England 395 for 9 dec and 236 (Knight 90, Mlaba 6-67) lead South Africa 281 (Wolvaardt 65, Kapp 57, Luus 56, Bell 4-49) by 350 runs
South Africa have been set 351 for victory but even on a fairly placid pitch, it will be a tough ask. The surface is taking some turn and there are signs of variable bounce so England’s four-seam, two-spin attack will back themselves to get the job done in just over four sessions.
That left it to Nadine de Klerk and Tumi Sekhukhune to start well and they were disciplined upfront. They gave away only 12 runs in the first six overs and removed Tammy Beaumont. Sekhukhune struck Beaumont on the knee roll with an inswinger and the absence of DRS proved no problem as she looked out, and was given. Three overs later, Sciver-Brunt, on 4, got a leading edge off de Klerk, which fell short of mid-on and two deliveries after that, she flicked de Klerk to short mid-wicket but the chance fell short of Chloe Tryon.
Sekhukhune was replaced by Annerie Dercksen, but then South Africa went for double spin with Mlaba at one end and Tryon at the other. Given the turn on offer and amount Mlaba gets, she was expected to be a threat and should have had a wicket in her fourth over when Sciver-Brunt edged as she lunged forward to block but Sinalo Jafta could not hold on to the chance. Sciver-Brunt was on 19 at the time, but went on to hit Mlaba for three fours in the over as the floodgates opened.
Mlaba removed Sciver-Brunt when she chopped on after a delivery kept low but that only brought Danni Wyatt-Hodge, and her penchant for finding runs behind square on the off side, to the crease. South Africa picked up on her favourite scoring area fairly early on and put a short third in place. Wyatt-Hodge duly sliced Sekhukhune to the fielder. Amy Jones partnered Knight, who had reached her fifty off 99 balls, to lunch, to end a successful session. Despite England’s slow start to the morning session, they scored a total of 136 runs in the 27 overs bowled before lunch, at a rate of just over five runs to the over.
Mlaba switched ends post lunch and had success from the Willows End. Amy Jones got a leading edge to Wolvaardt in the covers, minutes before it was announced that the South African skipper had earned a demerit point for expressing ” excessive disappointment” when she was given out lbw in the first innings.
She had reason to keep being pleased in the field though. Mlaba picked up a third when Charlie Dean flicked her to Charlie Dean at short mid-wicket, and though Knight moved into the 80s with a strong sweep off Sune Luus, that shot would prove her undoing. One over after Sophie Ecclestone had fallen in the same fashion to Mlaba, Knight was beaten by a ball that turned into her and struck her on the pad. Of course, she could not review.
De Klerk took the last wicket when Lauren Filer picked out short mid-wicket and England’s innings ended with half an hour to go before the tea break.
Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo’s correspondent for South Africa and women’s cricket
Source: ESPN Crickinfo