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48th over: England 353-5 (Knight 50, Davidson-Richards 1) The run-out of Jones brings Alice Davidson-Richards to the middle and she does as she should by feeding Knight the strike. The England skipper then slogs Khaka towards the leg side and finds the gap for four. She’ll keep the strike for the penultimate over and also brings up her fifty with that single
Jones run-out (Ismail) 5 (England 347-5) Jones is the only batter not to join the party today, though she was invited rather late. She’s run-out looking to help Knight steal a single but Ismail’s direct hit procures the fifth wicket.
47th over: England 346-4 (Knight 45, Jones 8) Ismail’s back. She bizarrely won’t bowl her full quota but here she is, steaming in with zeal. The extra pace is a help for the England batters. Jones spoons one for four that just about clears short fine leg and Knight helps a lifted cut shot for four over short third. England have rediscovered fifth gear and are motoring once more.
46th over: England 334-4 (Knight 38, Jones 3) De Klerk continues. Why, I’m not sure. This is her eighth over. Kapp and Ismail have only bowled five each. Are they injured? Then why are they playing? It’s all a little weird.
Anyway, de Klerk continues to haemorrhage boundaries with Knight going back-to back. The first four is mowed through cow corner and the second is burst through Goodall – who has had a stinker in the field today – at cover and it meets the boundary.
45th over: England 322-4 (Knight 29, Jones 0) Wyatt was just getting going and had already smoked Khaka’s full-toss for four towards deep midwicket. She looked to do it again and there was no problem with the timing off the final ball of the over. Had it been a few yards left or right it may have gone for six. Instead it went straight to Kapp who pulled off a stunner.
Wicket! Wyatt c Kapp b Khaka 33 (England 322-4)What a catch that is! Wyatt clears the front leg and nails Khaka down to deep square leg. Kapp gets her body in the way and gets herself in a tangle but clings on with both hands. That’s a really good grab. Not that her teammates seem overly fussed. Barely a celebration from the women in green. So I’ll applaud that myself. What. A. Catch!
44th over: England 316-3 (Knight 28, Wyatt 29) Ooooph! That’s more like it. Wyatt explodes into beats mode and wallops de Klerk for two sixes and two fours in an over that also includes a couple of wides.
The second six was the standout. A mighty cleave over the sight screen that means de Klerk has coughed up 24 runs from that over. That will sure be the end of her contributions in this innings.
Powerful hitting from Wyat. How many more can she muster before the close?
43rd over: England 293-3 (Knight 28, Wyatt 7) The (small) boundary drought comes to an end as Wyatt makes room for herself and belts Khaka’s slower ball over the ring on the off side. Muscled is the right adjective for that one. There’s also a review for an lbw decision but Wyatt has got bat on that and South Africa have spent them all. Still, it’s neat enough from Khaka who only concedes four singles across the over. At this stage that’s not too shabby. Her full length is the key here.
42nd over: England 285-3 (Knight 26, Wyatt 1) Success for South Africa. They were staring at a mountain when Beaumont was biffing it about in the 34th over. But from 236-1 it’s now 285-3. It’s still going to take a monumental batting effort but at least they’re keeping it tighter than it otherwise would be.
De Klerk concedes five from this over but, crucially, no boundaries. Been a while since one of those. Four overs in fact.
Wicket! Dunkley c Tryon b de Klerk 51 (England 282-3)Two balls after bringing up her fourth ODI 50, Dunkley looks to pop de Klerk for six down the ground. She can’t quite catch hold of it and steers it wider than she intended on the leg side. It goes high by Tryon is settled and takes the catch without any drama. De Klerk lets out a roar. She really wanted that and she’s got it. South Africa have pulled this back really well.
41st over: England 280-2 (Dunkley 49, Knight 20) With South Africa’s spinners out of the equation now it’s the seamers who will have to close it out. Khaka is back and has found a full length. Knight is aided by some poor fielding – the Saffas must be sapped out there – and scampers a two to Steyn at midwicket. With boundary riders down the ground it’s a few singles across the board. Just six off the over. Nice set there from Khaka.
40th over: England 273-2 (Dunkley 47, Knight 19) De Klerk is back at it but slings a wide outside off stump that Chetty can’t contain. She maintains a full length across the rest of the over and keeps a lid on England’s batters, who aren’t quite going ballistic just yet. Surely they’re gearing up for a charge in the last 10 overs? Four singles across the over will do de Klerk just fine.
39th over: England 267-2 (Dunkley 46, Knight 16) Dunkley moves to within a boundary of her half century as she slaps Tryon’s first ball through the off side for four. Slightly quicker but Dunkley is on it in a flash with a flashing blade.
Two singles, one for each batter, closes out Tryon’s contribution with the ball today. 10-1-58-0 is genuinely commendable. She may not have bagged a wicket but she kept it clean and went at less than a run a ball. If South African fail to restrict England to a hefty total it won’t be her fault.
38th over: England 262-2 (Dunkley 41, Knight 16) Knight is in the groove. An extra drive of the highest calibre off Mlaba skips to the rope as if stuck to a scampering Jack Russell. Tossed up, gets to the pitch and times it with aplomb. Great cricket shot. Turn that one into an NFT.
Mlaba’s done. 10-0-68-1 isn’t her cheapest return but she did claim the crucial wicket of Beaumont. In the context of the game that’s not the worst performance for the finger spinner.
37th over: England 255-2 (Dunkley 39, Knight 11) Knight is starting to find her feet and unfurls a lovely reverse sweep that beats Goodall to the boundary. Beyond the boundaries, it’s the ease with which the English are taking ones and twos. It’s quality batting. Would love to know if they’ve practiced their running between the wickets. Knight is a notorious runner-outer (is that a word?) of her team-mates but she’s been assured here today.
36th over: England 247-2 (Dunkley 38, Knight 4) There’s an appeal for a run-out at the non-striker’s end. Dunkley, squeezes Mlaba for four off a thick edge, then drills one straight back from whence it came. Mlaba get’s a hand on it and it cannons into the stumps. The uqnpire isn’t sure if Knight is short so it’s sent upstairs. Yeah, no worries at all. The skipper survives. Two singles for both of them keeps the scoreboard ticking.
35th over: England 241-2 (Dunkley 32, Knight 3) Knight, off the mark from the last ball of the previous over, doubles her total with another single to cover. Dunkley gets a single herself with a hack down to long on and both batters camper another single each. A slight lull in the tempo. Is this the deep breath before the plunge? The calm before the fireworks? Tryon has done brilliantly, conceding less than a run a ball in the context of this game is noteworthy.
34th over: England 236-2 (Dunkley 31, Knight 0) Success for South Africa and it won’t be a record innings for Beaumont. She was a long way off Charlotte Edwards’ ODI score is 173 not-out, but with so many overs left she had the time to do it. Not to be. Mlaba bags an unlikely breakthrough and Knight saunters out with a formidable platform.
Wicket! Beaumont st Chetty b Mlaba 107 (England 236-2)Oh no! Mlaba has got the big fish and Beaumont is gone for a sublime 119 off 106 balls. Beaumont was battling through cramp – no surprise in this heat – and she can’t quite get low enough with her sweep shot to a flighted delivery. It misses the stumps but Beaumont is out of her crease and all Chetty has to do is gather and clip the bails off. Wonderful knock as she receives the ovation she deserves.
Stumped: Tammy Beaumont is stumped out by South Africa’s Trisha Chetty . Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA33rd over: England 234-1 (Beaumont 118, Dunkley 30) In a sea of expensive bowlers who have served hittable dross both sides of the wicket, Tryon has been rathe tidy. Three off the bat and a leg bye.
Beaumont’s in business here
Charlotte Edwards England record ODI score is 173*. Beaumont is on 117 and there are still 17.3 overs to go.
— daniel norcross (@norcrosscricket) July 18, 2022 32nd over: England 230-1 (Beaumont 116, Dunkley 29). This has not been a good day for Nadine de Klerk. Three boundaries for Beaumont – a reverse scoop towards deep third, a smeared drive over cover from a full ball, a scintillating scythe through point – has ruined de Klerk’s already ruined figures. Four overs have cost 40 runs. She’s been taken to the cleaners.
31st over: England 214-1 (Beaumont 103, Dunkley 27) Tryon is back. She bowled with control earlier in the piece and she’s bang on again. Compared to her mates, she’s rather tidy and concedes five singles in this over. England happy to keep it rotating. Still hovering around seven per over.
30th over: England 209-1 (Beaumont 101, Dunkley 24) Oh Dunkley is good, isn’t she? That’s a wonderful shot as she hangs back and heaves it past mid-on for four. She takes a couple the next ball and a single the one after that. Just good batting. Fully in control and building nicely. Should mention that the over was delivered by de Klerk, shouldn’t I?
29th over: England 202-1 (Beaumont 101, Dunkley 17) Just the four from this over from Khaka and it’s time for a drink. A welcome pause before the carnage commences after a refresh. Time for a rethink for the Proteas. Time for a restart for England. They say you should double the total after 30. That puts this one above 400. Who’d bet against them?
No smoke without fire. This just in from Cricket South Africa:
“Cricket South Africa (CSA) has on 08 July 2022 issued a media release announcing the retirement of Lizelle Lee from all forms of international cricket. The release was issued, pursuant to Lee’s engagement with CSA, and also incorporated her statement in her own words.
CSA has however noted recent media reports, making reference to Lee’s retirement, which are devoid of truth, fact or sanction from either CSA nor Lee.
Consequently, CSA distances itself from such reports, reaffirms the integrity of the media release issued on 08 July 2022 and confirms that no other communication was issued regarding Lee’s retirement by both parties.
The comments made in the media regarding this are therefore unfortunate, regrettable, and discredited”
Make of that what you will.
100 for Beaumont28th over: England 198-1 (Beaumont 100, Dunkley 14) That is a wonderful century from Beaumont, her ninth in the format to go along with one in T20s. She’s brought that up from 93 balls and breezed through the 90s with two fours at the start of this Mlaba over, both with expert sweep shots. A couple of singles late and she’s on to three figures. But she’s got plenty of time to build something rather special here. I have no idea how South Africa get her out, and I’m sitting under the shade. Those Proteas are burning up as if caught in a wilde fire on the slopes of Table Mountain.
Tammy Beaumont celebrates scoring a century . Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA27th over: 183-1 (Beaumont 90, Dunkley 9) Dunkley leans into a wide ball from a returning Khaka and swats it past a diving Tryon at cover. The ball was already past the fielder but she still felt compelled to put in a rather comically dive. Fair play to her, we’ve all bee there and this is starting to feel rather grim for the tourists.
Dunkley wants some more and takes a short hop down the pitch and mows one past Ismail at mid-off. That whizzed off the dry surface and clattered into the colourful moving adverts.
26th over: England 178-1 (Beaumont 89, Dunkley 5) Dunkley is off the mark with a boundary – the 23rd of the match, just under one per over – and it’s a textbook straight drive as Kapp over pitches. She’ll have first at Ismail in the next over after pinching a quick single on the off side with a solid bunt from the full face of the bat.
You said it…
The South African women’s team look as disinterested and lethargic as it gets – and it’s not the heat in Leicester. They’ve conceded 135 runs in 21 overs, messed up 3 chances to remove England’s openers (in one over) and bowled 9 wides. Time for someone to tell us what’s going on
— Firdose Moonda (@FirdoseM) July 18, 2022 25th over: England 172-1 (Beaumont 88, Dunkley 0) Beaumont kept the strike with a single off the last over. She’s hogging the action right now and why not? This is wonderful batting and she’s steaming ahead.
There’s a clip wide of mid-one for four and another drive to the fence through extra cover. When Ismail goes short Beaumont swivels and pulls her to deep square for four more. Brilliant from Beaumont. Whatever the South Africans serve her she’s just belting it for a boundary.
Just found out that the written press will be selecting the player of the series. I assure you I won’t let this awesome power go to my head.
It’s got to be Lamb at the minute, right? Who would you pick?
24th over: England 158-1 (Beaumont 74, Dunkley 0) The 150 is up as Kapp makes her return. Ismail’s wicket in the last over encourages Luus to have go with seam at both ends. It almost pays off. There’s a review for caught behind. No danger of bat, but close enough feels like a victory. There’s also an edge from a delightful full ball that may have straightened off the deck. But it goes for four. Oh, almost forgot, Beaumont started the over with a well-balanced clip through to ther midwicket boundary. Tsmmy’s ticking along well.
23rd over: England 149-1 (Beaumont 65, Dunkley 0) One run short of the 150 stand, Lemb is bowled by Ismail. The extra ooomph provided by the tearaway does the trick. Sophia Dunkley, fresh from a ton in the last game, is the next batter in so it won’t get any easier for South Africa. Still, they have the breakthrough with a wicekt maiden. And as the old adage goes, one brings two.
Wicket! Lamb b Ismail 65 (England 149-1)Well, well, well. It needed something special and that’s what Shabnim Ismail is. She’s a special, special bowler. The ‘Demon’, as she’s know, steamed in and gets her yorker spot on. It’s too quick for Lamb who looks to scoop it over fine leg. Was there bat on that? Perhaps. Not the smartest shot but I admire her gumption. Top knock either way, Emma.
WICKET: Emma Lamb goes for 65. Photograph: Steve Poole/ProSports/REX/Shutterstock