England shine bright under Bloem’s sun

England shine bright under Bloem's sun

At Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein's scorching sun was no match for Nonkululeko Mlaba's radiant smile and England's dominating performance. Mlaba's remarkable spell of 6/67 gave her match figures of 10/157, a first for South Africa in a women's Test. However, her smile was overshadowed by Heather Knight's exceptional batting and Lauren Bell's bowling, which led England to a historic 286-run victory inside three days.

South Africa, chasing 351 to win, was bowled out for 64, their lowest total on record. England's victory was their first in the 10 Tests since January 2014, with five of them drawn.

Heather Knight, England's captain and No. 3, scored 90 out of England's total of 236. Her resilient innings of over three-and-a-half hours and 191 balls was the only significant partnership of 67 with Nat Sciver-Brunt for the third wicket.

England's victory was set up by their bowlers, who dismissed South Africa for 64, with Lauren Bell taking three wickets. The match was marred by DRS controversies, with South Africa being on the receiving end of multiple poor decisions.

Heather Knight expressed her satisfaction with England's performance and looked forward to their next Test against Australia in Melbourne, starting from January 30. Despite the challenges of playing with a pink ball and in unfamiliar conditions, Knight expressed confidence in England's ability to adapt.

In summary, England's exceptional performance in all departments led them to a historic victory over South Africa. Despite the DRS controversies, England was the better team and deserved their thumping win. England's next challenge will be against Australia, where they will have to adapt to new conditions and a pink ball.