England romped to a 286-run win over South Africa on day three of the one-off Test in Bloemfontein as they skittled the Proteas for their lowest score of 64.
The hosts were demolished in 19.4 overs chasing a record 351 at Mangaung Oval, slipping to 33-6 inside 14 as Lauren Bell (4-27) and Lauren Filer (1-12) caused havoc with the new ball and all-rounders Nadine de Klerk and Chloe Tryon fell for ducks.
The lack of DRS in this match was once again a talking point with Annerie Dercksen (9) given out caught at short leg by the third umpire despite the absence of UltraEdge technology to prove she had hit Bell’s ball into Tammy Beaumont’s hands.
South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt (4) and opening partner Anneke Bosch (4) were out lbw to Bell and Filer respectively, while Dercksen’s controversial exit was followed by Bell bowling Sune Luus through the gate for one with a peach that pinged off stump.
When De Klerk was run out via a combination of Danni Wyatt-Hodge and wicketkeeper Amy Jones and Tryon was pinned in front by premier England spinner Sophie Ecclestone (2-7 from 4.4 overs), it was a matter of if and not when the tourists clinched victory.
The winning moment came when Nonkululeko Mlaba (14) was run out by Bell at the non-striker’s end after failing to ground her bat, with South Africa No 11 Ayanda Hlubi unable to take the field due to injury, handing England their first Test success in a decade – having gone winless since beating Australia in Perth in 2014.
Marizanne Kapp top-scored for South Africa with 21 – only she and Mlaba made double figues – while Player of the Match Bell also removed Sinalo Jafta (0) leg before for her eighth wicket in the Test.
A Proteas collapse of 7-44 mirrored their first-innings failure when they tumbled from 237-3 to 281 all out in reply to England’s 395-9 declared to trail by a mammoth 114.
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Knight impresses in England second innings
Heather Knight’s England add victory in the Test to their 3-0 sweep in the T20 series and 2-1 win in the ODI leg and will now head to Australia after Christmas for the Women’s Ashes full of confidence.
England had earlier been dismissed for 236 in their second innings, with Knight (90) falling 10 runs short of what would have been a third Test hundred, after her 168 against Australia in Canberra in 2022 and 157 against the same opposition on home soil back in 2013.
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Knight was one of six second-innings wickets for Mlaba as the left-arm spinner backed up her four strikes first time around and claimed the first 10-for by a South Africa woman in Tests.
It was just a shame for Mlaba that her heroics came in such a dispiriting defeat.
Mlaba sizzles but South Africa slump
Mlaba clinched her 10-for with a beautiful delivery that cleaned up Ryana MacDonald-Gay (4) through the gate, while she also accounted for Knight and Ecclestone (16) lbw on the sweep, bowled Nat Sciver-Brunt (37) and had Jones (24) and Charlie Dean (1) caught – Dean pouched brilliantly by Tumi Sekhukhune at midwicket.
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Sciver-Brunt was dropped off Mlaba by wicketkeeper Jafta on 19 and went on to strike the spinner for three boundaries later in the same over and one more in her next before chopping on as she looked to cut a delivery that skidded through low.
Knight, who began day three 19 not out and with her team 31-1 in their second innings, notched her fifth Test fifty from 99 balls, and went on to share a stand of 67 with Sciver-Brunt after Beaumont (12) was trapped lbw by Sekhukhune (2-35).
Wyatt-Hodge sliced Sekhukhune to short third for 23, while Filer (3) was last out for England, spooning De Klerk to midwicket.
Lack of DRS costs South Africa
Filer then had an early say with the ball as she and Bell ripped through the top order and South Africa never recovered.
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The Proteas were well beaten in the end and can look to that first-innings batting slump and loose bowling on the first day as big reasons, although will also point to being stuffed by the absence of DRS.
The Dercksen drama on Tuesday came after Beaumont was fortunate to avoid being dismissed lbw by Kapp from the second ball on day one and Wolvaardt was adjudged lbw to Ecclestone a day later despite feeling she had inside edged the delivery.
Cricket South Africa have prioritised the use of DRS in women’s white-ball internationals due to the hefty costs involved.
Knight ‘chuffed’ with thumping win
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England captain Heather Knight:
“There are only three of us in the squad that were involved in that Test win [against Australia in 2014]. We’ve had a lot of hard-fought draws and a couple of losses, so this is really pleasing.
“We’ve put the graft in over the last few days. The pace at which Maia [Bouchier] and Nat [Sciver-Brunt] batted on the opening day allowed us to control the game… I’m super chuffed.
“The pitch was a brilliant Test wicket, it allowed batters to score runs, and the bowlers were able to take wickets.”
England in South Africa – full schedule
T20 series (England won 3-0)
ODI series (England won 2-1)
One-off Test
- Bloemfontein – England won by 286 runs
Source : Sky Sports
