South Africa v England: ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup – Live! † Sport

That’s so unfortunate. A bit of a freak dismissal for Sciver and she can barely drag herself from the field… Klaas comes into the attack and with her third ball she drops short, Sciver goes to pull and the ball hits her on the hip, as she swivels around the back of the bat glaces the ball straight to Lee at slip. Waht a way to go. England in all sorts here.

11th over: England 40-2 (Beaumont 12 Sciver 14) Khaka continues, Beaumont picks up a single off the first ball to get down the non-strikers end where she is almost run out! That would have been a sickener! Sciver rasps a drive back straight and Khaka got a slight touch with her outstretched finger in her follow through, the ball crashing into the stumps. Fortunately Beaumont was just quick enough to turn and get her bat down in time. And I mean just† Sciver picks up a single too.

10th over: England 38-2 (Beaumont 11 Sciver 13) Beaumont picks up a single and then Sciver drives Kapp for four! A glorious cover drive, on the up. Sciver is counter-punching here and it’s a good move. Kapp, her slingy action and head tilt reminiscent of Shaun Tait (IMHO), then sends down four dots in response. Over done. South Africa still on top.

9th over: England 33-2 (Beaumont 10 Sciver 9) Ayabonga Khaka is into the attack and her very first ball is short, wide and cut away imperiously by Sciver for four! That’s a nerve settler. Khaka serves up a wide too and then drops short with her last ball and Sciver puts her away for four more through the leg side this time, a swivel pull that whistles away across the carpet-like outfield.

8th over: England 24-2 (Beaumont 10 Sciver 1) Beaumont is tentative to Kapp and she nearly chops on trying to leave too! Eeeesht. The next ball she comes wandering down the pitch, in an effort to be decisive and the ball passes just past the edge! Was there a tickle on that? Kapp looks uncertain but is coerced a little into going for a review… NOT OUT – flatline as the ball passed Beaumont’s blade. A maiden for Kapp and pressure very much on the team in pale blue.

7th over: England 24-2 (Beaumont 10 Sciver 1) Nat Sciver arrives at the crease and England need her to stand up, again, here. Beaumont picks up three with a flick out through deep square and Sciver gets away immediately with a single to mid on. Beaumont picks up another single to make it 5 runs from the over.

6th over: England 19-2 (Beaumont 6 Sciver 0) Nooooo (for England)! Knight Drags One Onto Her Stumps and Kapp has another! She was looking to leave but a late bit of indecision cost her and that tiny mis-judgment has cost her dear. South Africa have two wickets inside the power play. Deep breaths for England’s batting lineup.

5th over: England 17-1 (Beaumont 6 Knight 7) Dot dot dot dot dot and… dot. Maiden from Ismail. Beaumont studious in defence.

4th over: England 17-1 (Beaumont 6 Knight 7) England’s skipper looks in fine fettle as she opens the face and glides a full ball by Kapp away for four through point! She also picks up a couple through square to make it six runs from the over. Knight averages an incredible 99 against South Africa. Just putting that out there…

3rd over: England 11-1 (Beaumont 6 Knight 1) Beaumont slaps away a free-hit (because of a front-foot no ball by Ismail) for four over mid-wicket! Knight gets off the mark by scampering a single. England take 7 from the over.

2nd over: England 4-1 (Beaumont 1 Knight 0) Kapp it is from the other end and she’s on the button straight away. Wyatt has been promoted to the top of the order as Lauren Winfield-Hill has not scored a fifty since 2016. She leans on a full ball through the covers to pick up two but is CAUGHT OUT NEXT BALL! Slicing a pumped up Kapp to backward point where Wolvaardt clings on after a bit of a juggle. Wyatt has to go and Heather Knight is the new batter. Not a good start for England. South Africa are ecstatic.

1st left: England 2-0 (Beaumont 1 Wyatt 1) Nasser Hussain says the pitch has lost its green tinge from the other day and looks a “belter”. A tight start from Ismail, probing away outside off. A single each to England’s new opening partnership.

The South African players are in a huddle of green at the side of the pitch, the sun blazes down in Mount Maunganui. Tammy Beaumont and England’s new opener Danni Wyatt stroll out onto the wicket… the players take the knee. Ismail has the ball in hand – let’s play!

England have made one change, Charlie Dean comes into the side and Lauren Winfield-Hill misses out.

Hello and welcome to the third match of England’s spluttering World Cup campaign. After two defeats to Australia and West Indies, Heather Knight’s team will be on the brink of an embarrassing early exit if they do not prosper over Sune Luus’ South Africa.

A competitive showing in a last over loss to Australia in their first game was somewhat overshadowed by a sloppy performance in their second against the Windies in which they dropped five catches and gave away 23 freebie runs in wides, eventually going down by just seven runs. It felt like more.

England will need to be a lot sharper against the Proteas, who are currently ranked the second best side in the world and have already chalked up two wins from two against Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Kate Cross was on the media rounds in the build up to the game and struck a hopeful tone:

“We’re losing by small margins, but a lot of it is our own doing… the amount of wides we’ve been bowling has cost us and the fielding has not been the standard we set for ourselves, so that is something we have to look at and hopefully improve on.”

The seamer was bullish too, “If we can get that win on the board, there is still a great chance we can qualify and go on to win the World Cup. We’ve not written that off yet.”

Knight’s side currently have their paws on the World Cup trophy and they won’t want to relinquish it without putting up a fight. They’ll need to conjure up some of the magic that they harnessed so memorably during that frenzied afternoon at Lord’s almost five years ago. Heck, a re-watch of that epic game against India should be enough to get the juices flowing before we get going here in a little while.

Today’s game is a day/nighter and gets underway in Mount Maunganui at 2pm which is a bleary eyed ONE AM here in blighty. I’ll be back shortly with news of the toss and the teams – can’t promise I won’t be in my dressing gown and slippers but let’s keep that between us? thanks.

As ever, do get in touch on the email or that other thing if you are out there and tuning in, this OBO needs YOU!