Sciver-Brunt & Bouchier give England upper hand over SA
Nat Sciver-Brunt and Maia Bouchier’s sparkling centuries give England the upper hand over South Africa on day one of the one-off Test match.
South Africa v England, one-off Test (day one of four)
England 395-9 (92 overs): Sciver-Brunt 128, Bouchier 126; Mlaba 4-90
South Africa 17-0 (6 overs): Wolvaardt 8*
South Africa trail by 378 runs
Sublime centuries from Maia Bouchier and Nat Sciver-Brunt led England to a strong position on the opening day of the one-off Test against South Africa.
Opener Bouchier made 126 on her Test debut, while all-rounder Sciver-Brunt’s 96-ball ton is the fastest ever in women’s Tests as England posted 395-9 declared in 92 overs.
Laura Wolvaardt and Anneke Bosch calmly negotiated a tricky six overs at the close as South Africa reached 17-0, and will resume 378 runs behind.
The hosts’ bowlers had struggled for consistency on a slow pitch with short boundaries, as Bouchier and Sciver-Brunt added 174 for the third wicket in a ruthless display before the former was caught at slip shortly before tea.
Sciver-Brunt was unluckily run out while backing up for 128, and South Africa capitalised on the opportunity to expose England’s lower order as five wickets fell for 38 runs in the evening session.
England were given a reprieve in the opening over when Tammy Beaumont was given not out for an lbw call which looked plumb in front off Marizanne Kapp, instantly drawing attention to Cricket South Africa’s decision not to use the decision review system (DRS) for this four-day Test.
It did not cost too much in the currency of Beaumont’s runs, as she was first to fall for 21, but 53 runs were subsequently added for the first wicket which took the sting out of the dangerous Kapp and the new ball which allowed England to score freely at around five an over for the first two sessions.
Nonkululeko Mlaba was the standout performer for South Africa with 4-90, extracting turn and bounce from the surface late in the day which will undoubtedly be brought into play by Sophie Ecclestone and Charlie Dean on day two.
Batters dominate on fast-paced day
After Beaumont’s early life, England already had South Africa on the back foot after just two balls and looked intent on keeping them there.
For the first two sessions, the runs flowed with ease as England were gifted plentiful bad balls to dispatch, helped by the short boundaries where even a mistimed prod would race to the ropes once the ball was placed in a gap.
Beaumont was brilliantly caught by a diving Sune Luus at mid-wicket before Bouchier added a further 50 with Heather Knight, though the England captain struggled for fluency and was pinned lbw for 20 in the first over after lunch.
After that, Sciver-Brunt and Bouchier hit the accelerator and South Africa wilted in the face of their aggression, with Bouchier’s 124-ball century holding the record for England’s fastest in Tests for just 29 minutes.
Bouchier gave one chance, as Kapp missed a catch at deep square leg which went for six and brought up the opener’s fifty, but Sciver-Brunt was chanceless and from the moment she strode to the middle, the century felt inevitable.
The evening flurry of wickets dampened the day slightly, as England failed to fully assert their dominance.
Amy Jones’ drive was deflected onto the stumps by Mlaba for Sciver-Brunt’s misfortune, Danni Wyatt-Hodge was caught behind off the same bowler for 12 and Dean edged onto her stumps for eight.
Jones chipped Mlaba to mid-off for a patient 39 before South Africa took the new ball, with Kapp and Ayanda Hlubi removing Ecclestone and debutant Ryana Macdonald-Gay in quick succession before Knight called her side in.
