CLOSE!published at 38 overs

38 overs

SA 144-2

With Shrubsole out of luck, England turn back to Sophie Ecclestone's spin - Wolvaardt cuts, and if she'd had another coat of linseed oil on her bat, it might have feathered a top edge to keeper Sarah Taylor. So close.

Some sloppy cricket from England, then - Van Niekerk hits the ball back to Ecclestone, who throws the ball back at the batter, and it rebounds off the stumps to allow them an overthrow.

Alison Mitchell
BBC Test Match Special

England have been pretty good in the field in this series, until now - three costly drops.

Here are a couple of those drops:

Pace spearhead Katherine Brunt back at the Nackington Road End, Van Niekerk whacks a single through mid-wicket, while Wolvaardt knocks a two agonisingly wide of Nat Sciver in the same area - and finally picks up her first four since the fifth (FIFTH!) over.

Phil Long
TMS statistician

The first 25 runs of that Van Niekerk fifty came in 57 balls - the second 25 runs came off 19.

50 for Dane van Niekerkpublished at 36 overs

36 overs

SA 132-2

Powerplay signalled, and Van Niekerk hits the first six of the day, slog-sweeping Shrubsole several yards over the rope before nurdling a two off her legs to bring up her seventh ODI fifty from 76 balls. A single means she's only four runs behind Wolvaardt now, having come in when Wolvaardt had 33.

Ebony Rainford-Brent
Ex-England batter on BBC Test Match Special

Wolvaardt is a talent and a half - she has the temperament and the technique, but if you look at the scoreboard, they should have at least 50 runs more. This powerplay is critical - if they can hit 40 runs, say, they can go for it with wickets in hand.

It's still Elwiss for the last pre-powerplay over. Van Niekerk cuts fiercely but can't beat Danni Wyatt at backward point.

Here's the third of those England drops:

Crash, bang, wallop - Van Niekerk will be catching her partner soon, threatening the long-on boundary again with another lofted drive, and adding four more with a cheeky dab past the keeper. Shrubsole's previously peerless figures take a bit of a dent with those two boundaries.

Van Niekerk aims another big blast to cow corner, and this time it's Elwiss who concedes the first boundary since the 19th over. Wolvaardt is hit on the pad, Elwiss raises her arm in appeal... not out and probably going down leg. A better over for the Proteas.

Isa Guha
Ex-England seamer on BBC Test Match Special

Georgia Elwiss will be thrilled that she's still bowling down the hill, with Anya Shrubsole on to bowl up the hill!

While it must have been tempting to keep Ecclestone going at the Pavilion End, she's off after seven overs and England turn back to Anya Shrubsole, who still has six overs left. Wolvaardt adds a single, then Van Niekerk takes a big swing, possibly the first time in the innings that SA have been so aggressive - and the ball drops towards cow corner for two.

Wolvaardt dropped on 50published at 31 overs

31 overs

SA 99-2

The catches, however, aren't sticking - Wolvaardt drives Elwiss past extra cover and skipper Heather Knight, diving to the left, gets a hand to it but can't hold on. While the bowlers - Ecclestone in particular - have done well to stifle SA's attacking intent, they may rue those drops later if Van Niekerk and Wolvaardt are still there at the end.

Ecclestone, who's being watched by her father and boyfriend from the boundary, is into her seventh over - and she's bowled brilliantly today, not conceding a boundary yet.

Take a look at that recent drop from Tammy Beaumont:

After 12 uninterrupted overs of spin, England turn to medium-pacer Georgia Elwiss, their seventh bowler used today. Sarah Taylor, as you might expect from such a world-class wicketkeeper, is up to the stumps. And it keeps Van Niekerk tied down - just a single from the final ball.

Isa Guha
Ex-England seamer on BBC Test Match Special

She'll be cherishing that - 50 against the World Cup champions. Still a long way for her to go, but to get that many fifties at such a young age is impressive.

Image source, Rex Features

50 for Laura Wolvaardtpublished at 28 overs

28 overs

SA 93-2

And that's 50 for Wolvaardt, from 78 balls. 10 ODI fifties and two centuries - the most 50+ scores by a teenager in women's ODI cricket, beating Stafanie Taylor's 11.

Van Niekerk living a little dangerously - trying to swipe Knight through the leg side, the ball flies off an edge but lands safely.At the other end, Wolvaardt is closing on her 10th ODI half-century - again, an impressive record for someone who's not long turned 19 years of age.

Van Niekerk dropped on 14published at 26 overs

26 overs

SA 84-2

Gone... no, dropped! Van Niekerk tries to go over the top and the leaping Tammy Beaumont at short fine leg gets two hands to it... but can't hold on, parrying the ball in front of her. In fairness to Beaumont, she's one of the shortest players in the side and it was well above her head, but she didn't quite time her jump. Ecclestone has her head in her hands - but it's a maiden over for the teenager.