South Africa name squad for historic one-off Test against England
The Proteas Women will square off against England in the longest format in Bloemfontein, starting December 15.
Cricket South Africa has revealed the Proteas Women's squad for their one-off Test against England, scheduled to begin later this week at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein.
The 15-player squad includes a single change from the team currently playing in the ICC Women’s Championship One-Day International series, with Tumi Sekhukhune coming in to replace Ayabonga Khaka, who is not part of the Test setup.
The squad also sees the return of Test-capped players, with Lara Goodall, Ayanda Hlubi, and Chloé Tryon rejoining after missing out South Africa's previous Test match against India earlier this year.
A big win for the hosts in the first ODI of the series against England 🇿🇦#IWC | #SAvENG: https://t.co/CdLFopZuTs pic.twitter.com/UpMxpgj84i
— ICC (@ICC) December 4, 2024
The match will mark the eighth meeting between these two sides in the longest format of the game and the first home Test for Proteas Women since March 2002. South Africa are yet to secure a win in this matchup, with England winning two of the previous seven encounters while the remaining five have ended in draws.
Sharing his thoughts on playing red-ball cricket, the newly-appointed Proteas Women’s head coach, Mandla Mashimbyi said, “I’m excited. It will go a long way for the ladies in terms of them understanding their game and what’s needed in the longer version of the game. Getting an opportunity to play red-ball is good for our cricket and I’m looking forward to what they can bring.
“The measurables are quite simple for me, it’s how much time you are willing to spend in the crease as a batter and how patient you are willing to be as a bowler. So it’s all those things that we’re going to speak about and if we can see it coming to fruition during the game, that will give us a big plus,” he added.
While England clean sweeped South Africa 3-0 in the T20I series during the ongoing all-format tour, the ICC Women's Championship ODI series is squared up at 1-1 with one game to go.
ICC Women’s Championship - State of Play ahead of 2025 World Cup
Proteas Women Squad:
Laura Wolvaardt, Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Mieke de Ridder, Lara Goodall, Ayanda Hlubi, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Masabata Klaas, Suné Luus, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune, Chloé Tryon.