Ahead of the Proteas Women’s inaugural Test match against Australia at the prestigious Western Australia Cricket Association (Waca) Ground in Perth, taking place from Thursday, captain Laura Wolvaardt expressed her team’s excitement for the final encounter of the multi-format tour Down Under.
The four-day game is set to commence at 11am local time (5am SA time), airing live on SuperSport Grandstand (Channel 201).
In the pre-match press conference, Wolvaardt conveyed the team's eagerness for the contest, stating, “So excited. To have it at the Waca as well, just such an iconic and special ground, the group is definitely very excited and can't wait to get going.”
The upcoming Test match holds significant importance for the Proteas, offering South Africa a chance to measure themselves against Australia, a key force in women's cricket. The visiting nation has competed in a total of 13 Tests between 1960 and 2022, with one win against the Netherlands in 2007 along with seven draws and five defeats. South Africa’s last Test match took place in June 2022 against England.
Meanwhile, the Aussies have participated in 78 Test matches, winning 21 with 46 draws and 11 losses.
"It's very special. Obviously Australia is leading the way in women's cricket, and to be able to measure ourselves against them and to play against them in probably the purest form of the game is an awesome opportunity. We are really excited,” the 24-year-old added.
When asked about the prospect of playing more Test matches in the future, Wolvaardt revealed her love for the longer format.
"I would definitely enjoy that. I love Test cricket. I love watching it. I love all the battles within the battles. So for me personally, that would be awesome and I think it would suit my game as well. The rest of our group is also very excited to hopefully play more Test cricket in the future,” the skipper said.
Addressing the conditions at the Waca Ground, Wolvaardt acknowledged the possibility of a spinning and bouncy wicket.
"I have heard that it's been turning a bit more lately, and we are expecting it to be pretty bouncy as well. I think it's going to be the bounciest ground in the world from what I've heard. So I did a lot of preparation in the nets, and hopefully, we're ready for tomorrow.”
Considering the challenging weather conditions in Perth, with temperatures expected to reach between 40-42 degrees before dropping to a maximum of 26 and increasing again across the four days, Wolvaardt emphasized the importance of recovery.
"Well, 26 is still pretty hot for us. I think 41 is going to be crazy. I think the recovery will be key for us just after a day's play. It's not something we're used to coming back to back to back. Usually, we get a bit of a rest day after an ODI. The physical and mental preparation will be pretty difficult and something we're not used to but we'll have to deal with it,” Wolvaardt added.
The host nation currently leads the multi-format tour eight points to four, with the upcoming Test worth four points.
If South Africa secures the win, Wolvaardt will become only the second Proteas Women captain to win a Test match for her country after Cri-Zelda Brits led her team to victory against the Netherlands in Rotterdam.
Squad
Laura Wolvaardt (Fidelity Titans, Captain), Anneke Bosch (Fidelity Titans), Tazmin Brits* (Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers), Nadine de Klerk (Western Province), Mieke de Ridder* (Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers), Ayanda Hlubi* (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Sinalo Jafta (DP World Lions), Marizanne Kapp (Western Province), Masabata Klaas* (Fidelity Titans), Suné Luus (Fidelity Titans), Eliz-Mari Marx* (Fidelity Titans), Nonkululeko Mlaba (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Chloé Tryon (DP World Lions), Delmi Tucker* (Western Province)
* Uncapped players
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