It’s quite difficult to compete at Test level if you play one Test every two or three years: Nadine de Klerk
Proteas Women's team faced a formidable challenge against Australia in a one-off Test match. While Test cricket is rarely played by both sides.
South Africa faced a formidable challenge against Australia in a one-off Test match. Currently, most of the Women cricketers around the world are demanding more Test cricket.
For the Proteas, the encounter marked a significant gap since their last red-ball outing in England back in 2022, preceded by a Test match way back in 2014. In contrast, the Australian team had recently faced India in Mumbai, providing them with crucial exposure to the nuances of the longest format. Australian all-rounder Ellyse Perry has played 13 Test matches, surpassing the total number of matches played by the entire Proteas Test side.
Reflecting on the challenge, Proteas all-rounder Nadine de Klerk highlighted the importance of adequate preparation, emphasising the need for warm-up matches to acclimatise to the demands of Test cricket.
“It’s quite difficult to compete at Test level if you only play one Test every two or three years. It becomes really difficult. That (playing a warm-up game) would help us as a side, trying to figure it out quicker than playing a Test match maybe every two or three years," De Klerk was quoted as saying by IOL.
Indeed, the value of preparation was evident in the Proteas' performance, particularly in their second innings. Despite a daunting first-innings deficit and the eventual defeat, debutant Delmi Tucker and seasoned campaigner Chloe Tryon showcased resilience, both scoring crucial half-centuries.
Tryon, in particular, emphasised the desire for more opportunities in red-ball cricket. Expressing her aspirations, Tryon articulated,
“We would have loved to push it to (another day) but there’s a lot of learnings and a lot of positives we can take from it. We’d love to play more red-ball and multi-format series are obviously a really good challenge ... I’ve loved watching Test cricket from when I was young.”
Can only be proud of what they've shown: Head Coach Hilton Moreeng
The Proteas' recent tour of Australia, despite its challenges, garnered praise from head coach Hilton Moreeng for the team's resilience and determination. Moreeng acknowledged the uphill battle of facing Australia on their home soil but commended his team for their fighting spirit throughout the tour.
"Playing against such an experienced team on their home soil, you always knew what experience they had, they're going to ask the right questions, and their bowlers did that in the first session. We found ourselves wanting there, but we tried again with the ball and the bowlers fought."
"There’s been a lot of good. You can only be proud of what they've shown. Playing Australia on their home soil is not always easy, but they've shown the grit and the fight throughout. This ranks as one of the best we've had because of the fight that we had to keep showing," he added.
Looking ahead, the Proteas' focus now shifts to an incoming white-ball series against Sri Lanka, yet the longing for more red-ball cricket remains palpable.
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