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DAY 3: Bell rings for England as South Africa's women plunge to worst defeat

rugby17 December 2024 15:34| © SuperSport
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South Africa recorded their lowest ever total when England bowled them out for 64 in just 19.4 overs in their second innings, winning the one-off test match for women by a huge 286 runs with more than a day to spare at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein on Tuesday.

It was England’s first test victory in 10 years.

South Africa put up a good fight for most of the three days, but then England crushed a fading home team on a deteriorating pitch with some destructive pace bowling, principally by Lauren Bell, backed up by an important contribution from their ever-impressive left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone.

And just to add a couple more blushes to South African faces, they gave away two wickets through careless run-outs.

South Africa's captain, Laura Wolvaardt, said after the match: “It was very disappointing. We played some good cricket for a lot of the match but let it slip in the last hour or two. All credit to England though. The middle session on day one hurt us quite a bit, but we did well after that to bring it back.”

Wolvaardt praised Nonkululeko Mlaba: “She was wonderful throughout, the way she bounced back on day one and then to take six wickets today was incredible.”

She added: “We’d love to play more test cricket, there’s only so much you can do in the nets, but we’ll learn from this game. It’s time to take a bit of time off and reflect.”

Left-arm spinner Mlaba was the headline performer for the home team, becoming the first South African woman to claim 10 wickets in a test match with match figures of 46-6-157-10 (4-90 and 6-67).

PLAYER OF THE MATCH

But it was Bell who was adjudicated player of the match for her match figures of 8-76 (4-49 and 4-27).

Her contribution was particularly crucial when South Africa batted for the second time, shortly before tea, chasing a distant 351 for victory.

Her dismissal of Wolvaardt was key, the ball cutting back viciously and keeping low to trap the South African captain plumb in front.

Her dismissal of Annerie Dercksen shortly after tea was a moment of controversy, however.

With DRS not available, the decision over whether Dercksen had edged a delivery onto her pad to be taken at short leg was referred upstairs.

Perhaps the umpire was unsighted, but then the decision should have been not out. At any rate the dismissal had an air of mystery about it.

South Africa were 12 for two at tea and subsided quickly after that with only Marizanne Kapp providing some backbone with 21.

Mlaba had some fun at the end of the innings with three fours in her 14 before she neglected to run her bat into the crease and was run out by a throw from Bell.

Ecclestone took her first two wickets without conceding a run, trapping Chloe Tryon leg before who padded up without playing a shot and Kapp, brilliantly caught at silly point by Tammy Beaumont.

The quick ending to the match was something of a shock, however, as for much of the final day South Africa had toiled hard and fairly successfully to contain the England batters who had to rely on a stalwart 90 in 191 balls from their captain, Heather Knight, to boost their innings to 236, setting South Africa an intimidating 351 to win.

MLABA MAKES HISTORY

South Africa had started the day in the red with pace bowler Ayanda Hlubi ruled out of the remainder of the test with a grade one tear to her hip flexor while Kapp didn’t bowl at all because her fitness was being “managed”.

South Africa nevertheless made a good start to the morning session with England resuming on 31 for one with Nadine de Klerk and Tumi Sekhukhune keeping it tight against Knight and Tammy Beaumont.

Sekhukhune struck in the sixth over when she angled one into Beaumont who played around it and was trapped in front.

First-innings centurion Nat Sciver-Brunt joined Beaumont and both batters were challenged by Mlaba who bowled with guile and, most importantly, discipline as she commanded respect.

England nevertheless gradually improved their run-rate with Sciver-Brunt playing the aggressor as the pair added 67 for the third wicket.

Mlaba was unlucky when wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta, again untidy behind the stumps, dropped a straightforward catch off Sciver-Brunt as she pushed forward, but the hurt didn’t last too long as the England star (37 off 58 balls, including six fours) played on shortly afterwards to the same bowler.

Sekhukhune struck again when Dani Wyatt-Hodge, who struck a brisk run-a-ball 23, edged a drive to Anneke Bosch at wide slip, but Knight, partnered by an aggressive Amy Jones (21 off 21 balls including 4x4s through the on-side) took England to lunch.

It was all Mlaba after lunch as she bowled quite superbly to take 6-67 to supplement her four wickets in England’s first innings.

But, England, largely through Knight's innings, had done more than enough to score enough runs to ensure a crushing victory as the Mangaung Oval pitch became an increasingly active ally of the England pace and spin bowlers.

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.

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