Summary

  1. get involved

    Get Involved - 2024 cricket highlightspublished at 11:18 Greenwich Mean Time 17 December 2024

    #bbccricket, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (standard network charges apply)

    Jack Leach and Archie Vaughan bowling Surrey out in September with a few minutes to spare.

    Anon

    A polite reminder to include your name, and where you're from, on texts and WhatsApp messages.

  2. How's stat?!published at 11:17 Greenwich Mean Time 17 December 2024

    KnightImage source, Getty Images

    Heather Knight averages 64 in her last 10 innings in Test cricket, compared to a career average of 45.

  3. Eng 197-6published at 61 overs

    Lead by 311

    England take four from the Sune Luus over and there seems to be a bit more intent from them now.

    That is shown as Heather Knight defends into the off side and calls for a quick single.

    The England captain is not the quickest between the wickets and certainly takes a bit of time to get up to full steam but she got home safely enough this time.

  4. Postpublished at 11:15 Greenwich Mean Time 17 December 2024

    Ffion Wynne
    BBC Sport cricket writer on TMS

    We've seen two collapses in this match. One from England and one from South Africa, but it's quite hard to know why that is. Maybe it's a bit of weariness and lack of concentration.

  5. How's stat?!published at 11:14 Greenwich Mean Time 17 December 2024

    Rufus Bullough
    CricViz analyst

    England will be hoping to be back in the field come the evening session where it has been hardest to bat so far through the Test, judging by the average runs scored per wicket:

    Morning session average: 51.50

    Afternoon session: 60.40

    Evening session: 14.84

  6. Eng 193-6published at 60 overs

    Lead by 307

    Plenty of love for Maia Bouchier's hundred at Worcester so far! And why not?

    Back in Bloemfontein, Heather Knight gets slightly lucky as she top-edges a sweep and the ball loops up and over wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta.

    It is pulled in before the boundary and Knight has to settle for two. It could have been far worse for the England skipper.

  7. get involved

    Get Involved - 2024 cricket highlightspublished at 11:11 Greenwich Mean Time 17 December 2024

    #bbccricket, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (standard network charges apply)

    BouchierImage source, Getty Images

    One of my highlights of the year was being at Worcester when Maia Bouchier hit her maiden international hundred. The Kiwis had been bowled out really cheaply and it looked as if there would be no drama in the game. But as Bouchier scored more and more, things became increasingly more tense as to whether she would get a ton. Watching Nat Sciver-Brunt block 10 balls in a row, ensuring there were enough runs for Bouchier to get to three figures, was surprisingly genuinely thrilling stuff.

    Angus in Halesowen

  8. Eng 190-6published at 59 overs

    Lead by 304

    Heather Knight has been joined in the middle by Sophie Ecclestone and the pair exchange singles in the Sune Luus over.

    England will hope Ecclestone can do a job and stick with her captain for a while here while they try to get up to a lead they're comfortable with.

  9. Postpublished at 11:09 Greenwich Mean Time 17 December 2024

    Melissa Story
    Test Match Special commentator

    The ball just dipped on Tumi Sekhukhune and she did well to get her fingers under it. Charlie Dean was playing around her front pad. There's a pattern in this match where the middle and lower orders have fallen away.

  10. Postpublished at 11:09 Greenwich Mean Time 17 December 2024

    Lydia Greenway
    Former England batter on BBC Test Match Special

    A tame dismissal for Charlie Dean. She's just playing in front of her body. It's a great catch in the end from Tumi Sekhukhune. Nonkululeko Mlaba has such joy whether it's bowling or in the field.

    England will still feel they are in a good position but there will be a part of them where they don't want to get bowled out here.

  11. wicket

    WICKETpublished at 58 overs

    Dean c Sekhukhune b Mlaba 1 (Eng 188-6)

    Charlie Dean goes cheaply.

    It's a fairly tame dismissal for the England bowling all-rounder as she plays out in front and skews a leading edge to mid-wicket.

    Tumi Sekhukhune still does very well to get her hands under the ball as it dipped on her but she holds on and Nonkululeko Mlaba has her third wicket of the innings.

  12. Eng 188-5published at 57.2 overs

    Lead by 302

    England's lead moves beyond 300 as Nonkululeko Mlaba fires one down leg and it beats everyone and everything, running away for four byes.

  13. How's stat?!published at 11:04 Greenwich Mean Time 17 December 2024

    Rufus Bullough
    CricViz analyst

    Pace has dominated proceedings in this Test so far (16 wkts at 27), but the balance of power seems to be beginning to shift towards the spinners who have struggled in the Test so far (7 wkts at 54). Mlaba has now become the leading wicket-taker in this game with 6-138 across the two innings.

  14. Eng 184-5published at 57 overs

    Knight 69, Dean 1

    South Africa continue to try and squeeze England with Sune Luus' latest costing only a Charlie Dean single.

    As much as they might want to get a move on at some stage this afternoon, England don't really need to rush things at the moment.

  15. Postpublished at 11:02 Greenwich Mean Time 17 December 2024

    Lydia Greenway
    Former England batter on BBC Test Match Special

    Charlie Dean is competent enough to bat at number seven and has a really good mental approach to batting.

  16. Eng 183-5published at 56 overs

    Lead by 297

    Wicket maiden for Nonkululeko Mlaba.

    But there is one bye from it as the ball stays very, very low outside off. New batter Charlie Dean tries to cut it - that's how short it was - but the ball barely got off the ground.

    Not bad signs at all for England given they'll be bowling last on this pitch and already have a pretty healthy lead.

  17. Postpublished at 10:59 Greenwich Mean Time 17 December 2024

    Lydia Greenway
    Former England batter on BBC Test Match Special

    The field was ideally set for Amy Jones. All that she was looking to do was pump it down the ground for a single but has got a leading edge. Nicely done by South Africa and it shows they have been a lot more switched on with their field settings.

  18. wicket

    WICKETpublished at 55.2 overs

    Jones c Wolvaardt b Mlaba 24 (Eng 182-5)

    The pressure tells for South Africa.

    Amy Jones does try to get things moving with an expansive shot over the leg side but gets a leading edge and the ball balloons into the covers.

    Laura Wolvaardt is there to take a straightforward catch. Still a bit of work for England to do here before they'll be happy to start bowling again.

  19. Eng 182-4published at 55 overs

    Lead by 296

    Whether England wanted to come out and increase the run-rate or not, the discipline of the South Africa spinners has meant that has not been possible thus far.

  20. Eng 180-4published at 54 overs

    Lead by 292

    Another tidy over from Nonkululeko Mlaba and nearly her first wicket of the innings.

    It would have been some catch had it stuck, though.