The Proteas women will be feeling disappointed after a dismal collapse in their innings against England in the one-off Test at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein. Starting the day on 237/3 in their chase, the Proteas had put themselves in a strong position, with half centuries from captain Laura Wolvaardt, Sune Luus, and Marizanne Kapp. However, they lost their last seven wickets for 44 runs, collapsing to 281 all out and handing England a 114-run lead.
England capitalized on the Proteas’ collapse and reached the close of play on day two at 31/1 in their second innings, extending their lead to 145 runs. Proteas fast bowler Ayanda Hlubi picked up the only English wicket, dismissing Maia Bouchier for a duck, but Tammy Beaumont and captain Heather Knight will start the third day in a strong position.
The Proteas will be frustrated that none of their batters were able to convert their starts into big scores, unlike the England centurions in the first innings. Wolvaardt, in particular, may feel hard done by after being given out LBW despite indicating she had edged the ball. Annerie Dercksen and Chloe Tryon also got decent starts before falling.
Wolvaardt and Dercksen shared a solid partnership before both departed, and Luus and Kapp set a record 99-run stand for the fourth wicket. However, once Kapp fell, the Proteas’ innings unraveled, with England’s Lauren Bell taking four wickets and almost claiming a hattrick.
The Proteas will need to regroup and come back strong on the third day to try and restrict England’s lead and give themselves a chance in the Test match. The collapse in their innings will serve as a learning experience as they look to bounce back in the remaining days of the match.
