Women's Cricket World Cup: England v South Africa LIVE semi-final updates

England’s women won’t be drawing inspiration from the men’s team after their harrowing defeat to South Africa in the second Test at Trent Bridge yesterday, losing by 340 runs.

But England will hope their own experience pays dividends against a youthful South Africa side – their oldest player being 29 – when they take to the pitch this morning with play due to get underway at 10.30am.

A place in Sunday’s final at Lord’s is as stake – against either Australia or India.

FOLLOW BELOW FOR LIVE UPDATES AS ENGLAND NEED 219 to win

13 overs: WICKET! Beaumont b Khaka 15 – England 61-2

Khaka gets her second wicket. Her patience is rewarded after forcing England into three defensive shots before she gives Beaumont her marching orders with a brilliant delivery.

8.3 overs: WICKET! Winfield c du Preez b Khaka England 42-1

Birthday girl Khaka gets her first wicket of the afternoon as Winfield skies it and Du Preez comes in from cover to take a fine catch.

5 overs: England 25 -0 

England have made a slow and steady start with Winfield and Beaumont opening the batting.

Taylor does get fortunate though with Chetty dropping a catch as her dive to the right to attempt a one-handed catch just escapes her grasp.

50 overs: South Africa finish their innings on 218/6. Wolvaardt made 66 before Du Preez top scored with 76 not out. 

Can England chase them down? They may to do so without Anya Shrubsole who got injured in the final over after slipping in the field. She went off for some attention so we’ll have to wait and see if she’s back out.

48 overs: Du Preez moves on to 69 with another big over as South Africa go beyond 200. 

47 overs: Luus is in and has started well for South Africa to move them up towards 200. A quick-fire 12 from 14 deliveries has them up to 198-6. 

43.5 overs AND ANOTHER WICKET. Tyron is caught and bowled by Gunn as South Africa lose another.

That’s SA on 170-6 now as England!

13:00: WICKET! South Africa 168-5 Van Niekerk run out by Sciver (After 41 overs)Van Nierkerk is ran out by Sciver as Hartley knocked off the bails following Sciver’s throw from midwicket.

12:25pm: WICKET! South Africa 126-4 Kapp run out by Shrubsole (after 32 overs)

Another in quick succession for England as Kapp lasts just four balls as her dive is unable to save her from some good fielding from Shrubsole at cover.

Kapp won’t be too happy with team-mate du Preez who hit that almost straight to Shrubsole.

12.21pm: WICKET! South Africa 125-3 Wolvaardt b Knight 66 (after 31 overs)

Knight’s second delivery doesn’t bounce as much as Wolvaardt expected, skidding on and beating an attempted stroke into leg.

12 noon: South Africa 97-2 (after 25 overs)

South Africa moving along slowly here in Bristol. Under four an over and England will be pretty pleased with this start. Remember, they racked up 300 when the teams last played in the group stages on this same ground.

Laura Wolvaardt has just moved to 50 with a straight drive down the ground that goes for four.

It comes off 81 balls.

Laura Wolvaardt is finding her feet here, with the 18-year-old opener moving on to 34.

But spin duo Laura Marsh and Alex Hartley are slowing the South African run rate right down.

Hartley had a half-chance when Wolvaardt hit back down the ground but she couldn’t hold it.

That’s a drinks break, it’s warming up out there. Already 23 degrees.

11:16am: WICKET! South Africa 48-2 (after 11.4 overs)

Chetty swings wildy, misses and Sarah Taylor is on hand to take the ball down the legside and whip off the pails.

Third umpire Paul Wilson had to check if Taylor had the ball in her hands and she did to give England their second wicket of the morning.

That was lightning quick reactions from the wicketkeeper.

11.05am: South Africa 30-1 (after 8 overs)

Trisha Chetty is off the mark in risky fashion after replacing Lee.

Her push into the legside is pounced on by Fran Wilson, stopping Chetty on the run but she recovers to nab a single.

Laura Wolvaardt has reached 21 with a tidy four and looks in good nick.

10.51am: WICKET! South Africa 21-1

Now England do take the first South African wicket with Lee going for seven.

Anya Shrubsole gets her woman after 5.3 overs after Lee hacks across the line to a straight one that cannons into off-stump.

10.47am: LBW? Not out! South Africa 13-0

South Africa appeared to lose their first wicket of the day with Lizelle Lee being given out LBW to Anya Shrubsole.

But Lee did not like to decision and instantly called for a review, with the umpire changing his decision.

The ball was swinging down leg and the 25-year-old survives. An early scare for SA.

10.04am: South Africa have won the toss and elected to BAT first.

Here we go, the semi-final starts now. Here’s hoping the ladies fare better than the gents yesterday!

09.45am: England captain Heather Knight has led her side into the semi-finals – with just South Africa standing between them and a place in Sunday’s final at Lord’s.

And Knight told BBC Sport: “After losing our opening group game against India, I couldn’t have asked for a better response from the girls to complete six straight wins on the bounce and finish as group winners.”

09.30am: Can England’s Tammy Beaumont fire England to glory once again?

Beaumont, the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 372 at 53.14, insisted the previous meeting between the teams, a 68-run home win, does not have any influence on the forthcoming clash despite it being played at the same venue.

Beaumont hit 148 and Sarah Taylor 147 in that high-scoring encounter, but the opener said: “It is going to be a clean slate with a lot more to play for and they will come out hard and try and make up for that defeat.”