Key events
In pictures now shining from Blomfontein, where the light is bright and the sun is warm. Kaya Zondo and Nono Pongolo sing Bouchier’s praises – his 126 was the third highest score on Test debut behind Australia’s Mel Jones and Michelle Goszko.
A beautiful picture of Maia Bouchier and his father, Anthony, who was an investor in Wisden.com in the early days of the internet brought back the early troubles.
Maia Bouchier’s father, Antonij, was the first investor in Wisden Online, which bought Cricinfo in 2003.
It was a proud moment in today’s match as Maia scored a century on his Test debut 🙌 pic.twitter.com/8DnbcsRs84
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) December 15, 2024
This it is worth listening to from Raf and Syd in both England women’s contracts and the new ECB salary announcement in the hundreds where there are huge increases in the pay of the top ranks, not so much for each other.
This is Raf’s take one day;
The beginning
Hello! Like the children in the fluff-up on the Monday before Christmas, the skies of Manchester are still a long way from dawn, England and South Africa are preparing for a two-day one-off Test in sunny Bloemfontein.
England Women were at their best yesterday, 395 in quite a lick, with a debut Test hundred for the impressive Maia Bouchier and the fastest century in women’s history for Nat Sciver Brunt.
South Africa struggled late in the afternoon, slipping this way and that through the middle order and the tail, and England failed to make a breakthrough in the six overs after Heather Knight.
The action starts at 8am, in this first women’s test in South Africa since 2002. Join me, coffee in hand.