DAY 3: Mlaba grabs 10-wicket haul but Wolvaardt and Bosch fall

Nonkululeko Mlaba became the first South African woman to take a 10-wicket match haul in tests when she claimed 6/67 in the England second innings on the third afternoon of the one-off test at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein on Tuesday.

Mlaba, who claimed 4/90 in the England first innings for match figures of 10/157 in 46 overs, helped to bowl the visitors out for 236 in their second innings, a great effort although the victory target of 351 was still a formidable one.

And it was England who were smiling the broadest at tea when their opening bowlers, Lauren Bell and Lauren Filer, claimed the key wickets of South Africa’s captain, Laura Wolvaardt, and her opening partner, Anneke Bosch.

The worry for the South Africans – apart from the wickets that have fallen – is that the pitch misbehaved on both occasions. Wolvaardt, after a typically regal cover-drive for four, was undone by an unplayable delivery from Bell that jagged back viciously off a good length and kept low, hitting her plumb in front. After suffering a dubious leg before decision in the first innings, she could have no arguments about her second dismissal.

And then, in the over before tea, Bosch received a similar delivery, this time from Filer, which also prompted the umpire to raise her finger. It wasn’t as plumb as Wolvaardt’s, but the ball was likely to go on to hit leg stump.

That left South Africa in deep trouble on 12 for two at tea, still a distant 339 runs from victory.

South Africa did well to polish off the England innings in the afternoon session after the visitors had resumed on 167 for four. It was all down to Mlaba, who, after some indisciplined bowling into a tough wind in the England first innings, bowled superbly to take five of the six England wickets to fall for 69 runs in the session.

Her first victim was Amy Jones who holed out trying to hit over the top, then Charlie Dean who got a leading edge to short midwicket where Sekhukhune took a good diving catch. Sophie Ecclestone was leg before sweeping as was Heather Knight before Nadine de Klerk finished off the innings.

Knight played an important captain’s innings for England, striking 10 fours in an epic 191-ball 90 that provided the all-important foundation of the innings. Her disappointment at failing to reach three figures was evident, as her gritty effort was certainly worthy of a century.

SOUTH AFRICA: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Anneke Bosch, Annerie Dercksen, Sune Luus, Marizanne Kapp, Nadine de Klerk, Chloe Tryon, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Tumi Sekhukhune, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Ayanda Hlubi

ENGLAND: Tammy Beaumont, Maia Bouchier, Heather Knight (capt). Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Amy Jones (wk), Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Lauren Filer, Lauren Bell.