DAY 2: Luus, Kapp build after Wolvaardt falls

Sune Luus and Marizanne Kapp have so far added 87 in 145 balls for the fourth wicket as South Africa went to tea on 225 for three wickets in their first innings on the second day of the one-off test against England at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein on Monday.

This meant that South Africa trailed England by 170 runs after the visitors compiled 395 for nine declared in their first innings.

Only one wicket fell in the afternoon session, and that was the valuable scalp of South Africa’s captain, Laura Wolvaardt, who was adjudged leg before to England left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone for 65.

It was a controversial dismissal because it appeared that Wolvaardt got an inside edge onto her pad. She was clearly angry with the decision, but the real problem was that Cricket South Africa had decided to dispense with the Decision Review System (DRS) for this test, apparently due to expense, so there was no provision for a review.

But if there was a natural anxiety that the dismissal of South Africa’s rock would precipitate a collapse, Sune Luus and Marizanne Kapp showed excellent temperament and technique to allay South African supporters’ fears as the pair batted throughout the rest of the session against the twin wiles of left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone and offspinner Charlie Dean.

At the break, Kapp, the more aggressive of the pair, was on 48 off 58 balls with 10 fours while Luus was on 47 off 110 balls with eight fours.

Ecclestone, in particular, put in a disciplined performance, rarely straying in line and length and was rewarded with figures of 1/38 off 20 overs. The pitch was still playing well for the batters, however, although the occasional ball turned and bounced or squatted low.

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.