Six uncapped players have been chosen in South Africa’s 14-man squad for their historic first Test match against Australia. Perth will host the one-time test beginning on Thursday, February 15.
In June 2022, the Proteas played their final Test match at Taunton against England. Marizanne Kapp finished the match with 150 and 43*, and it was ultimately drawn. The 14-woman team includes the seasoned all-rounder, who will try to repeat her valiant performance from that match. After missing that test, Chloe Tryon is back in the lineup. The six uncapped players named in the team are Tazmin Brits, Masabata Klaas, Ayanda Hlubi, Eliz-Mari Marx, Delmi Tucker, and Mieke de Ridder.
In Test cricket, South Africa’s all-around skipper, Laura Wolvaardt, will take charge of the team for the first time. In the Taunton Test, she made her debut in the longest format of the game under the guidance of Sune Luus, who is also included in the team that will take on Alyssa Healy and company. The team that played England included Anneke Bosch, Nadine de Klerk, Sinalo Jafta, and Nonkululeko Mlaba.
According to a statement from Cricket South Africa (CSA), right-arm bowler Ayabonga Khaka, who is currently touring Australia with South Africa’s ODI team, has “chosen not to participate in red-ball cricket.”.
“As a team, we have wonderful potential here. Since this is the second Test in a while, I believe that the young players in particular are eager to push themselves and see how they do in the longer format, which is unfamiliar to us in women’s cricket. It’s an opportunity that every young person wants to seize and test their skills against, so as a squad, we’re excited about it. As head coach Hilton Moreeng put it, “We’ve had a chance to prepare for it and play in an iconic stadium.”
The convenor of selectors, Clinton du Preez, stated that South Africa hopes to find individuals who can succeed for them in Test cricket in the near future, in addition to providing opportunities to the players who have been on the tour to Australia.
“For the test match, we are thinking about making tactical changes to the batting order. In addition, we want to evaluate prospects for upcoming Test matches and give players who participated in the tour opportunities. Our goal is to establish the ideal balance within our group by strategically placing players in the lineup,” du Preez said.
“Excitement is introduced by test cricket, especially for players who are playing for the first time. “I am excited to watch the team members perform in the red-ball arena,” he continued.
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