England take control of Test after South Africa collapse

South Africa v England, one-off Test (day 2 of four)

England 395-9 dec & 31-1 (14 overs): Knight 19; Hlubi 1-1

South Africa 281 (88.4 overs): Wolvaardt 65; Bell 4-49

England lead by 145 runs

Scorecard

England took power of nan one-off Test against South Africa arsenic nan hosts mislaid their past 7 first-innings wickets for 44 runs successful a melodramatic evening session.

The Proteas' apical bid battled to scope 237-3 successful Bloemfontein, earlier a hold for lightning aft beverage coincided pinch a alteration of people successful nan game.

England's seamers pounced pinch nan caller shot nether darkening skies to disregard South Africa for 281 and return a 114-run lead.

That lead was extended to 145 arsenic Tammy Beaumont and Heather Knight steered England to 31-1 astatine nan close, aft first-innings centurion Maia Bouchier fell for a duck.

South Africa earlier appeared connected people to scope parity done Marizanne Kapp, who made a fluent 57 earlier she was bowled by debutant Ryana MacDonald-Gay which sparked nan illness arsenic nan hold came conscionable 5 balls later.

MacDonald-Gay struck again soon aft nan resumption pinch Nadine de Klerk caught down for a duck, Lauren Filer ended Sune Luus' guidance for a gritty 56 and Chloe Tryon tamely chipped Lauren Bell to mid-on for 20.

Bell vanished pinch 4-49 aft mopping up nan tail, pinch nan illness distracting from nan disciplined efforts of South Africa's apical bid passim nan greeting and day sessions.

Opener Anneke Bosch fell successful nan 2nd complete of nan day, but a guidelines of 92 betwixt Laura Wolvaardt and Annerie Dercksen helped nan hosts rebuild until nan second was caught astatine gaffe disconnected Filer from nan last shot earlier lunch.

The omission of nan determination reappraisal strategy (DRS) for nan lucifer had a immense effect connected nan location broadside arsenic skipper Wolvaardt was visibly disappointment to beryllium fixed retired lbw to Sophie Ecclestone for 65, suggesting that she had deed nan ball.

A chanceless business of 99 betwixt Kapp and Luus followed but, erstwhile broken, a vulnerable mediate to little bid was exposed and gave England dream of a first Test triumph since 2014.

There was immoderate interest that Kate Cross' omission from England's XI because of a backmost tense could time off nan seam onslaught short of control, but Bell and Filer stepped up pinch awesome maturity contempt South Africa's gutsy partnerships for nan 2nd and 4th wickets.

At times, Filer sacrificed accuracy arsenic a consequence of her earthy pace, but that constituent of quality proved invaluable connected a docile pitch.

The awesome Dercksen withstood nan unit aft England's early breakthrough and dug successful alongside her captain, and though some batters were tested by Filer's short shot successful her fiery opening spell, they were mostly untroubled.

But Knight threw Filer nan shot for a short burst earlier luncheon and it produced nan desired result, pinch Dercksen fending disconnected a short shot to gaffe wherever Ecclestone took a cracking one-handed rebound catch.

While Luus and Kapp's business aft luncheon was solid, South Africa are not blessed pinch nan aforesaid batting extent arsenic England and passim it felt fraught pinch nan consciousness that 1 wicket would alteration nan guidance of nan Test completely.

MacDonald-Gay took retired Kapp's disconnected stump pinch a beauty arsenic reward for her disciplined spell and past nan little bid was blown distant by Bell, pinch nan tail backing distant and softly putting England successful nan ascendency.