Summary

Live Reporting

by Sam Drury & Ffion Wynne

  1. How's stat?!

    Srinivas Vijaykumar
    Cricviz analyst

    England declare at 395-9, which is their second-highest total in an away Test and their ninth highest total overall.

    • 503-5d v New Zealand, Christchurch, Feb 1935
    • 395-9d v South Africa, Today
    • 356-9d v New Zealand, Auckland, Jan 1992
    • 351-6d v South Africa, Johannesburg, Dec 1960
    • 340-7d v New Zealand, Wellington (BR), Feb 1969

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

    This is an exciting finish to the day. It is a good decision from Heather Knight and England would have taken that score at the start of the day.

  3. South Africa will have six overs to get through before the close tonight.

    If England can pinch a wicket or two in that time then they can be very happy with their day's work...

  4. How's start?!

    Srinivas Vijaykumar
    Cricviz analyst

    Marizanne Kapp's first wicket:

    • In T20Is - Violet Wattenberg (Netherlands), Potchefstroom, Oct 2010
    • In ODIs - Danni Wyatt-Hodge (England), Potchefstroom, Oct 2011
    • In Tests - Ryana MacDonald-Gay (England), Bloemfontein, Dec 2024

  5. Attacking move from Heather Knight and England, deciding to try and make early inroads in gloomy conditions rather than see numbers 10 and 11 scratch around and take up precious time in a four-day Test.

    They may have hoped to score a few more given where they were when Maia Bouchier and Nat Sciver-Brunt were batting in the afternoon session.

    Still South Africa came back well and it's game on...

  6. Eng 395-9 dec

    Lauren Bell is in at number 11 and gets through the last three balls of the over... and that's that.

    Heather Knight calls them in. England have declared.

    South Africa's openers will have a few overs to negotiate before stumps.

  7. Daniel Norcross
    Test Match Special commentator

    England are being bowled out in a hurry. Lauren Bell is fairly inept so this will probably be over quickly.

  8. wicket

    WICKET

    Ecclestone b Hlubi 21 (Eng 395-9)

    Ayanda Hlubi gets Sophie Ecclestone with a beauty!

    The seamer gets the ball to jag back from wide of off stump and beat Ecclestone on the inside edge as she has a bit of a swipe.

    England might well have the chance to get stuck into the South Africa top order tonight...

  9. Eng 391-8

    Wicket maiden for Marizanne Kapp - and that was actually her first Test wicket, which is remarkable really.

    Lauren Filer is the new batter for England and leaves the last ball of the over.

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

    A great piece of bowling. Kapp went full and straight for her latter few balls and it completely clean bowled MacDonald-Gay.

    South Africa will feel as though they have turned it around, despite the scoreboard, and they have picked wickets up quickly.

  11. wicket

    WICKET

    MacDonald-Gay b Kapp 2 (Eng 391-8)

    Straight through! The new ball does the trick.

    After swinging the first couple of balls away from the right-hander, Marizanne Kapp changes approach and targets the stumps.

    This ball might well have been sneaking down leg but deflects off Ryana MacDonald-Gay's back leg and onto the stumps.

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

    South Africa will want to use Marizanne Kapp to wrap this up quickly with the lower-order batters in.

    This will be a real test for Ryana MacDonald-Gay to work out which balls she can play and which ones she'll leave.

  13. Eng 391-7

    Two balls with the new cherry and Ryana MacDonald-Gay plays and misses at both.

    Swing there for Marizanne Kapp.

  14. Ffion Wynne
    BBC Sport cricket writer

    It's a good idea to take the new ball. Mlaba was getting a bit tired so it is probably time for a change.

  15. new ball

    Second new ball taken

    Yep, South Africa have indeed taken the second new ball and Marizanne Kapp, who has not bowled since the 21st over, is going to have first use of it.

    Or is she? The umpires have the light metres out... Yes, after a bit of confusion, play will continue and Kapp will be allowed to bowl.

  16. Eng 391-7

    The England batters exchange singles in the Sune Luus over and, after ignoring it for 10 overs, South Africa are going to take the second new ball.

  17. Eng 390-7

    Sophie Ecclestone crashes the ball through the off side for four, punishing a long hop from Nonkululeko Mlaba.

    Four more. Another short ball and Ecclestone slaps this one away square before pulling a third drag-down to deep square leg for one.

  18. Eng 380-7

    Ryana MacDonald-Gay is off the mark in Test cricket with a single. A gift of a ball from Sune Luus that allows the debutante to swat the ball out to deep backward square.

    Another single from Sophie Ecclestone completes the scoring in the over and, as the wind picks up again, we have 10 overs left in the day.

  19. Ffion Wynne
    BBC Sport cricket writer

    This is good from South Africa, they will want to keep Ryana MacDonald-Gay on nought for as long as possible. They want to let those nerves build up and give her no freebies.

  20. Eng 378-7

    Dragged down by Nonkululeko Mlaba and Sophie Ecclestone carves the ball away through the off side for four.

    If England can get up to 400 then they'll be pretty happy with their efforts on day one despite something a collapse since tea.