Key events
9th over: England 58-3 ( Sciver-Brunt 16, Knight 19) South Africa burn a second and final review for an lbw againt NSB off Mlaba’s first ball – NSB drops to sweep and the ball deviates off horizontal blade into the pad. Some cracking fielding from Derksen saves a couple but a resolute and gun-fire quick sweep from Knight for four gets the scoreboard ticking.
8th over: England 50-3 ( Sciver-Brunt 14, Knight 13) Khaka, running out of the shadows. A very Heather Knight kind of shot, tantalising the fielder the whole way as she slides four between backward point and third. That’s the only boundary, but eight from the over. The crowd are still wired despite the early wickets.
7th over: England 42-3 ( Sciver-Brunt 13, Knight 6) This is a time for wise old heads. Which is lucky, as that’s exactly who England have at the crease. The dangerous, dangerous Kapp continues – no fancy messing about with bowling changes for Woolvaardt. This is actually the first time Kapp has bowled out early all tournament. NSB clips one ball perilously close to the midwicket fielder but, that’s more like it, one shimmies along the ground this time through midwicket for four.
6th over: England 35-3 ( Sciver-Brunt 8, Knight 4) South Africa, wisely, decide not to review an lbw shout against NSB, despite how much Ishmail likes it. Her next ball rises sharply past NSB’s attempted duck’n’pull. Cracking over, just two from it as the teams take drinks.
5th over: England 33-3 ( Sciver-Brunt 7, Knight 3) A legbye, a wide and three singles from Kapp’s miserly over.
4th over: England 28-3 ( Sciver-Brunt 6, Knight 1 ) A tiny bit of good news for England with an NSB cover drive for four off Ishmail’s last ball. This SA bowling is unrelenting, threatening. In the dugout, DWH shakes her head.
South Arica did gamble on an lbw review against NSB off Ismail’s first ball which they lost, only for Ishmail to get Capsey lbw a ball later. Oh gosh, and the replays seem to show an inside edge onto Capsey’s pad for that lbw decision.
WICKET! Capsey lbw Ishmail 1 (England 23-3)
Capsey asks NSB whether she should review but gets the shake of doom and must make the long walk home after a four ball. one. Another gorgeous ball from Ishmail that nips back in and skirts into her exposed back pad.
3rd over: England 21-2 ( Sciver-Brunt 1, Capsey 1 ) Kapp has a fire in her belly today. Capsey beaten first ball after coming in, England scrimp a couple of singles from the over.
WICKET! Wyatt-Hodge b Kapp 12 (England 20-2)
The wicket South Africa wanted! A peach of a ball from Kapp, a roar of triumph from Kapp, and DWH looks back to see splayed stumps.
2nd over: England 20-0 (Wyatt-Hodge 12, Nat Sciver-Brunt 1) A huge roar for NSB as she strides onto the turf looking determined and she picks up a single immediately. Then runs, runs, as DWH picks up four between slip and backward point, four wides next ball as Ishmail sprays legside this time, then four more, rather lucky runs as DWH chops Ismail into the ground. A great dive on the boundary boards saves another four but then DWH nearly chops onto her stumps from the last ball. Slightly risky play here.
WICKET! Jones c Derksen b Ishmail 2 (South Africa 3-1)
Oh dear, Derksen only has to shuffle a couple of pigeon steps sideways to collect a slap straight to cover point off Ishmail’s first ball.
1st over: England 3-0 (Wyatt-Hodge 1, Amy Jones 2) Marizanne Kapp has grabbed a wicket with her first ball twice already in this tournament – but not this time as the ball passes safely outside Amy Jones’ off stump. Jones picks up a single bringing run-machine Wyatt-Hodge to the crease. But there are no gimmies and she wafts and misses twice in a row going for the cut.
An early email as the flag ceremony unfurls itself at The Oval.
Hello Dean Kinsella! “Good evening Tanya. What’s the weather there in London? Lovely cricketing weather here in Mayo. This is such an exciting prospect of a game. Hard to call. Saffers have match winners in their side. England’s line-up looks so strong even without Sophie. Let’s do it!”
It looks lovely at The Oval, the sun is kissing the players faces as they file out, t-shirts in the crowd, a balmy 25 degrees in London at the moment. An excellent crowd that will only get bigger as people file in after work – they’re expecting 20,000 through the turnstiles. Big love for the lovely South African national anthem, and a bright and breezy version of our dirge – NSB and Charlie Dean exchange smiles. Here we go!
Whoever wins this game has the unappetising prospect of facing up to Australia in the final at Lord’s on Sunday. They thrashed West Indies by eight wickets on Tuesday.
Afterwards, West Indies captain Hayley Matthews had something to say on the “unfair” distribution of money in women’s cricket.
Raf has just hared over to The Oval “from a lovely reception at the Foreign Office to celebrate the Afghanistan women’s cricket team. Richard Gould was there too, and is now here – somehow got here quicker than me, despite horrendous traffic between Whitehall and The Oval (ECB private jet maybe?) It is VERY busy – so busy they’ve closed the road – which is quite an exciting sign!”
South Africa XI
South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt (c), Tazmin Brits, Annerie Dercksen, Sune Luus, Marizanne Kapp, Nadine de Klerk, Chloe Tryon, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba.
England XI
England: Amy Jones (wk), Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Nat Sciver-Brunt (c), Alice Capsey, Heather Knight, Freya Kemp, Dani Gibson, Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell.
Sophia Dunkley misses out
NSB would have had a bowl too. She says the calf is as good as it could be and she’s really happy with where she is. Poor old Sophia Dunkley misses out.
South Africa win the toss and will bowl!
Woolvaardt: “I think The Oval is quite a hard ground to defend so we’ll have a bat later. We have room for improvement but I think that’s the exciting thing – we’ve found ourselves in the semis without having fully found our feet.”
Preamble
Hello London, hello Cape Town – here we are again for another big beast battle between the hosts and the losing finalists in the last World Cup.
England have soared though their knock-out games undefeated, even without Nat Sciver-Brunt, who is back today wearing the captain’s armband. It has been more of a slog for South Africa but they know how to win these games and Laura Woolvaardt is yet to fire fully – keeping her powder dry for today?
We will soon find out. The toss is imminent, let’s go to The Oval.
