Summary

Live Reporting

by Sam Drury

  1. new ball

    England take the second new ball

    The second new ball is available and England waste no time in taking it.

    Lauren Filer is ready to come charging in again.

  2. Ffion Wynne
    BBC Sport cricket writer

    In five-day Test cricket, day three is moving day. In women's Tests, does that make it day two-and-a-half?

  3. SA 252-5

    Tryon 10, Luus 54

    Super ball from Ryana MacDonald-Gay to end the over.

    It's another one that just nibbles away off the seam, just as the deliveries for her two wickets did. This one just beats the bat as Sune Luus drives at it.

  4. Kevin Howells
    BBC Test Match Special commentator

    It does look like we will get another break in play here.

    Let's hope not because this Test is building up really nicely. We're not at the end of the second day but it's got a good shape and feel to it. The pitch is not showing much sign of breaking up but wickets have continued to fall today.

  5. Ffion Wynne
    BBC Sport cricket writer

    There's a huge amount of pressure on Sune Luus now. The way that Marizanne Kapp played, being proactive and aggressive and upping the strike rate, took all the pressure off Luus, so she could take her time and hold up an end without scoreboard pressure. She hasn't got that comfort now.

    It'll be interesting to see if she changes her approach or if Tryon will play around her.

  6. SA 250-5

    Trail by 145

    We've just seen a view over the top of the football stadium just along from Mangaung Oval and the sky was decidedly black.

    Whether that is what has just passed or what is about to hit, I couldn't tell you. Given how bright it looks now, you'd hope it is the former.

  7. How's stat?!

    Rufus Bullough
    CricViz analyst

    TryonGetty Images

    Chloe Tryon is well known for her strike-rate in white-ball cricket, but in Test matches she takes a far more measured approach to her batting. She strikes at 59 against pace, but against spinners it drops down to just 22.

  8. SA 250-5

    Trail by 145

    Slightly comical scenes as Chloe Tryon drives at a ball that stays low and two England fielders in the covers dive in different directions - but neither of them gets anywhere near it. Four runs.

    Four more. A cleaner strike from Tryon, through extra cover, and no chance of this one being stopped.

    A third drive in the Ryana MacDonald-Gay over brings just a single with Danni Wyatt-Hodge now sweeping out in the deep.

  9. SA 238-5

    England are on the attack now with two slips, a silly point and a short leg in place as Sophie Ecclestone bowls to Chloe Tryon.

    They're not called into action in this over, though, as Tryon defends stoutly to play out a maiden.

    An added factor to be considered for both sides, but Heather Knight and England in particular, is that the second new ball is available in three overs.

  10. Ffion Wynne
    BBC Sport cricket writer

    SmileGetty Images

    Kapp is so important to South Africa that her wicket is almost worth three in the context of their batting line-up and the lack of depth that they have.

  11. SA 238-5

    Chloe Tryon is the new batter for South Africa and gets off strike as the ball slide down leg and gets through for a bye.

    Sune Luus, unbeaten on 50, then sees out the remainder of the over.

  12. Ffion Wynne
    BBC Sport cricket writer

    A really beautiful delivery from MacDonald-Gay, testing Nadine de Klerk early in her innings with Amy Jones stood up to the stumps.

    South Africa don't have the depth England do, so it could all be over pretty quickly. Chloe Tryon is a more than capable batter but her role in the white-ball side is as a power hitter and finisher, so it's a very different challenge.

  13. wicket

    WICKET

    De Klerk c Jones b MacDonald-Gay 0 (SA 237-5)

    Ryana MacDonald-Gay has another one - and it's another beauty!

    Just as with the Marizanne Kapp dismissal, it's brilliant line from the England seamer. On off stump forcing Nadine de Klerk to play.

    The new batter went back to defend but a hint of movement off the seam sees her feather it behind.

    Good catch from Amy Jones, stood up to the stumps.

  14. SA 237-4

    Trail by 158

    Around 45 minutes after the players went off, play resumes and the unfinished over is completed with a dot ball.

  15. Sophie Ecclestone had been trying in vain to get the ball changed before the delay. Just 5.1 overs to go, Sophie!

    EcclestoneGetty Images

  16. It's still very gloomy in Bloemfontein but the players are back out and we're ready to go.

    One ball left in the Sophie Ecclestone over that started before the lightning forced the players off.

  17. Worms are not just for white-ball cricket and Christmas, you know. They can work in Test cricket too - this perfectly illustrates the pace of scoring of both teams in this Test.

    WormCricviz

  18. Lydia Greenway
    Former England batter on BBC Test Match Special

    Because it's only four days, it can get to a point sooner than it does in men's cricket where it's only going one way: a draw.

    I don't think we're there yet. If England can get a couple of quick wickets, get into the tail of South Africa with a lead of 100 or so, we'll be in for an interesting game.

  19. Play to restart at 14:05 GMT

    Good news from the Mangaung Oval where the covers are coming off - and we even have a restart time!

    The threat of rain has passed without a drop falling and play will resume at 14:05 GMT. So in a little over 10 minutes.

  20. England 'may need to manage Stokes' bowling'

    Ben StokesGetty Images

    It was an extremely trying day for England's men in Hamilton overnight and assistant coach Marcus Trescothick admitted they may have to manage Ben Stokes' bowling workload after the captain sustained another hamstring injury.

    Stokes pulled up on the third afternoon of the third Test against New Zealand and will have a scan overnight.

    The 33-year-old's 36.2 overs in this Test are his most in a single match since June 2022.

    "Maybe it's a case that you manage his bowling loads and he doesn't bowl the volume that he's bowled in this game," said Trescothick. "We'll just have to look at how we manage it."

    New Zealand piled on 453 on day three to set England an improbable 658 to win. The tourists slipped to 18-2 by the close.