Summary

  1. Postpublished at 12:15 Greenwich Mean Time 17 December 2024

    Lydia Greenway
    Former England batter on BBC Test Match Special

    A hugely important innings for Heather Knight. She was quite cautious to begin with but that's what was needed this morning to get England into a good position and to be able to kick on.

    Of course she will be disappointed to miss out on three figures but it's a valuable knock.

  2. South Africa need 351 to winpublished at 12:13 Greenwich Mean Time 17 December 2024
    Breaking

    Nonkululeko Mlaba was superb for South Africa, finishing with 6-67 in the second innings and 10 wickets in the match.

    Heather Knight fell 10 short of her century for England, nobody else reached 50, and the tourists will now have around 20 minutes before tea to try and make early inroads.

  3. Postpublished at 12:11 Greenwich Mean Time 17 December 2024

    Lydia Greenway
    Former England batter on BBC Test Match Special

    We know that it is harder to bat now just because of the natural deterioration of the pitch and it's starting to grip and turn a bit more.

    They probably would've had a target in mind but they wouldn't have wanted to lose the cluster of wickets like that. However, 350 in front is a very good position to be in and you would think that it's enough.

  4. Postpublished at 12:09 Greenwich Mean Time 17 December 2024

    Alex Hartley
    Former England bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    I'm a bit confused by England batting for that extra 20 minutes but England are still well on top.

    Mlaba is raising the ball to the air, she's been brilliant. She changed her pace really smartly and adapted quickly from the first innings to the second innings, there have been so few bad balls in that spell.

  5. wicket

    WICKETpublished at 74.1 overs

    Filer c sub (Klaas) b De Klerk 3 (Eng 236 all out)

    That's that as Lauren Filer chips to mid-wicket, halfway back to the boundary.

    Filer did her best to try and get England some quick runs there but struggled to connect, the dismissal just summed it up: plenty of effort but the ball not really going anywhere.

    England set South Africa 351 to win.

  6. Postpublished at 12:07 Greenwich Mean Time 17 December 2024

    Alex Hartley
    Former England bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    I have no idea what's going on. Anneke Bosch literally has tears in her eyes from laughing so much!

  7. Postpublished at 12:06 Greenwich Mean Time 17 December 2024

    Melissa Story
    Test Match Special commentator

    Everyone's got the giggles out there. It's like when you're in the classroom and the teacher tells you not to laugh so you have to avoid all eye contact with your friends.

  8. Eng 236-9published at 74 overs

    Lead by 350

    There are laughs all around the field from South Africa as Lauren Bell struggles to get through the over from Nonkululeko Mlaba.

    I'm not sure what has been said but everyone is falling about laughing.

    Bell does get bat on the fifth ball of the over, hitting in the air towards covers but it just evades the diving Laura Wolvaardt.

    England scamper two and the lead is up to 350.

  9. How's stat?!published at 12:03 Greenwich Mean Time 17 December 2024

    Rufus Bullough
    CricViz analyst

    Nonkululeko Mlaba becomes the first South African to take 10 wickets in a match and the 14th bowler to achieve the feat in the history of women's Test matches.

  10. Postpublished at 12:02 Greenwich Mean Time 17 December 2024

    Alex Hartley
    Former England bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    I can't really get my head around why England are still batting here, especially when Filer is three off 12. If she was having a swing and playing her shots, I would understand a bit more.

  11. Eng 234-9published at 73 overs

    Lead by 348

    Lauren Filer tries to add a few quick runs but finds getting hold of Nadine de Klerk a little tricky.

    She swings and misses at a slower ball that bounces awkwardly for wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta and they pinch a bye.

    Lauren Bell then jams her bat down on a yorker to end the ball, taking a single as the ball runs away to square leg.

  12. Eng 232-9published at 72 overs

    Lead by 346

    Well, I don't think we need to worry too much about an England declaration anymore.

    Nonkululeko Mlaba has seen to that. Lauren Bell is in at 11 for England.

  13. Postpublished at 11:57 Greenwich Mean Time 17 December 2024

    Alex Hartley
    Former England bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    10 wickets in a Test match is such an achievement. She set up Macdonald-Gay with the straighter delivery having bowled the previous two on leg stump.

    She picked up wickets in the first innings but also bowled a lot of bad balls, so to see the improvement in her consistency in this second innings has been great to see.

    She should be very proud of herself.

  14. Postpublished at 11:57 Greenwich Mean Time 17 December 2024

    Henry Moeran
    Test Match Special commentator

    Another brilliant piece of bowling and what a Test match Mlaba is having!

  15. wicket

    WICKETpublished at 71.5 overs

    MacDonald-Gay b Mlaba 4 (Eng 232-9)

    Six in the innings and 10 in the match for Nonkululeko Mlaba!

    Superb bowling from the left-arm spinner. This one skids on through the gate of Ryana MacDonald-Gay as she tries to drive.

    Perhaps the England debutante was expecting the ball to spin but it went on with the arm.

  16. Eng 231-8published at 71 overs

    Lead by 345

    No signs that a declaration is imminent based on the way England are batting for the moment.

    Lauren Filer's single is the only run from Nadine de Klerk's over.

  17. Konstas makes Big Bash historypublished at 11:53 Greenwich Mean Time 17 December 2024

    KonstasImage source, Getty Images

    Australia hopeful Sam Konstas became the youngest man to score a half-century in the Big Bash League as Sydney Thunder beat Adelaide Strikers by two wickets.

    Konstas, who is 19 years and 76 days old, overtakes Jason Sangha, who held the record at 19 years and 104 days.

    Konstas, who was making his debut in the competition, also set the record of Thunder's fastest half-century at 20 balls.

    The New South Wales batter, who was out for 56 off 27 balls, was in consideration for Australia's Test squad against India, but they opted for Nathan McSweeney instead.

    Chasing 183, Thunder were 149-7 and needed 34 from the final two overs, but Daniel Sams smashed Lloyd Pope's penultimate over for 31, including three sixes and three fours.

    Jamie Overton, who earlier made an unbeaten 45 in Strikers' 182-8, took a wicket with the first ball of the final over but Thunder scrambled over the line with two balls to spare.

  18. Postpublished at 11:52 Greenwich Mean Time 17 December 2024

    Henry Moeran
    Test Match Special commentator

    It would be quite pointless for England to just use up time here, just prod and poke around until lunch.

    But we're saying 350, England might have a lot more in their minds.

  19. Eng 230-8published at 70 overs

    Lead by 344

    I fancy that was more than clipping, Alex. Thumping into leg stump, I'd say. Not that it matters, no DRS and even with it, clipping or smashing into middle would still be out with the on-field decision going with the bowler.

    Lauren Filer is the new batter and gets off the mark with a single. How much longer will England look to bat for?

  20. Postpublished at 11:49 Greenwich Mean Time 17 December 2024

    Alex Hartley
    Former England bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    MlabaImage source, Getty Images

    A five-for Nonkululeko Mlaba and one that was well deserved. Knight would have gone upstairs had there been DRS but it looked to be clipping leg stump.

    England are on top of the game but if you take a flurry of wickets and don't allow them to declare it might just give South Africa a hope.