Summary

Live Reporting

by Timothy Abraham & Sam Drury

  1. Henry Moeran
    Test Match Special commentator

    A great knock by the England captain but she did go for the aggressive option.

  2. wicket

    WICKET

    Knight lbw b Mlaba 90 (Eng 229-8)

    No hundred this time for Heather Knight and Nonkululeko Mlaba has a five-for.

    The England captain went for the sweep, misses and was hit plumb in front.

    A disappointing end to a fabulous knock from Knight but a brilliant moment for Mlaba, a first five-wicket haul in Tests.

  3. Eng 229-7

    Lead by 343

    Heather Knight moves to 90 with a single into the leg side before Ryana MacDonald-Gay finds the boundary with a thick edge down to deep third.

    It's a bit of a waiting game now. For Knight to try to reach three figures and then the declaration.

  4. Kevin Howells
    BBC Test Match Special commentator

    In this situation I would let Heather Knight get to a century because we're not in the territory now where she would risk England losing any kind of advantage.

  5. Eng 224-7

    Ryana MacDonald-Gay is the new batter and safely sees off the last ball of the Nonkululeko Mlaba over.

  6. Drinks break

    Eng 224-7

    Drinks are being taken after that wicket.

    England will bat on for at least a little while longer if they can and Heather Knight, unbeaten on 89, will hope to complete a third Test century before making any declaration.

  7. Ffion Wynne
    BBC Sport cricket writer on TMS

    That's absolutely plumb. I think that Sophie Ecclestone was trying to up the ante, but the fact she's walked off shows she knew she was stone dead.

  8. Kevin Howells
    BBC Test Match Special commentator

    Another deserved wicket for Nonkululeko Mlaba. Sophie Ecclestone was trying to get on with it but that's another good wicket for the South Africa spinner. I think England have enough runs here.

  9. wicket

    WICKET

    Ecclestone lbw b Mlaba 16 (Eng 224-7)

    The rare instance of a batter walking for an lbw. That was plumb.

    Sophie Ecclestone tries to get on with it, aiming a big sweep over the leg side but the ball from Nonkululeko Mlaba slides just under her bat and traps her in front.

    Absolutely stone dead and Ecclestone was up and walking as the umpire's finger went up.

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

    All of England's bowlers will have taken note at a few balls from South Africa's attack have shot through. It's something that will have grabbed their interest while batting.

  11. Eng 222-6

    Lead by 336

    South Africa's bowlers have performed admirably on a very sunny day in Bloemfontein, especially when you consider they are having to do with their two opening bowlers - Marizanne Kapp and Ayanda Hlubi, both of whom are not fit to bowl.

    Two from Tumi Sekhukhune's latest over.

  12. Eng 220-6

    Knight 87, Ecclestone 14

    Sophie Ecclestone gets some good fortune as she top-edges a sweep off Nonkululeko Mlaba.

    The ball goes up and hangs in the air before landing perfectly in the gap between the various fielders on the leg side.

  13. Eng 217-6

    Lead by 331

    England's lead is moving towards 350, after which point they will surely think they have enough runs to defend and it'll just be a matter of how long they want to give themselves to take 10 wickets and how much of a carrot they want to dangle for South Africa.

    Another good over from Tumi Sekhukhune on her return to the attack, though, and she fizzes one just past Heather Knight's outside edge.

  14. Ffion Wynne
    BBC Sport cricket writer on TMS

    Marizanne Kapp has not been able to bowl, so will want to make an impact with the bat in South Africa's second innings. She's that gritty and determined type of character. A kind of main character energy.

  15. Eng 216-6

    Lead by 330

    Sophie Ecclestone is doing just as Lydia wants so far. She hasn't got carried away after hitting that big six.

    Instead, she is batting smartly and the only shot of real aggression in this over is when Nonkululeko offers up another full toss.

    Ecclestone doesn't time the shot this time and has to settle for two as the ball plugs after landing a few yards short of the deep mid-wicket boundary.

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

    This is a good opportunity now for Sophie Ecclestone to bat through the gears and bat like a proper batter. She did it in the ODIs and it's a good chance to show what she can do in terms of her temperament here.

  17. Eng 214-6

    Lead by 328

    Brilliant placement and timing from Heather Knight to end the over.

    She whips the ball through mid-wicket and for all the world it looks as though Lauara Wolvaardt will be able to get across in the deep but the ball keeps going and beats the South Africa skipper's dive.

  18. 6 runs

    Eng 209-6

    Lead by 323

    Horrible full toss from Sune Luus... and Sophie Ecclestone dispatches it over long on for six!

    The England spinner loves giving the ball a whack and she wasn't going to miss out on gift like that.

  19. Ffion Wynne
    BBC Sport cricket writer on TMS

    Because of the infrequency of Test matches you're constantly playing for the validation of women's cricket in the longer format. That certainly brings its own pressure.

  20. Eng 202-6

    Lead by 316

    Heather Knight wallops a full toss from Nonkululeko Mlaba away for four on the sweep.

    That takes England past 200 and takes Knight to 78. That becomes 79 as she keeps strike with a single.

    South Africa aren't happy with the ball and are asking the umpires to change it. No such luck for the hosts.