Nat Sciver and Alice Davidson-Richards centuries lead England recovery

Davidson-Richards ultimately fell to the last ball of the day, cutting Tumi Sekhukhune to backward point, but by then she had more than done her job for England, who ended the day with a 44-run lead

Taunton (second day of four): South Africa 284, England 328-6 - England lead by 44 runs with four wickets remaining

Scorecard

Allrounders Nat Sciver and Alice Davidson-Richards hit centuries in a 207-run partnership to put England in charge of the Test match at Taunton after South Africa had earlier taken five wickets to give the tourists the hope of a first-innings lead.

Sciver and Davidson-Richards, who would become the first English Test debutante to make a hundred and take a wicket on debut since WG Grace, came together at 121 for 5 before making hay against the second new ball.

England's talisman, Sciver, ended the day unbeaten on 119 and was the first of the pair to three figures, before Davidson-Richards – her schoolfriend – joined her in making a maiden Test hundred, carving a full delivery through cover-point for one of 17 boundaries.

Earlier, Emma Lamb and Tammy Beaumont had shared a 65-run opening stand before England suffered a collapse at the hands of Anneke Bosch, who cleaned up both openers and had Sophia Dunkley caught at slip.

^{Nat Sciver made her maiden Test hundred (Harry Trump/Getty Images)}

In between, Heather Knight was run out by the first ball after lunch, hesitating during a quick single with Sciver and ending up short of her ground. Once Dunkley fell, Amy Jones was spun out by Nonkululeko Mlaba without scoring, but the one-time Epsom schoolmates combined to turn the game in England's favour.

Initially, they ticked along slowly, with a rebuild necessary and the conditions overcast. But as the tourists tired, they took full advantage.

South Africa noticeably tired, with Marizanne Kapp struggling in the field at times but still bowling 16 economical overs, while Sune Luus' 10 overs of leg-spin were considered a chance to attack by Sciver and Davidson-Richards.

Davidson-Richards ultimately fell to the last ball of the day, cutting Tumi Sekhukhune to backward point, but by then she had more than done her job for England, who ended the day with a 44-run lead and four wickets remaining, albeit facing a questionable weather forecast over the next couple of days.

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