53. about: South Africa 167-3 (Luus 26, Kapp 15) Knight has deployed fielders, with Kapp and Luus trying to carefully close the gaps. Just one run over the over, through a misfield from Dean. Time for drinks as the clouds gather but temperatures in Bloemfontein are still above 30 degrees.

52. about: South Africa 166-3 (Luus 26, Kapp 14) Thank you, Tanya. Heather Knight wants to destroy this promising partnership and turns to Charlie Dean. Sune Luus grabs one that strays off the line and casually flicks it towards the boundary.

51. about: South Africa 162-3 (Luus 22, Kapp 14) An unexpectedly expensive over from Ecclestone. Luus gets four with an advantage over the slips and Kapp increases the bounty by flying past Jones. And with that I’ll hand it over to Niall, who will guide you to the stumps. Thanks for the messages – goodbye!

50. about: South Africa 153-3 (Luus 17, Kapp 10) Kapp is happy and takes two fours from Bell’s first three balls. Continue on point through the ceiling and another cut, with fire, over point.

49. about: South Africa 145-3 (Luus 17, Kapp 2) One made from more pristine Ecclestone.

48. about: South Africa 144-3 (Luus 17, Kapp 1) Bell will jump in if you can run fast. Long, long legs, big steps: Luus plays another ball – no, she doesn’t – and takes four shots off her ankles on the last ball.

47. about: South Africa 140-3 (Luus 13, Kapp 1) The camera pans back to show the green and yellow dappled field. A few singles from Ecclestone are over.

46. ​​about: South Africa 138-3 (Luus 12, Kapp 0) Knight tightens the screw and tells Bell to replace RMG. Luus almost falls when the ball bounces just short of the gorge. A virgin.

45. about: South Africa 138-3 (Luus 12, Kapp 0) England is crazy! The South African coach says into his laptop.

WICKET! Wolvaardt lbw Ecclestone 65 (South Africa 138-3)

44. about: South Africa 137-2 (Wolvaardt 65, Luus 11) Brief relief from RMG, they pick up three. Clouds are now visible on one side of the ground, presumably brought in by the wind.

43. about: South Africa 134-2 (Wolvaardt 65, Luus 8) Filer is sent out to pasture for a well-deserved rest, but no rest for South Africa’s batters, who now get Ecclestone from the same end. She rolls in with huge sunglasses. Absolutely stunning girl.

42. about: South Africa 134-2 (Wolvaardt 65, Luus 8) A super ball from RMG attracts Wolvaardt, she clumsily hits it for a pair. The cameras detect a hairline crack outside the tree stump. Wolvaardt believes she has hit another boundary but Bell’s excellent fielding in the middle disappoints.

41. about: South Africa 131-2 (Wolvaardt 62, Luus 8) Filer, elbows akimbo, musical hall style. Luus pounces on her last ball, just outside the off-stump, and cuts it for four. Filer shakes his head and lets out a short, sharp curse.

40. about: South Africa 127-2 (Wolvaardt 62, Luus 3) I’m told the wind increases the inswing at the end from which MacDonald-Gay bowls. Wolvaardt makes her first runs since lunch, making four from a short one. Four byes fly past Amy Jones and down the leg side.

39. about: South Africa 118-2 (Wolvaardt 58, Luus 3) The referees flatten the field where Filer skated in with something resembling Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle’s iron on a stick. Filer keeps going, lots of energy, full throttle. Filer meets Wolvaardt somewhere – arm guts, I can’t tell – as he enters.

38. about: South Africa 117-2 (Wolvaardt 58, Luus 2) Ryana MacDonald-Gay takes over the ball after lunch, after Dean’s little morning magic. She runs into the wind, now loud enough to crackle the microphone and ruffle shirts and ponytails. A few leg-byes from the over.

37. about: South Africa 115-2 (Wolvaardt 58, Luus 2) Luus is greeted with a short snifter fairly early on, but misses by a pair after a miss.

Afternoon session

A truly excellent morning of tough cricket. Aggressive bowling especially from Filer but absolute concentration from South Africa, Wolvaardt brilliant and Dercksen working hard despite being targeted. England were rewarded in the final round before lunch, leaving them all but drawn. Time for me to have some breakfast, I’ll be back shortly.

WICKET! Dercksen cb Filer 41 (South Africa 113-2) LUNCH

35th over: South Africa 113-1 (Wolvaardt 58, Dercksen 41) I take it back, The the penultimate one is over, Dean drops to his feet and Dercksen thanks him very much and moves him for four.

34th over: South Africa 107-1 (Wolvaardt 57, Dercksen 36) Filer, with the person before last for lunch. She’s such a tricky customer, a hot Yorkist who rules out Wolvaardt. It arcs over short leg Beaumont, who leaps and lands awkwardly on the hard ground. She will learn, say the commentators. Dercksen runs short in a race to get back for a second, and Filer ends an eventful over with an aggressive rebound that tempts Dercksen – but she pulls her bat away just in time.

33rd over: South Africa 105-1 (Wolvaardt 56, Dercksen 35) Charlie Dean tries ten minutes before lunch, one keeps a low profile, but with a dart from the bat Wolvaardt has everything under control.

32nd over: South Africa 103-1 (Wolvaardt 55, Dercksen 34) Firey Filer is back and almost has a wicket. After serving a snorter, which Dercksen dodges, Dercksen then plays a meaningless tennis shot to the next ball and receives a top edge shot that flies invitingly to Bell, who runs in off the rope. But Bell, like Bambi on a freshly mopped floor, is all over the place, running over, diving and seeming to miss the ball entirely. Filer turns on his heel; Knight looks unimpressed.

31st over: South Africa 102-1 (Wolvaardt 55, Dercksen 33) Oof! Wolvaardt was lucky to escape when she inside-edged a ball from NSB that darted happily between her pads but evaded the stumps. Always calm, she takes advantage and shovels her last ball through the gap for four.

Vivid statistics on how South Africa’s scoring rate was suppressed: 14 overs were needed in the first 50 games, 18 overs in the second 50.

31st over: South Africa 98-1 (Wolvaardt 51, Dercksen 33) A single from Ecclestone is over.

Fifty for Wolvaardt!

29th round: South Africa 95-1 (Wolvaardt 49, Dercksen 32) The pressure is mounting on South Africa a little as England tightens the screws – although I think Wolvaardt is capable of existing in his own little quiet bubble. Ecclestone whistles through another girl.

28th round: South Africa 95-1 (Wolvaardt 49, Dercksen 32) A virgin from NSB.