Proteas Women let it slip in Bloemfontein

Laura Wolvaardt, Sune Luus and Marizanne Kapp scored half-centuries as the Proteas Women got themselves into a position of relative strength before letting it all slip in the third session of the second day in their one-off Test against England in Bloemfontein on Monday.

Skipper Wolvaardt (65), Luus (56) and Kapp (57) set matters up well for the home team at 237 for three in pursuit of England’s first innings of 395 for five declared.

But the Proteas capitulated after a weather delay of 40 minutes in the final session to be bowled out for 281 and hand England a crucial 114-run lead.

Luus was patient for her half-century, sharing 99 runs with Kapp, who fell shortly before the weather interruption.

When play resumed, England took the remainder of the wickets while conceding only 44 runs as Lauren Bell claimed three wickets to finish with 4/49.

Starting the second day on 17 without loss, Wolvaardt and Bosch looked to chip away at the remaining 378-run deficit. 

Bosch (6) fell off just the eighth ball of the day, caught behind by Amy Jones off Bell with 21 runs on the board. 

Wolvaardt remained steadfast as Annerie Dercksen joined her, and together the pair set about frustrating the English attack. 

Wolvaardt struck nine fours on her way to a half-century, while her partnership with Dercksen grew to 92 runs from 173 balls. 

Sophie Ecclestone took the catch that broke the stand when Lauren Filer found the edge of Dercksen’s bat.

She hit eight boundaries to record a career-best 41 from 77 balls, as the lunch break was taken immediately after the fall of that wicket, and the score on 113 for two. 

Luus joined Wolvaardt and they added 25 runs after lunch, but the captain was trapped in front of her stumps and given out as she departed for a watchful 65 runs off 147 balls including 11 fours. 

The Proteas trailed England by 257 runs when Luus and Kapp then dropped the anchor, watching the ball carefully and keeping the scoreboard ticking. 

The duo took SA past 150 as they steadily built their partnership to the frustration of the fielding side. 

It reached 50 runs for the fourth wicket shortly before the home side went past 200, cutting the deficit down to 195. 

The pair added 25 to take SA to 225/3 at tea, with both Kapp and Luus on the verge of half-centuries. 

Kapp was the aggressor in their recording-breaking fourth wicket partnership, which fell one run short of a century, hitting 10 fours and looking dangerous after reaching her half-century, but she became Ryana MacDonald-Gay’s first Test wicket as she fell with SA still trailing by 158 runs. 

Nadine de Klerk lasted just two deliveries after the restart before MacDonald-Gay took the second of her two wickets in the innings as play resumed. 

Luus and Chloe Tryon (20) both fell to the second new ball and the remainder of the wickets were a procession.