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37th over: England 210-2 (Dunkley 39, Sciver 32) Right, 14 overs to go. If Sciver bats through she’ll be 100-plus by the end, mark my words. And that’s helped by de Klerk here, on her hip with the first ball of the fresh over and helped behind square – that’s the all-rounder’s third boundary in her last half a dozen balls. de Klerk recovers well at Dunkley though, beating the edge a couple of times in a row. So, just five off it.
36th over: England 203-2 (Dunkley 38, Sciver 26) With the bowlers under pressure, Tryon returns for a second spell. I’m still not quite sure why she was replaced by Luus; her departure from the attack was the catalyst for England getting on the bike again. Anyway, the difference between her first spell and now is that Sciver is set, which means, even with a tiny bit of width, she’s able to time her through point from the balls of her feet out to the rope to take the home side beyond 200.
35th over: England 196-2 (Dunkley 37, Sciver 20) Sciver sweeps hard and true, backward of square for her first boundary. “She’s making cricket look very easy at the moment,” says Kate Cross (rested today) on Sky commentary, noting that the best part of the all-rounder’s game this year has been her ability to manipulate the field. Mlaba sends down a full toss later in the over to Dunkley who is already down the track, hammering it past Tryon at extra cover who never had a chance. 11 off it.
34th over: England 185-2 (Dunkley 32, Sciver 14) Khaka to Dunkley, who to this point hasn’t found the boundary from 38 balls – you wouldn’t say that about her very often. And what do you know, down the ground twice in a row to start this new over for two fours! The first was uppish through mid-on but the second properly middled. She tries to make it three in the over with a cut shot, giving it everything, but it off the bottom edge it goes with Dunkley throwing her head back in frustration. Nevertheless, 12 from the over with England’s new No3 now through the gears.
33rd over: England 173-2 (Dunkley 23, Sciver 11) Oh, so Ismail is coming off after two furious overs. Sciver won’t mind that, with Mlaba back for her sixth. The spinner does what she needs to here though, conceding six – South Africa will take that at this stage of the innings from their fifth bowler. They should still get 300+ from here.
32nd over: England 167-2 (Dunkley 20, Sciver 9) Strange one replacing Tryon with Khaka, when the latter will have to do a fair bit of heavy lifting in the death overs if Ismail keeps bowling, which she surely will after her previous over. Doubly so when Tryon was doing such an good job by taking both wickets and not conceding a boundary in her five overs. Indeed, there hasn’t been a boundary since Lamb was dismissed in the 22nd over. Eight off it too, all in 1s and 2s, no dots, good batting.
31st over: England 159-2 (Dunkley 16, Sciver 5) Back from drinks with Dunkley given the all clear and she top edges another short ball down behind square but it lands safely. Ismail the bowler most likely to break this up quickly and get into the England lower middle order order but she only has three overs left. Tricky sums for Luus.
30.4 overs: England 157-2 (Dunkley 15, Sciver 4) Dunkley badged by Ismail! Three short balls in a row and the third of the sequence gets up to whack Dunkley in the grille when looking to attack – good cricket. It prompts a concussion test (she looks fine), so they decide to take drinks halfway through the over.
30th over: England 156-2 (Dunkley 15, Sciver 4) The other part of Tryon’s spell is that she’s skipping through these overs inside 90 seconds, which can only help with building pressure to a new pair. She’s done a very good job so far. Keep going.
29th over: England 151-2 (Dunkley 12, Sciver 2) South Africa try to press home the gains made over the last nine overs by bringing Ismail back for another blast – before Sciver is set, presumably. But England are mindful of the plan, the all-rounder happy to play her defensively. She’ll worry about her strike rate once established.
28th over: England 149-2 (Dunkley 11, Sciver 1) Tryon has 2/14 from four – going very nicely, especially as the “sixth” bowler in this South African line-up. Sciver is off the mark first ball, helping a ball around the corner. Speculation on the telly that Beaumont’s hand cramp might’ve contributed to her dismissal.
WICKET! Beaumont c Ismail b Tryon 58 (England 147-2)Beaumont does give them a second chance! This time, a chipped catch to Ismail after failing to get the elevation she was hoping for – no mistake this time on the edge of the circle. In theory, the door opens for the Proteas after picking up both set openers but, in reality, this wicket brings Nat Sciver to the middle in the form of her life…
Tammy Beaumont is out for 58. Photograph: Zac Goodwin/PA27th over: England 144-1 (Beaumont 57, Dunkley 8) Four singles to the sweepers off Mlaba but for a moment it looked like Beaumont might’ve been in a bit of strife with a hand complaint. Turns out if was just cramp – she laughs it off with the Proteas’ fielders after the physio leaves the field. But she’s been slowed down quite well.
26th over: England 140-1 (Beaumont 55, Dunkley 6) Just singles off Tryon so far, who is bringing the stumps into play with every delivery with that angle round the wicket. They’ve had a good five overs but needed to take that Beaumont chance.
25th over: England 135-1 (Beaumont 53, Dunkley 4) That’s the Marizanne Kapp we know and love – hard length, seam movement… and creating chances. Beaumont is dropped by Mlaba at mid-on. And it’s not a tough chance – not by these standards. Wasn’t hit hard, miscued her way… in and out. You can’t drop Tammy Beaumont.
24th over: England 133-1 (Beaumont 52, Dunkley 3) Chloe Tryon’s left-arm finger spin has a bit more pace to it than Mlaba’s and it has been effective so far, conceding just five runs from her first two overs after picking up the wicket of Lamb.
23rd over: England 130-1 (Beaumont 51, Dunkley 2) As is so often the case, a wicket slows the run rate – just a couple of singles to sweepers from Kapp’s first over back into the attack. Just what they needed from her after four ropey power play overs.
Beaumont to 50 from 64 balls22nd over: England 128-1 (Beaumont 50, Dunkley 1) Before Lamb’s dismissal, Beaumont clipped de Klerk away for one to raise another ODI half-century. Her record since 2016 is close to the best of the world – certainly the best for England – and she loves batting at Bristol, where she averages 77 in this format. Meanwhile, Dunkley is off the mark from the final ball of the successful over.
WICKET! Lamb c Mlaba b Tryon 67 (England 127-1)Completely and utterly against the flow of play, Lamb has helped Tryon’s second ball – a rank full toss – straight too short fine leg off a top edge! A soft dismissal ends an another excellent performance at the top of the list. She really looks the goods.
Emma Lamb looks dejected as she walks back to the pavilion after being dismissed for 67. Photograph: Graham Hunt/ProSports/Shutterstock21st over: England 126-0 (Beaumont 49, Lamb 67) Lamb spent the power play finding gaps through the off-side but has changed it up since the field has gone back, slamming a second boundary through midwicket in the space of two overs. Mlaba started her spell well but looks to be right in Lamb’s firing line now.
@collinsadam Could not agree more with all you’ve said on the OBO. SA have largely been poor, England have dispatched the poor balls nicely (I think they’ve also run v well), two reviews is a nonsense!
— Sarah Berman (@sarahberman) July 15, 2022 20th over: England 118-0 (Beaumont 47, Lamb 61) Lamb is motoring now, hitting de Klerk off her length with the first ball of the over, picking her up over midwicket for four, then making it back-to-back boundaries with a cut behind point. That’s her ninth four and I’m struggling to see how these two are going to be broken up. Oh, maybe run out! Chetty had the chance to jump on an inside edge and ping down the stumps but there’s no direct hit. England could go huge from this base.
50 for Emma Lamb in 54 balls19th over: England 107-0 (Beaumont 45, Lamb 52) The opener reaches the milestone with a boundary off Mlaba, cutting away for four the first ball the spinner has dragged down so far. After a ton at Northampton, Lamb is well on her way again.
That’s the fifty up for Emma Lamb. Photograph: Graham Hunt/ProSports/Shutterstock18th over: England 100-0 (Beaumont 44, Lamb 46) Now the 100-run partnership, coming up in another pretty good over from de Klerk, who is into a nice groove. Lamb is fitting in perfectly to this England team at the start of this new World Cup cycle. Just what they needed when re-booting after their loss in the final in March.
17th over: England 96-0 (Beaumont 43, Lamb 43) A lot to like about Mlaba, I reckon – holding her nerve at the start of her spell against two very well set openers.
NOT OUT! Yikes, yes, that’s very legside and Anna Harris’ decision is confirmed. Shocking review. Such is the absurdity of the post-Covid playing conditions, they now get two reviews in a one-day international. Anyway, whinge for another day.
South Africa review! First ball after drinks, Mlaba sneaks one past Beaumont’s inside edge from round the wicket and it’s given not out. Looked legside but up we go.
16th over: England 93-0 (Beaumont 41, Lamb 42) Just as it was in de Klerk’s first over, Lamb goes after the overpitched ball through cover and it’s sixth boundary – she overtakes Beaumont too, who got off to a flyer in the first few overs. A couple of wides follow – that’s not what they need from their holding bowler. That’s drinks. That’s a very poor hour from the Proteas, England’s openers taking full advantage.
15th over: England 86-0 (Beaumont 40, Lamb 38) Time for the left-arm orthodox spin of Nonkululeko Mlaba, who took 0/43 in the 1st ODI at Northampton. Good start too, finding her line and length at this set pair and not giving them anything to really go after – three singles to the sweepers is their lot. But no risks needed at this stage.
14th over: England 83-0 (Beaumont 39, Lamb 36) I’m a huge fan of Nadine de Klerk – can she get some control back here for the Proteas, coming into the attack for the first time? Well, she isn’t given a chance to settle with Lamb going after her second ball, up and over mid-off for four more – indeed, not far away from going all the way. But bowling with the wicketkeeper Chetty up to the stumps, the cagey medium pacer is right on the mark for the rest. Well bowled. She’s a very good cricketer.
13th over: England 77-0 (Beaumont 38, Lamb 31) Guess what? A half-volley to begin the fresh over, this time courtesy of Ismail, which Lamb accepts and drives away through cover for her fourth boundary to join Beaumont in the 30s. They’re going to have to stop bowling Ismail at some point soon as they’ll need her at the death.
The French captain, and some club teammates, are at the game in Bristol. Welcome!
12th over: England 71-0 (Beaumont 37, Lamb 26) Beaumont keeps moving, milking a couple behind twice to start the over. But the South African seamer gets back to where she needs to be, completing the set with four dots. They note on Sky the third ODI is on Monday when the forecast has the temperature getting up towards 40!
11th over: England 67-0 (Beaumont 33, Lamb 26) Ismail now returns to follow Kapp after her second unsuccessful spell – I suspect it wasn’t in the plan to be using her at the start of the middle overs but they need to keep some pressure on England or this will get out of hand before long. And it might anyway if they keep giving this England pair balls to cut, as Ismail does to Lamb, who plays that shot so well – four more. “Any modicum of pressure that’s been built up by South Africa has been released by a four-ball an over,” notes Charles Dagnall on Sky. Spot on. And right on cue, after a couple of dots, Beaumont is invited to pull – three more; easy peasy.
10th over: England 58-0 (Beaumont 29, Lamb 21) At long last a play and a miss, Beaumont lucky not to nick a tempter from Khaka. But, in keeping with the theme of the power play, the follow-up is no good – a legside wide. Later in the over, a sharp bit of fielding from Steyn hits the stumps but Lamb is well back. A solid finish, three dots in a row, completes the power play. England have laid a very useful foundation.
Emma Lamb of England. Photograph: Jan Kruger/ECB/Getty Images9th over: England 54-0 (Beaumont 26, Lamb 21) Kapp is having a shocker with her lengths here, giving Lamb a ball to slap through point – this time too full and too wide, she makes no mistake. The 50 partnership is up. England have spent quite a while searching for a long-term opening partner for Beaumont and the early signs are they have pulled the right lever this summer giving a chance to Lamb. Looks ready.
8th over: England 48-0 (Beaumont 26, Lamb 14) A good response from Khaka just when South Africa needed a frugal over – a single from Lamb out to square leg after a legside wide earlier in the set. No need for Lamb to rush with Beaumont pushing so hard during this critical power play passage. Two overs left with the field up.
7th over: England 46-0 (Beaumont 26, Lamb 14) Kapp is spun around to replace Ismail but, unfortunately, for the Proteas, the pattern continues with Beaumont pulling her for four with authority then picking her up behind square for another – back to back boundaries, which is where 24 of the opener’s 26 runs have come from. Meanwhile, Kapp has the unflattering analysis of 3-0-27-0 – six fours off her.
6th over: England 37-0 (Beaumont 18, Lamb 13) Here’s Ayabonga Khaka replacing Kapp, who has had an unusually expensive start giving up 18 runs in two overs. But it doesn’t get much better from the first change, dishing up a short/wide one outside the off stump, dispatched behind point for Lamb’s first boundary. You can’t get away with that inside the power play with just two outside the circle. There’s a similar delivery to finish but Lamb top edges down to deep third. Eight off the over.
5th over: England 29-0 (Beaumont 17, Lamb 6) Ismail bumper! Sharp too, ducked by Lamb – love to see it. No speed gun today? And that lays the foundation for South Africa’s best over so far, an accurate maiden completed with a yorker.
4th over: England 29-0 (Beaumont 17, Lamb 6) Better start to the over from Kapp to Beaumont but the fourth ball of the over is too short and too straight, providing Beaumont enough time to rock back and pull from her waist behind square for four. And four more to finish, given the chance to cut by Kapp for the second time in two overs. That’s help yourself stuff for an opener of her class – she’s up and about.
3rd over: England 20-0 (Beaumont 9, Lamb 5) Lamb steers a couple to start, prompting Ismail to crank it up a gear to whack her high on the back thigh with the next delivery – that’ll leave a mark. An overstep beings a free hit – Beaumont doesn’t make the most of it though, clothing in the direction of mid-on. Five off the over.
2nd over: England 15-0 (Beaumont 9, Lamb 2) Marizanne Kapp, South Africa’s best player, gets the first opportunity from the Ashley Down Road End. But she’s too wide to Beaumont with her third delivery, who gets on the back foot to ease a cut through through the gap at point for the first four off the bat of the innings. A good response from Kapp, an off-cutter that wasn’t far away from the stumps after Beaumont shouldered arms. But she’s too full with the delivery that follows that, the opener driving through the gap at extra cover for a second boundary – lovely shot.
1st over: England 6-0 (Beaumont 1, Lamb 1) Beaumont is batting in short sleeves! This is the first time I’ve ever seen that, noting that I didn’t watch the First ODI as I was in the air back from Sri Lanka. Anyway, she gets England’s first run with a steer behind point. Oooh, and Lamb is inches away from not scoring at all, cut in half by an Ismail beauty – it does so much that the ‘keeper Chetty can’t reach it either, four byes. But she’s off the mark next ball with a dab to deep third of her own.
The players are on the field. Tammy Beaumont and Emma Lamb for England; Shabnim Ismail, back into the team for South Africa today, is taking the new ball. The players and staff take a knee before the first ball, to the applause of the crowd. PLAY!
Good on Leics for having a real crack here. Buy a ticket for Monday.
As records tumble on the field … can you help us make a new one at the Uptonsteel County Ground? Be part of the largest audience for a Womens ODI at Grace Road – get your ticket asap. We are on track for it! pic.twitter.com/6lnYdnOVeS
— Sean Jarvis (@SeanMJarvis) July 15, 2022 In other news before we begin… a lot of people, not unreasonably, are going to kick off over this. Time for a re-think as to where the Blast fits alongside internationals.
The teams as namedEngland: Tammy Beaumont, Emma Lamb, Sophia Dunkley, Heather Knight (c), Nat Sciver, Danni Wyatt, Amy Jones (wk), Sophie Ecclestone, Charlie Dean, Issy Wong, Lauren Bell.
South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt, Andrie Steyn, Lara Goodall, Sune Luus (c), Marizanne Kapp, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Trisha Chetty (wk), Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba.
Lauren Bell and Issy Wong are speaking with Sky. They found out yesterday, so both have brought family members to Bristol for the day. They are England ODI players 134 and 135 respectively. When they received their Test caps at Taunton, it was from the legendary combination Anya Shrubsole and Katherine Brunt – as Mel Jones points out, they have the chance to be the next long-standing opening pair. Wong is already an interesting figure in the women’s cricket world, her publicly-stated aim of becoming the first woman to 80mph dividing opinion. But ignoring the radar, goodness me, she can bowl – swing, skid, aggression. And Bell, a product of the domestic pathway, benefits from her height and accuracy. This should be fun.
England have won the tossAs expected, Heather Knight has elected to bat. It’s a very windy day at Bristol. “I think it will be a good surface and might spin towards the end of the game so we want to get runs on the board.” Katherine Brunt and Kate Cross the rest, which means Issy Wong and Lauren Bell are going to make their ODI debuts. Exciting.
Sune Luus says South Africa were going to bowl first, so she isn’t worried. And she’ll have the fastest bowler in the women’s game, Shabnil Ismail, back in her XI.
Preamble
Adam Collins
Good afternoon. Lovely to be back in the UK after a few weeks in Sri Lanka for the Australian Men’s Tests, straight onto the OBO for the first time this summer. And what better time than for the two of the teams I enjoy covering most: England’s women up against South Africa at Bristol – the second ODI of a three-match series.
Heather Knight’s reconfigured and refreshed team saluted with ease in the opener at Taunton earlier in the week, hunting down the 219 they required for victory in just 32.1 overs. What an evening it was for Emma Lamb in particular, reeling off her first international ton, finishing with 102 from 97 balls at the top of the list.
With the ball, Katherine Brunt, in her first international of the season, returned the stellar figures of 3/18 from nine overs, bursting through the top order in the usual manner for the veteran. Down the other end, all-rounder Nat Sciver continued her stunning 2022: four wickets then another brisk half century in the chase. Class.
England have a great record at Bristol in the 50-over format, last year hammering India early in the summer then also getting the job done against New Zealand. I suspect they’ll be keen to bat first, which would present a fantastic opportunity for Sophia Dunkley, who has been elevated from six to three in the England list.
For the Proteas, the big-hitting Chloe Tryon saved their blushes after a limp 30 overs off the top, smacking 88 from 73. Nadine de Klerk, who impressed at the T20 World Cup immediately before the pandemic, took a couple of wickets with her lively swing after combining with Tryon for a stand of 97, contributing 38 of those.
Sune Luus’ side need to win to stay in the series. To do so, runs from the captain and opener Laura Wolvaardt are surely a must – their senior players. That’s all the more important in the absence the absence of Lizelle Lee, who retired before the series, and their full time skipper, Dane van Niekerk, who missed the tour with an injury.
Right, I’ll be back with the toss and teams shortly with play set to begin at 2pm BST. Stay in touch throughout by dropping me a line or pinging through a tweet.