Summary

  • Intelligent batting from Beaumont & Jones steers England to series win - match report

  • England chase DLS-revised 153 with four overs to spare

  • Wolvaardt top-scores for SA with 61 off 68

  • Capsey, Dean & Ecclestone all take two wickets each

  • Cross suffers back spasm in first over

  • Four-day Test starts on Sunday

Live Reporting

by Tom Mallows, Ffion Wynne & Sam Drury

  1. SA 36-0

    A much better over for Lauren Bell but she's not getting any luck so far.

    She entices Lara Goodall into a drive and finds the edge but the ball flies wide of slip and down to deep third for four.

  2. Rufus Bullough
    CricViz analyst

    Laura Wolvaardt's on-side game has come on leaps and bounds in 2024 and has opened up far more scoring areas for her to demonstrate her remarkable talent.

    In ODIs in 2024 she has scored 55% of her runs on the on-side. This is the highest percentage of any year of her career to date and far higher than her on-side percentage of 37% in 2023.

    Her batting average in 2024 is 94 as well - the highest of her career.

  3. SA 31-0

    England definitely want to be bowling to Lara Goodall rather than Laura Wolvaardt at the moment.

    Goodall is struggling to get going but gets three as a slightly mistimed drive is only half-stopped by the fielder diving to her left at mid-on.

    An inside edge from Wolvaardt last ball means she keeps the strike, though, and will face up to Lauren Bell again to start the next.

  4. Alex Hartley
    Former England bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    South Africa have made a tremendous start. As soon as England get it slightly wrong, just slightly out of line, Wolvaardt capitalises on it immediately.

  5. Aatif Nawaz
    BBC Test Match Special commentator on BBC Sounds

    Laura Wolvaardt is a very special cricketer and is box office to watch. She is looking very good out there at the moment.

  6. SA 27-0

    Wolvaardt 21, Goodall 2

    Laura Wolvaardt's cover drive is a joy to watch.

    She unfurls another one to end the over, through the gap again for another boundary.

    An expensive over from an out-of-sorts Lauren Bell.

  7. SA 22-0

    Lauren Bell oversteps by some distance for a big no-ball.

    Free hit and Laura Wolvaardt takes full advantage, walloping it over the leg side for four.

    Four more! Another gorgeous cover drive now from the South Africa skipper as Bell errs a little too full.

  8. Alex Hartley
    Former England bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    Kate Cross going off changes England's plans massively. We know that Nat Sciver-Brunt can take the new ball but Heather Knight will need to find a new plan very quickly.

  9. SA 13-0

    Nat Sciver-Brunt replaces the injured Kate Cross and starts with five dot balls.

    After finding fielders with a couple of drives early in the over, Laura Wolvaardt finally picks the gap to end it.

    Little more than a push but it's a very quick outfield in Potchefstroom so the ball is only just pulled back before the cushion and South Africa run three.

  10. Alex Hartley
    Former England bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    I like how Lauren Bell started bowling with a ball that swings away from the right-handed batter, she has been working on that a lot recently.

    It's nice to see the England bowlers trying these things.

  11. SA 10-0

    Lauren Bell starts from the other end for England and finds a bit of movement away from Laura Wolvaardt first ball.

    It's guided to deep third for one before Bell loses her line a couple of times to the left-hander Lara Goodall to give up a pair of wides.

    Goodall gets off the mark in between, clipping through mid-wicket for two.

  12. Rufus Bullough
    CricViz analyst

    Potchesftroom has traditionally been a big chasing ground, with two thirds of recent matches won by the side batting second.

    The average first-innings score here is 214, but the average winning first-innings score is a whopping 289.

  13. SA 5-0

    Dot ball from Alice Capsey to complete the over with Lara Goodall quickly sent back by her captain after setting off for a single that was never on.

    England will hope Kate Cross is able to come back later in the innings but given how she hobbled off, I'd be surprised.

    That means the tourists have to find nine overs from elsewhere.

  14. Well, the good news for England is that Kate Cross is now back on her feet.

    You'd hope that means it is nothing too serious. But she is walking off the field with the physio.

    Alice Capsey will bowl the last ball of the over.

  15. SA 5-0

    This does not look good.

    Kate Cross goes down after bowling the fifth ball of her first over and she has stayed down.

    Based on the replays, she went over on her ankle and the physio is quickly out to provide a bit of treatment.

    Cross looks to be really struggling. A big concern for England.

  16. Alex Hartley
    Former England bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    It was a slightly fuller ball from Kate Cross which was hit for four. Her first two balls were a bit more back of the length and Laura Wolvaadrt will not miss the chance of a lovely cover drive.

  17. SA 4-0

    Kate Cross has the new ball in hand and South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt plays and misses at the first ball.

    A touch short and wide from Cross but Wolvaardt can't make contact as she tries to thrash it through point.

    But this one is out of the middle. Full, floaty half-volley and Wolvaardt drives elegantly through the covers for four.

  18. It doesn't sound like Laura Wolvaardt is overly happy with the changes made to the side for the series decider, does it?

    The one-off Test starting on Sunday in Bloemfontein is likely in the selectors thinking but then there is an ODI series to be won today.

    Anyway, the players are out, the anthems are done and the start of this third ODI is just a few moments away.

  19. South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt: "This is a great place to play cricket and we enjoy batting here. We probably would have had a bowl but we need to get a big score to defend.

    "The lack of partnerships hurt us (in the second ODI). We need to spend more time in the middle, hopefully we can get a big score with someone batting through the innings."

    On making four changes: "I guess it is up to the selectors and what they want to see in the side. Different venue, different location so that is the side they have gone with."

  20. The teams

    South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt (c), Lara Goodall, Anneke Bosch, Annerie Dercksen, Marizanne Kapp, Nadine de Klerk, Chloe Tryon, Mieke de Ridder (wk), Masabata Klaas, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Ayabonga Khaka.

    England: Tammy Beaumont, Maia Bouchier, Heather Knight (c), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Amy Jones (wk), Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Kate Cross, Lauren Bell.