Georgia Elwiss
England all-rounder on BBC Test Match Special

Issy Wong and Lauren Bell bowled brilliantly on their ODI debuts at Bristol. They were also really impressive in the Test match, it just looks like international cricket has been a seamless transition for them.

Wong is being given the freedom to go at sixes and sevens an over to play that enforcer role because she takes wickets. She bowled some really hostile, short stuff and that's what the women's game needs.

Here we go then. The umpires are walking out into the blistering Leicester heat. The colour of the grass on the outfield is a pretty good sign of just how warm it has been!

The players are striding out now, too. The first ball is just a couple of moments away.

Alex Hartley
Former England bowler on BBC Test Match Special

No Sciver, Brunt or Ecclestone is sending quite a message. It says, we're backing our next generation to go out there and have some fun and play as well as those three can.

Georgia Elwiss
England all-rounder on BBC Test Match Special

England have had the luxury of being able to rotate their squad during this series.

The game we saw at Bristol was as complete a performance as I've seen in the last 18 months. Getting scores of 300 plus when they bat first and putting the opposition under pressure is something they've been working really hard on.

I think we'll see the same dominance from them today.

Postpublished at 13:53 British Summer Time 18 July 2022

13:53 BST 18 July 2022

It's a big day for another England opener, Tammy Beaumont.

After being left out of the squad for the Commonwealth Games, the experienced right-hander will have a point to prove. She has now played more than 200 games for England.

England victories at Northampton and Bristol have been built on a couple of memorable centuries.

In the first ODI, it was opener Emma Lamb making her maiden international hundred to help the home side to a five-wicket win.

Then at Bristol, Sophia Dunkley recorded her first ODI ton as England racked up 337-5 batting first before going on to complete a crushing 114-run success.

We've already mentioned ADR making her maiden international century in the Test. Can someone step up today?

Image source, Getty Images

Some big news in the world of cricket broke in the last couple of hours with England all-rounder Ben Stokes announcing that he will be retiring from one-day international cricket after tomorrow's first ODI against South Africa.

Of course, Stokes' greatest moment in the 50-over format came in the 2019 World Cup final as he somehow dragged England to a Super Over and, eventually, victory over New Zealand at Lord's.

However, the 31-year-old Test captain cited the intense international schedule in explaining his reason for stepping away from ODI cricket to focus on the longer format and T20 cricket.

In a statement, he said: "Three formats are just unsustainable for me now.

"This has been an incredibly tough decision to make. I have loved every minute of playing with my mates for England. We have had an incredible journey on the way."

Stokes will play his last ODI on his home ground at Durham.

Image source, Getty Images

England: Tammy Beaumont, Emma Lamb, Sophia Dunkley, Heather Knight, Danni Wyatt, Amy Jones, Alice Davidson-Richards, Charlie Dean, Kate Cross, Issy Wong, Lauren Bell.

South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt, Andrie Steyn, Lara Goodall, Sune Luus, Marizanne Kapp, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Trisha Chetty, Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba.

The big team news from England is that Nat Sciver and Sophie Ecclestone are being rested with Alice Davidson-Richards, fresh from a century on her Test debut, and Kate Cross coming into the XI.

South Africa are unchanged.

England captain Heather Knight: "We were going to bat, it looks like a half decent surface and it's going to be quite hot. It's going to be quite a hard outfield to stop.

"Also chasing, it's going to be hard to stop people going along.

"Our doctor has given us a lot of strategies to try and stay cool. We've played in extreme heat overseas, we're just not used to it in Leicester. I'd much rather it was like this than really cold."

South Africa captain Sune Luus: "It looks like a good wicket. It's a great day out in the sun so we're going to embrace that.

"There are some good memories for us on this ground but it is a new situation and a must-win game. We want to enjoy those good memories and stay calm on the field."

The visitors decide to chase as they aim to end the ODIs on a high.

Good afternoon, folks! I'm not sure if you've heard but it is a hot one in the UK today!

But while, if you're anything like me, you're inside and avoiding the extreme heat at all costs, England and South Africa will be out there braving the potentially record-breaking temperatures in Leicester.

Heather Knight's side have already turned up the heat on the tourists with wins in the first two ODIs, following the drawn Test, to lead the multi-format series 6-2.

Another victory today in the third one-dayer would guarantee England at least a draw in the series going into the Twenty20s. We'll have news from the toss very shortly.