over: South Africa 5-0 (Lee 0, Wolvaardt 0) Target 332 Brunt starts well, offering Wolvaardt no width, before slinging down a wide. She responds well, though, and that aforementioned wide is the only run from the over; we’ve still had nothing off the bat.
1st over: South Africa 4-0 (Lee 0, Wolvaardt 0) Target 332 Bit of swing for Shrubsole first up, whose inswing is pinning Lee inside her crease, and after four deliveries she induces a false shot; Lee looks to turn one around the corner and misses. And what a delivery she produces next up, quick, seaming in, clipping leg stump, and rushing away for four! Lee is exceedingly amused by this, Shrubsole less so.
The England players are huddling, which I fully expect to make the difference in this one. It’s pretty overcast out there, which might help the new-ball attack.
Right, we’re nearly there: the players will be back with us shortly.
In the first ODI, England’s bowlers had nothing at which to bowl, and South Africa’s batters had no scoreboard pressure with which to contend. The next 50 overs will tell us plenty about both, and in particular, the first powerplay will set up the match: can Lee and Wolvaardt get after Brunt and Shrubsole?
It’s never too soon to revisit this.
🗨 She’s got the fastest hands in the game! 🗨
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 9, 2018
Watch Sarah Taylor’s superb stumping as South Africa lose two early wickets chasing 190 to beat England in opening ODI. https://t.co/8CY2NZ3lJD
📺 on Sky Sports Cricket: https://t.co/BPiFzvlV7z https://t.co/CyKVKeX6Ex
I wonder if England might be a little disappointed. I’m sure they’d have taken 331 at the start, but when Beaumont and Taylor were whacking it, they’d have fancied something nearer to 400. They’re still favourites, of course, but they’re not out of sight.
Afternoon all! Sarah Taylor is a genius, what else do you want to know?
What a fightback. England were smashed up on Saturday and had to bounce back today. So far, they have done just that with the batting line-up standing up with the their sixth highest ever ODI tally. Beaumont’s ton was clever and precise, Taylor’s was outrageous, brilliant and a joy to witness. I hand over to Daniel Harris with the home side in the box seat. Enjoy the second innings. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Bye!
ENGLAND FINISH WITH 331-6. (WICKET! Wyatt c du Preez b Kapp 20)
50th: England 331-6 (Brunt 12 not out) Brunt, who has never been more confident with the bat, smashes a full Kapp delivery down the ground for four to begin the final over. Excellent work from the visiting seamer to take pace off the ball at this stage, executing her skillz, as they say in the caper. More great running through the over, Wyatt to the danger end. Weirdly, Kapp took the ball clean but didn’t take the stumps? She didn’t appear to be watching. Odd behaviour. It means she’ll have to bowl the last ball to Wyatt... who holes out to midwicket. Excellent diving catch from du Preez. And done.
49th: England 320-5 (Wyatt 19, Brunt 4) The penultimate over didn’t bring a boundary, the eight runs all in the smaller currency of Khaka’s final over (2/72), but they scored off every ball and galloped between the wickets. That’s been a feature throughout this innings: brilliant running.
48th: England 314-5 (Wyatt 15, Brunt 0) Wyatt not missing out, deflecing then smashing Ismail for three boundaries in the over to ensure this innings will finish with a flurry. A terrible day at the office for the South African quick who finishes with 2/78 from her ten.
WICKET! Taylor c Lackay b Ismail 118 (England 305-5)
Taylor with her foot down to the end, swiping hard but not getting Ismail out of the circle, caught by Lackay at midwicket. Many of the South Africans all go up to the century maker to offer their congratulations on a truly wonderful hand.
47th: England 300-4 (Taylor 118, Wyatt 1) Wyatt drives to get off the mark with a single from the last ball of the Kapp over and it brings up the 300 for the hosts. The 11th time England have topped 300 in ODIs and the fifth since Mark Robinson took over as coach a couple of years ago. Thanks once again to Phil Long on BBC TMS for that.
WICKET! Knight c Ntozakhe b Kapp 24 (England 299-4)
Kapp, by far the best of the bowlers, has earned that entry into the book. Knight tried to lift her over fine leg but didn’t clear the fielder on the circle on the 45. Nice cameo from the captain. Enter Danni Wyatt.
46th: England 296-3 (Taylor 117, Knight 23) More fours! Ismail is unlucky, having four runs marked against her name when Taylor misses another reverse dab, just missing the off-stump but evading Lizelle Lee behind the stumps. Should have been byes but they all count. Four singles before a dot ball to finish when Taylor elects to get underneath an accurate bumper.
45th: England 289-3 (Taylor 111, Knight 21) What do you call that? A reverse standing sweep? She’s tried that earlier today, but this time Taylor executes it perfectly, down for four. Next, down the ground after making room for herself slapping over Khaka’s head for another! “Where do you bowl and who do you bowl to Sarah Taylor?” Izzy Westbury asks on the BBC call. Knight’s turn, making room to slap a bullet past extra cover into the gap to the rope. 16 off it to all-but ensure that England will be defending more than a run a ball. Brilliant batting.
44th: England 273-3 (Taylor 102, Knight 16) Kapp is back, meaning a slightly more conservative approach with four singles to begin. Oh, scrap that, Sarah Taylor is now lapping over the head of the ‘keeper, because she can. Doesn’t quite make it to the rope, so they take a couple.
Sarah Taylor brings up her hundred!
43rd: England 266-3 (Taylor 100, Knight 11) van Niekerk starts her eighth over at Taylor, who uses her feet to take one down the ground for one. It’s Knight who takes the long handle instead, going inside out over cover to bosh her first boundary. Shot! Taylor again later in the over, on 98 with one ball to come, clips through midwicket and sprints back for her seventh ODI ton! Great running, emblematic of a glittering innings that has had every shot in the book and plenty that aren’t. 93 balls to get there.
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42nd: England 258-3 (Taylor 97, Knight 6) Taylor lucky! To begin Ismail’s new over, she worked across her stumps to flick behind square. Didn’t quite get all of it, giving Khaka a chance to take a brilliant catch on the rope but she didn’t quite make it around even with a full-stretch dive. The champion number three now within one strike of a century now but they are happy enough to exchange singles for the rest of this over.
41st: England 248-3 (Taylor 90, Knight 4) van Niekerk is back on and races through her over giving up only three singles. It doesn’t look it from a quick look at the card, but South Africa have had a pretty good half hour or so.
40th: England 245-3 (Taylor 88, Knight 3) Ismail’s had a shocker so far but still has four overs to get through. She fights back well though giving up no boundary balls. That’s the end of the power play for the batting side, worth 35 and bringing two wickets. Not quite what they were after, then.
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39th: England 239-3 (Taylor 86, Knight 2) Knight off the mark with a single, Taylor gives the strike back to her, then the captain getting another to midwicket. Plenty of space in the deep with only three allowed outside the circle in this five over block but no boundaries from here, just four runs coming from the successful Khaka set.
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WICKET! Sciver c Wolvaardt b Khaka 6 (England 236-3)
Urrrgh! Sciver has hit a full toss to deep midwicket. Nice while it lasted. The umpires check upstairs that the terrible delivery wasn’t above the waist, but it’s fine. Nice take from Wolvaardt, who had to move forward to secure the catch. Never easy to do.
38th: England 235-2 (Taylor 83, Sciver 6) Kapp is immediately back on after that awful Ismail over. She only has four left though and she can’t bowl outside leg stump to Nat Sciver, who flicks fine for four. Such a clever little shot. “Only Nat Sciver does those weird angles on the leg side,” says Ebony Rainford-Brent on TMS. Yeah, find a TV.
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37th: England 229-2 (Taylor 82, Sciver 1) Sciver is promoted up the order. Find a TV.
WICKET! Beaumont c van Niekerk b Khaka 101 (England 227-2)
Very high in the air, the captain van Niekerk was under it at mid-on and took the important catch. Relief for the Proteas after a brilliant Beaumont innings. Ends a dashing partnership of 156 to set this game up for the hosts.
Tammy Beaumont brings up her hundred!
36th: England 226-1 (Beaumont 101, Taylor 80) Happy hour begins for England in a perfect position to land a knock-out blow in this game. Ismail starts her third spell from the far end with five overs up her sleve for this period. Good signs from the batting pair, who turn one into two from a pull shot hit to the sweeper. The opener follows it with a standing slap through cover for four! Into the 90s in lovely fashion. Then four more off an inside edge brings her to 97! Not far at all from the stumps but it doesn’t matter because to 100 she goes! Three fours in a row! That’s one way to move through the nervous 90s! With one of her best shots of the day, steering a lovely cut shot into the gap at backward point. It was her 12th four along with one six. 107 balls to make her fourth ODI ton. Fantastic knock. 16 from the over. Yikes.
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Been a while.
This is England's first century ODI partnership since Taylor & Beaumont put on 122 for the 2nd wicket during the 3rd Ashes ODI at Coff's Harbour in October. #ENGvSA https://t.co/oTDDtFOh3X
— hypocaust (@_hypocaust) June 12, 2018
35th: England 210-1 (Beaumont 86, Taylor 79) To break it up, Taylor moves across her stumps in premeditated fashion from the last ball of van Niekerk’s over and picks it up expertly through the gap at midwicket for four. Nice shot to take a drinks break on.
34th: England 203-1 (Beaumont 85, Taylor 74) Plenty of talk about changing the batting order if England lose a wicket now. Sciver sure would be fun. But don’t discount Knight, who showed in the Women’s Ashes that she is also capable of giving it the big ones. Wyatt could also get a promption. I’d rather see both of these two get to 100 first, mind. Spot on from Kapp here once more, conceding just two singles. So, that’s only eight runs from the last three overs to put the brakes on at last.
33rd: England 201-1 (Beaumont 84, Taylor 73) Good back to back overs as the sun burns through the cloud. After three dots in a row (haven’t said that in a while) Beaumont plays a false stroke attempting to take van Niekerk over the top after coming down the track. Sure enough, the top edge falls between three Proteas’ fielders running around behind the bowler. The England 200 comes up with it but there is only two from the over. Much better. Can Kapp take advantage and force an error from the other end?
32nd: England 199-1 (Beaumont 83, Taylor 72) Attack-leader Kapp is back for her fifth over and not before time. They need her to break this up immediately. A lot more respect being shown when Kapp has the ball in her hand, with just four runs coming. South Africa’s best over in a long while. Something to build from.
31st: England 195-1 (Beaumont 81, Taylor 72) When Beaumont gets her turn, she wants to sweep van Niekerk. So good at it, she gets two with her first attempt with no risk at all. Actually, the right-hander nearly falls over when attempting the lapped version of the stroke later in the over but keeps it together. More runs to the sweepers on the leg side to finish.
30th: England 189-1 (Beaumont 78, Taylor 69) Yuk. Awful start to the Khaka over, allowing Taylor to smack a full toss around the corner for four more. She could beat Beaumont to a century here. Indeed, she should. Oh, the placement! Taylor has made room outside the legstump next up and had the flexibility to alter her stroke to again pick the gap behind the square leg umpire for a second boundary in three balls to start this over. She’s quite unstoppable on days like today.
29th: England 180-1 (Beaumont 78, Taylor 60) Sweeps and paddles and pulls. Runs to the sweepers milked from every van Niekerk delivery.
28th: England 174-1 (Beaumont 74, Taylor 58) Sarah Taylor’s 50! Brings it up through long-on with a single to reach the mark in just 45 balls. Outstanding white-ball batting, scoring all around the ground. Beaumont, going stroke for stroke, ramps a single of her own. This is the Taylor show though, driving Khaka magnificently through the covers - four more. Oh dear, another boundary off the pad, down the legside and running to the rope. “The wheels are starting to fall off,” says Izzy Westbury on TMS and she’s spot on. Taylor keeps the strike with a punch to the square leg sweeper. The 100 partnership is also raised in the expensive over.
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27th: England 160-1 (Beaumont 73, Taylor 49) Blimey, what is that?! Sarah Taylor being Sarah Taylor, that’s what it is. She creates a full toss from nothing, reaching out to pull through midwicket for four more. The South African captain, with the ball in her hand, has no answer here. She fights back well with a well-landed wrong’un, but allows Taylor to walk another single from a full toss. Lucky that the over didn’t go for more.
26th: England 153-1 (Beaumont 72, Taylor 43) Well, they are going to regret dropping Taylor. The superstar local tried to play a standing reverse sweep early on - why wouldn’t she? - but didn’t make contact. In response, she unleashed two conventional shots through the legside either side of square leg - a pull then a sweep - to secure back to back boundaries for the second time in her stay. Up comes the England 150.
25th: England 143-1 (Beaumont 72, Taylor 34) Okay, van Niekerk at last. Taylor accumulating from every delivery, Beaumont gets one from a paddle. Six very straightforward runs added. Perfect middle-overs batting.
24th: England 137-1 (Beaumont 70, Taylor 30) That will be SIX more! Beaumont sweeping with raw power. Moves across the off-side and launches the left-arm seamer Tryon. A couple more down the ground to finish takes her into the 70s.
23rd: England 128-1 (Beaumont 62, Taylor 30) Taylor’s turn, smashing Ntozakhe through midwicket! Cop that! Oh, but a dropped catch next ball! Taylor reversing, and gets four, but via the hands of the fielder at point. You can’t drop Sarah Taylor when she’s batting like this. Beaumont sweeps conventionally to keep the strike to cap a run of four more singles in a row. 12 off that over. Gotta get the wrist spinners on and change this up or it’ll get massive. Otherwise, I’m with Causters, some records will tumble here soon.
@collinsadam The record ODI total at Hove (258/1) has stood since England women's first ever ODI (45 years ago this month, vs International XI during the 1973 World Cup).
— hypocaust (@_hypocaust) June 12, 2018
Suspect there'll be a new record in the next hour or two.
22nd: England 116-1 (Beaumont 60, Taylor 20) Here comes Tammy! Over the top twice for back to back boundaries off Tryon, over long-on with ease after using her feet. That reminds me of her pair of 2016 centuries, where she drove the bowlers over their head at will after passing 50. Ten off the over. This could get really big.
21st: England 106-1 (Beaumont 51, Taylor 18) Beaumont is reversing sweeping Ntozakhe at every opportunity from round the wicket. She doesn’t make contact this time, but three easy singles are located through the legside to keep the board ticking over.
20th: England 103-1 (Beaumont 50, Taylor 16) Taylor just knocking it around here, giving Beaumont the strike early in the over. Immediately, she brings up her 50 with a single to mid-on. Again, the field was set deep and the opener is all over it, taking on the throw to bring up the milestone. It is her sixth half-century in ODIs alongside three tons. Collected seven boundaries along the way. 60 balls to raise the bat. “From me it started from ball one,” says Charlotte Edwards on TMS. “That drive down the ground set the tone.” Another single around the corner for Taylor who is seeing them well.
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19th: England 100-1 (Beaumont 49, Taylor 14) A well compiled first hundred for England, Taylor bringing up the milestone with a push down the ground. The spinner, Ntozakhe, is giving it plenty of air from around the wicket, encouraging Beaumont to dance later in the over, but she can’t beat the bowler in her follow through a couple of times in a row. So just the two runs from it.
18th: England 98-1 (Beaumont 48, Taylor 13) Chloe Tryon, the left-arm seamer, replaces Ismail at the far end to restart. Taylor takes a single down the ground, helped by a misfield. Then a quick single for Beaumont, who bunts and runs. Excellent batting to take advantage of the field sticking deep on the circle much to the dismay of Charlotte Edwards on commentary. Taylor ramps then Beaumont clips; two more singles. Too easy for this pair right now. Will van Niekerk bring herself on? She left it until about over 35 on Saturday despite taking more wickets than anybody in last year’s World Cup. Come on, skip, give it a rip.
17th: England 94-1 (Beaumont 47, Taylor 11) Ntozakhe lets Taylor rotate the strike and give Beaumont a go, who reverse sweeps first up again! Squarer on this occasion, collected before reaching the rope, but they add three. The opener is hitting that shot nicely. Singles exchanged from the pair to end the over. Drinks. England will enjoy them after an excellent first 65 minutes.
“Oh cobblers,” tweets Ravi Nair at me. “Jones is a great cricketer but, as this dismissal shows, she’s not yet winning matches. Yes we have to build resilience and Jones likes to open, but. If we want to win, why aren’t we opening with Wyatt, who has surely been our best bat in the last year?”
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16th: England 87-1 (Beaumont 43, Taylor 8) Ismail sticking with it from the far end but Taylor is ticking the board over at will, this time with a couple behind square early in the over. Only one further single to point though, so Taylor keeps the strike.
15th: England 84-1 (Beaumont 43, Taylor 5) Spin again from Ntozakhe to Taylor. She’s once again able to get down the other end straight away, behind square leg. Oh no, it’s an overstepped no-ball as well!.“That’s criminal!” roars Edwards on radio. So, that’s a free hit for Beaumont. Not much of a shot with it, swinging hard with a top edge, landing just outside the circle at cover. Always hard with a free hit. The spinner does find Taylor’s inside edge to finish, a single spitting out to the fielder at short fine. Lucky not to play on there.
14th: England 76-1 (Beaumont 40, Taylor 1) The home town hero Sarah Taylor walks out at number three and is straight off the mark with an easy single. Ismail is short again to Beaumont, who lifts her around the corner very fine to the boundary again. Not the most convincing shot, but just got the inside edge or glove or splice to it, by the looks. Her seventh four and she’s into the 40s.
“I have been getting frustrated at people talking about South Africa as the underdogs,” says Charlotte Edwards on TMS. “For two years they have been playing some excellent cricket. Many of the South Africans are playing in the WBBL and the KSL playing globally.”
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WICKET! Jones c Wolvaardt b Ismail 29 (England 71-1)
Throws it away! Just as Jones did on Saturday, she has fallen when looking in complete control. The opener has miscued a pull to midwicket, nothing much in it at all.
13th: England 70-0 (Jones 29, Beaumont 35) Cleeeever. Beaumont gets her sixth boundary with a reverse sweep perfectly executed off Ntozakhe. “That’s a good option for Tammy,” says Lottie Edwards. “That shot is one of her strengths.” The spinner is now around the wicket and Beaumont is reversing again, albeit straight to a fielder. She gets another run down the ground more conventionally, keeping the strike.
12th: England 65-0 (Jones 29, Beaumont 30) Ismail has to dig herself out of an early hole, having bowled an expensive over at either end so far. And it is a better set, Beaumont cutting from close to her body to third man for the solitary run from it.
11th: England 64-0 (Jones 29, Beaumont 29) Spin for the first time today now that the field can be spread. Ntozakhe, the off-spinner, was frugal on Saturday and raced through her overs in about 60 seconds apiece. I like that she is over the wicket here. Honours shared, just the three singles to the sweepers. This is now Amy Jones’ highest score in England (thanks, BBC) having played the bulk of her internationals abroad.
10th: England 61-0 (Jones 28, Beaumont 27) Ismail has been swung around to the far end of the ground, Jones taking a single first ball. To Beaumont again, who has the bat leave her hand! All happening here. Next up, a ball short of a length beats both Beaumont and the keeper, Lee. She had a terrible day with the gloves in Worcester and hasn’t got much better here. Four byes it is. “You’ve got to have your best wicketkeeper out there,” Edwards says of Lee. “With her opening the batting it looks too much for Lee.” Beaumont again, cutting four more! Wonderful timing and makes no mistake with the placement in the final over of the power play. It sure was a productive one.
9th: England 51-0 (Jones 27, Beaumont 22) That was Jones’ second six in ODIs, Phil Long tells us on TMS. Her only other big one was in Narpur in March, where she made 94, her highest international score. Good signs. Beaumont now, taking a couple to start Khaka’s new over before smashing her through midwicket to the rope to bring up England’s 50. Real stand and deliver stuff there, bouncing only a couple of times before reaching the line. Fantastic start from the hosts.
8th: England 45-0 (Jones 27, Beaumont 16) Biiiig over deep square leg from Jones off Kapp! Really given that a wallop from a ball too short to a player like Jones, who stands tall in the crease and requires no encouragement to play from he back foot. They go upstairs to make sure it has gone the distance, and it has: SIX RUNS! Kapp is right back on it next ball, sliding a yorker into Jones, who just keeps it out. Later in the over, an even better shot from Jones, square driving with wonderful timing to the boundary at cover point. Whaddashot! She’s up and about. “She does look the real deal at the top of the order,” says her former captain Charlotte Edwards on TMS.
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7th: England 35-0 (Jones 17, Beaumont 16) Both players take singles with nice drives to the point sweeper. Really encouraging way to tick the board over in these early overs when building a base. Beaumont continues to present a straight blade to Khaka. She’s in much better touch today.
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6th: England 33-0 (Jones 16, Beaumont 15) Kapp keeping Jones honest early, who is on the advance later in the over to drive straight. But again, it is too straight, crashing into the stumps at the non-strikers end and she’s robbed of a boundary. Strikes another nice drive to finish, but straight to extra cover. Instead of runs, that is a maiden. South Africa’s first of the day.
5th: England 33-0 (Jones 16, Beaumont 15) Lizelle Lee is up to the stumps for Khaka, who is bowling from our broadcast end. She’s nice and full to Beaumont, who leaps on her front foot to strike a pristine cover drive. That’s Beaumont at her best, what we remember well from the last couple of summers in this country. She’s driving again to end the over, but straight enough that Khaka is able to make a good stop in her follow through. Just the start that England needed after their collapse on Saturday.
4th: England 27-0 (Jones 15, Beaumont 10) Unlike her opening partner, Kapp does get a second over. Again, she is using the seam to bring it back at the right handers, this time Beaumont who is a touch uncomfortable early on in the set. Does well to keep her posture and grab one to midwicket. Very poor finish from Kapp, dropping a half-tracker in at Jones who loves pulling, doing so here for four. Can’t bowl there to her.
3rd: England 22-0 (Jones 11, Beaumont 9) Immediate bowling change for South Africa. Very unusual after the first over of the day, Khaka replacing Ismail. The first ball is waaaay wide and called accordingly. Next up, short and wide giving Jones the chance to strike her through cover. An easy boundary, her first today. Does it again next ball, on the back foot and beating the stacked off-side ring field. Very poor start from South Africa from this end. “England are timing the ball beautifully,” says Ebony Rainford-Brent on TMS. Khaka recovers well, but England have taken nine from it.
When she's on-song Amy Jones really has got the timing of a very expensive Swiss watch.
— CRICKETher 🏏 (@crickether) June 12, 2018
2nd: England 13-0 (Jones 3, Beaumont 9) Jones turns the strike over first ball from Kapp’s day - gliding to third man - then Beaumont does the same when clipping to square leg. Good running, good start. Better to finish, locating Jones’ inside edge that isn’t far away from the stumps on the deflection. That’s the first delivery to jag back off the seam.
1st: England 10-0 (Jones 1, Beaumont 8) Jones off the mark with a nicely-timed clip through midwicket for one. I like the fact that she’s taking the first delivery again. I had a chat with her after the opening game and at the top of the list is definitely where she wants to be. Shot! Beaumont plays a wonderful straight drive first ball, racing away to the rope. Ideal way to start her day. Ismail sprays the next down the legside and Beaumont uses the extra ball nicely, striking a second boundary for the opening over, this time carving past point. That’s a poor over from Ismail, capitalised by the openers.
The players are on the field! Amy Jones and Tammy Beaumont to open for England. Shabnim Ismail will be taking the first over, running away from us at the broadcast end. This is a big day for England’s women, how will they respond? PLAY!
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A few minutes before we begin. Use them well by reading Vic Marks on why Scotland’s men should be in the 2019 World Cup and how it could work into the future.
More from the toss, via the BBC TMS call (which you can grab here)
Heather Knight: “I was a bit undecided what to do, the pitch is quite dry so I don’t mind batting first, but we’ve got to bat a bit better than we did the other day,” she said. “As a team, we want to play positive, attacking cricket but adapt to the conditions.”
We’re yet to hear if Gunn was dropped or is injured. Either way, Elwiss has earned her recall after sound form with both ball and bat so far this year at all levels of the game.
Dane van Niekerk: “The conditions suit us,” she said, citing the experience some of her team had playing at this ground in last year’s KSL Finals. “After the heartbreak of the World Cup, that’s been our driving force, we don’t want to go through that again”
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No surprises at the toss. South Africa were always going to have a trundle first after what happened on Saturday to keep the pressure firmly on the hosts. And here are those official teams, as named:
England: Amy Jones, Tammy Beaumont, Sarah Taylor (+), Heather Knight (c), Nat Sciver, Danielle Wyatt, Georgia Elwiss, Katherine Brunt, Anya Shrubsole, Laura Marsh, Sophie Ecclestone.
South Africa: Women: Lizelle Lee (+), Laura Wolvaardt, Sune Luus, Dane van Niekerk (c), Mignon du Preez, Chloe Tryon, Marizanne Kapp, Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka, Raisibe Ntozakhe, Stacey Lackay.
England: Georgia Elwiss in for Jenny Gunn. Otherwise, unchanged from Saturday.
South Africa: Unchanged.
Just waiting on some team sheets.
South Africa won the toss and will bowl first
Teams in a tick.
Hi Tanya! Don’t forget, you can stay in touch with the county cricket blog too. Forget about a cluttered browser, keep us both open as we move through the day. I see that Somerset need 247 after Notts’ massive second dig, which gives Matt Renshaw ample time to register twin-tons for the fixture. Don’t doubt him, he’s pretty good at cricket.
Let’s chat. I feel like I should keep saying that my email has changed since the winter, now at this one. Yeah, you better believe I’m casual. As for the twitter, that’s the same as it ever was. Hit me on both. Would you change the England XI? Are they missing a third front-line seamer? If so, then who? Is South Africa’s pace attack the best in the world?
Preamble
Welcome to Hove for the women’s ODI of the summer between England and South Africa. Despite the season, the weather here is eerily similar how it was an hour before the opening rubber: very gloomy. Let’s hope for England that’s where the comparisons end after their shocker at New Road, a match that was all-but over within an hour.
If the home side get knocked off again today, it will be the third time in a row they have lost a 50-over series since holding the World Cup aloft at a packed Lord’s in July last year. There is no panic in the camp as yet, per Anya Shrubsole’s words yesterday, but there might be if they cede this three-rubber contest in straight sets.
South Africa are all smiles. Their coach, Hilton Moreeng, said yesterday that it was a “near to perfect” performance from his bowlers, who reduced England to 64 for six on Saturday. With the overhead conditions today, you can be sure that Shabnim Ismail, Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka will be hoping to again get first with the ball.
The teams are on the field now, England limbering up some some keepy-uppy as the Proteas move into a tight huddle for a chat. The toss is scheduled for 25 minutes from now. I saw Danielle Hazell having a bowl beforehand and it wouldn’t shock me if she came into the side given how well she went in India. Who for, though? We’ll see.
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Adam will be here shortly.
