Maia Bouchier and Nat Sciver-Brunt tons power England to big total
The tourists declared on 395 for nine before the hosts closed on 17 without loss.
Brilliant centuries from Maia Bouchier and Nat Sciver-Brunt helped England pile up 395 on the opening day of their one-off Test against South Africa.
Bouchier hit 126 on her Test debut, sharing in a 174-run partnership with Sciver-Brunt in Bloemfontein.
Sciver-Brunt also starred with the bat, hitting the fastest women’s Test hundred from 96 balls, finishing with a blistering 128 before being run out by Nonkululeko Mlaba.
The Proteas spinner proved to be the pick of the bowlers and helped South Africa get a grip on the game in the evening session, where she took three wickets after tea to spark an England collapse before the tourists declared nine down.
South Africa openers Laura Wolvaardt and Anneke Bosch then successfully navigated the final six overs of the day to close on 17 without loss.
After winning the toss, England opted to bat first and brought up their 50 without loss inside 11 overs.
South Africa soon found the breakthrough in the following over when Tammy Beaumont was caught by Sune Luus off Ayanda Hlubi for 21, but Bouchier continued to impress alongside skipper Heather Knight for England to reach lunch on 103 for one.
The hosts struck again in the first over of the afternoon session when Tumi Sekhukhune dismissed Knight lbw for 20.
Bouchier was joined in the middle by Sciver-Brunt and England continued to frustrate South Africa, who were unable to break the third-wicket alliance.
All-rounder Sciver-Brunt brought up her half-century from just 46 balls, while Bouchier went to three figures in style after smashing a brilliant boundary.
A dominant session saw Sciver-Brunt soon reach her second Test hundred.
However, the England celebrations were short-lived after Bouchier fell two balls later when the opener edged to Luus in the slips off Mlaba.
Mlaba quickly picked up her second wicket, dismissing Danni Wyatt-Hodge for just 12.
Despite taking two quick wickets, the hosts were struggling to break a productive 58-run partnership between Sciver-Brunt and Jones.
Sciver-Brunt’s brilliant innings ended in strange circumstances after Jones hit a delivery down the wicket and bowler Mlaba stuck a hand out to direct the ball towards the stumps at the non-striker’s end, where the all-rounder was out of her crease and subsequently run out.
Mlaba’s efforts sparked a flurry of dismissals as she bowled Charlie Dean, who got in a tangle in the crease and the ball skidded onto the stumps.
The bowler shortly earned her fourth after Jones chipped to mid-off, allowing Marizanne Kapp to make an easy catch for the England wicketkeeper to fall for 39.
Kapp earned her first scalp of the day after bowling debutant Ryana MacDonald-Gay and Hlubi bowled Sophie Ecclestone four balls later before Knight declared.
